Vessel Name Ideas

Hello everyone. I have always been fascinated by names and what they mean literally or by usage/implication. I made this thread because I'd like to see what everyone thinks would be a good starship name. If you could, please give a short explanation why you consider it a good name and please keep it clean.

 

Oooh! I like it! I am a huge fan of naming things. All of my names have some meaning beyond their dictionary definition.
Something I tend to do is use one word titles or well known phrases, in an attempt to convey the meaning without being too verbose. (I have to balance out the flowery language in my writing somehow!)

Starting off... I am a fan of the names that inspire hope or strength, but even then I do like the ones that are impressive or are meant to breed fear. Of course, it depends on the character or the theme/mood/setting of the novel. Prominent character traits I will use towards names. If it is an enemy or an ally, these will affect it.....

Moving from that, if I analyse my naming style further, it also completely depends on the type of ship. I'm not going to go through all of the types of ships in the GFFA (or other Sci-Fi series!), but as a rough guideline....

A skiff, for example, I might title the Wanderlust, the Queen of Naboo, Duchess of Coruscant. perhaps the Wayfaring Stranger, Galactic Voyager, or even the Starlight Chaser. It has to inspire some sort of wonder or relate to Earth cruise ships / yachts (I see them as roughly the same thing).

An ISD, or SSD, would be something like the Decimator, the Tormentor, or more regal/Imperial (Supremacy, Sovereign, Pride of the Empire) or maybe similar to the Conviction...(a similar definition to this, or something along these lines. Even Temerity, I like).

In the NGE, my flagship is titled the Triumphant, and I named its class the Eminence-class. I basically chose that since I wished my character and her 'regime' to be triumphant over the enemies of our little imaginary version of the GFFA. It is also related to the character overcoming her own personal demons. The Eminence was due to my character having a bit of an ego, as the leader of a galaxy usually does. For someone of her status, titling the vessel after her station is quite unnecessary. While she attempts to hide it, it does exist. It is also representative of the fame of the vessel, since it is fairly large and impressive.

A Republic ship, I would name with something hopeful or morale boosting. The Challenger, the Vanquisher, the Saviour.

I am done my piece....and what I thought would be a short blurb is much longer. It more explains my process instead of the names.... I thought if anyone needed ideas on how to name it might help.

 

Very nicely done, Volshe!

You sound quite similar to me. I have always thought names matter and should suit the setting, tone, character, or ship. Often with me, I puzzle on how I see the RL or fictional person that inspires my character then try to figure out elements or words that I somehow think suit that person. I often make a list then try to consider the character and potential story and how it might affect it:

Christopher Lee:

Regal
Striving
Longing
Bold
Loyal
Flight
Swift
Nimble
Presence
Changeable

If my Lee character was a felid alien I might call his ship: Swift Cosmos (To denote that I know he once had an affinity with air, he wanted to be a pilot, and to hint at his ponderous/striving nature.)

 

GAH!!!! I had a whole thing typed out and my computer crashed. Now you guys get a short version.

These are great ways to name a ship. I use similar practices, but take it a step further. I try to make the name more "alien" by using a foreign language.

 

Some possible combinations:
Striving Presence
Regalia
Swift Flight
Boldly Regal

Just making them up from the list you provided. I do not know if they are any good, as they always sound weird to me, since I made them.

 

Oh, I like these guys.

89: I also love looking at foreign names and words and trying to make my own terms or names up. Especially in my fantasy universe. I hope maybe you'll post the list later.

Drenn: Aww, thank you.

I have two that I think would suit a Peter Cushing character. One is my own and the other was gifted to me by Merkual: Interstellar Empathy (To denote his empathetic and giving nature and his love of people; me) and Calm Traveler (gift; to denote his need for order and his steadying influence on others).

 

I enjoy doing that as well, Chewbacca89 !

It's a little harder when you don't have much of the language at your disposal, though.

 

These are great. Now me personally, I like to then translate them to a different language to get a more "alien" presence.

For instance:

The Viovera (Viovera is Icelandic for "Presence")
Regal Ande (Sweedish for "Regal Spirit")
ect

 

I like that particularly as Chris has a flare for languages. But, 89: how do you know if the translation is accurate? That's what I fret about with the internet.

 

I didn't use the internet for the translations.

 

Okay, did you use books then? If so what sort and where would one find them? Yet, my concern still stands.

 

I completely misunderstood....I thought you meant Star Wars languages!

Actual Earth languages are a lot easier to translate into, since they all have complete dictionaries!

Personally, I know a lot of languages so I usually choose one I know. Otherwise I will research the language for a bit if it is more than one word or the word can change with conjugations/declensions etc.

Those are great names, Chewbie!

 

Is language also a interest of yours, Volshe? Okay, then let me get specific is there a certain company's dictionaries you'd trust to be accurate?

 

Languages are one of my interests! I have at least beginning knowledge of 18 languages. Fluent in 2, intermediate in 4.

I have a different dictionary for every language. Actually
If you PM me, I can give you the ones I have at hand. I have a few guides online I use for reference as well, but they were recommended by my language teachers.

 

Wow, that's so cool! Okay, I ill thanks.

 

I use Rosetta Stone. I have the complete collection (got it for free in the army).

I really like Icelandic and Gaelic.

 

I was in a SW tabletop RPG for years. These are some names I remember from our game.

Tramp Freighters
Centennial Magpie
Rusty Razor
Dreamweaver
Starbound Warthog
Wayward Son
Crimson Vengeance (it was painted blue)
Cosmic Wind

Yachts
Indigo Starclipper
People's Choice (owned by a Grand Moff)
Idiot's Array (owned by a Hutt gambler)
Blue Moon
Imperial Destiny (owned by Tarkin's grandkids)
Syal (owned by Soontir Fel)

Fighters
Midnight Special (stealthy Naboo N-1)
Razorwing (prototype A-wing)

Deep Space Salvage Tug
Red Nova

Hapan Privateers
Star Storm
Thunder
Lightning

 

Thanks, Sarge. Those are pretty cool.

 

My Fan Fic persona flies the Furious Rancor

 

A bounty hunter's ship named Predator

A capital ship sized supply transpot named The Bloated Hutt.

A female smuggler's freighter named Lady's Tramp

If the Empire had won they may have gone on to make more Death Stars and rather than call them DS1, DS2, they get names.

Omega
Doom
Final Judgement
Path to Chaos (Because this)

 

I particularly find your Death Star choices interesting, VL.

Um, if it's okay I'd like to shift the tone a bit to general ship name ideas. Not just SW-based. I'm kind of hoping maybe this could be a jump off point for me and others to get name ideas whether or not we do fan fic or original stories.

Vigilance at Twilight
Screaming Razorback--Named for a native repto-avian species on my planet of Markon Alpha
Love of Peace--a Mar'kondian fighter craft belonging to an invidual that forsakes war
Eternal Flame--Mar'kondian warship

The last three are vessels in a half-written fantasy story I don't know if I'll ever finish.

 

Um, no, so not in my 'verse anyway. I saw that film, it was pretty bad but Cushing sure was trying.

 

Really? Do you have any characters informed by their work, Mike?