What's in a name?

So what's this all about then? Well, I figured I'd set out my ideas on how to go about developing the background for your dark eldar, and to my mind the first step to doing that is by naming the main characters.
Why should you listen to me? Well, I've spent a lot of time over the years naming models, my imperial guard list alone (which never got very far in the painting stakes) had every lowly trooper with a forename and surname, so I've got a fair amount of experience. I've also tried just about every method I can think of for coming up with names (short of drawing scrabble letters out of a bag, it's not very reliable, and pronunciation can be a nightmare!). I'm going to limit consideration of options to use for Dark Eldar, though I'll use some of the other races to illustrate points as i see fit, hopefully by the end you'll have got a few ideas and I won't have completely wasted your time!

First question then, why bother?
As always with any questions about wargaming, the first rule is that you don't need to do anything you don't want to, so if you're not bothered about giving your models names, probably best not to read any further.
The more in-depth answer though is that giving the models names increases your connection with them, makes you care more about them dying on the battlefield than simply the loss of their abilities. Your HQ represents you on the battlefield after all, so why shouldn't they have a name and their own idiosyncracies.
I also think it looks better on an army roster, but maybe that's just me.

Second question, where do I start?
There are four broad areas you can work with for coming up with character names,
1. Copy a name from somewhere else.
2. Make one up with no reference to anything at all
3. 'Doctor' an existing word or name till it sounds right
4. Translate a title you like into a foreign language, most of the people you play against are unlikely to know the translation if you do this right.

1. Copying a name from somewhere else.
This can be easier in some cases than others, and depends very much on the character of the army you're collecting. You aren't going to have much luck with this method if you're collecting orks for example (Warboss Socrates doesn't have quite the right image somehow), but Space Marines, or Imperial Guard shouldn't be too difficult. This method also gives you an easy win on the character front, want a force of marines dedicated to martial skill with a blade? Find me some famous samurai please! It's a bit more difficult this one with the Dark Eldar though, so you may need to go for something a little more obscure. I had a few ideas about investigating Eastern mythology, though I wasn't entirely satisfied with the results. I'm going to park this option on the back burner for now.

2. Make up a name.
This, to my mind, is the most difficult option of them all, and resulted in my first binned attempt at an Archon's name (Spiyek Xandreth). The difficulty is coming up with something that sounds characterful, is relatively easy to work out how to pronounce, and as always, fits with the background of the army. In the example above, Xandreth is ok, but the ending definitely needed work. Dark Eldar names should sound like they slip out of the mouth of their own accord, and the 'th' ending just isn't right. Phil Kelly's 'Valossian Sythrac' is a prime example of what I mean here. Try saying it out loud, and you've got to the end of it before you realise, saying the name it seems shorter than when it's written on the page. I had another go then, and came up with my Succubus' first name, Alari. Doesn't sound like much on it's own, but paired with her second name (Druith'sila) it seemed to flow nicely. I'll come to her surname though under step 3.

This technique is a bit hit and miss therefore, worth a go, but only if you've got the time to devote to tinkering, or scrapping and starting again. It can be difficult to take a step back too with this technique to see if what you've come up with is right, and I'd sleep on it and read it again in the morning, and don't be afraid to bin it if you're not completely happy with the result!

3. 'Doctoring' an existing name or word.
This is probably my second most used technique for naming characters, and can produce some really good results (and some really bad ones). It's best split into separate elements though. Reversing words, and changing letters.
Feel free to consider just using your own name here, but backwards, for example my own name (Nicholas) comes out quite well I think, Archon Saloh'cin (insert apostrophes' where you like, just don't go mad otherwise pronunciation can be confusing). You need to be careful though, Archon Evad won't fool anyone, and Archon Bob just isn't threatening at all!
You can combine names together here too, my fiancee has been forever enshrined as Autarch Siol Haras in my craftworld list, but again take care, as if someone spots one backwards name the instinctive response is to look for more.

Changing letters of existing words/names can work here too (as well as the aforementioned use of apostrophes') and this is where my Succubus' surname came from. I was a big fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in my younger days, and thought that Drusilla was a good basis for a name. In the interests of suspending disbelief though (and not ending up with another kruellagh the vile - please please please tell me whoever approved that name has been sacked!) the mad Succubus Drusilla who hears voices in her head wouldn't really cut the mustard. A few letter changes here and there, and I ended up with Druith'sila, which I think will do very nicely thanks.

4. Translation
My personal favourite, and the source of my Archon's name, Ylos Dalur. I'm going to let you in on a secret now, my archon is named after the evil crime boss from the film 'The Crow'. The character's name was 'Top Dollar', so onto an online translator I went, and with Finnish and Icelandic translations I've got a DIY Archon's name. You can of course take this as far and as complex as you like. During a particularly dull period of my life when I was working on ideas for a craftworld eldar jetbike army (I'm STILL waiting for some better jetbike models) I spent hours I'll never get back drawing canopy designs based on names i'd come up with from the glossary in the lord of the rings books (might have been the silmarillion, can't remember now and it's late so I'm not going to look it up). I've still got them all so hopefully when eldar are re-released (rumoured to be this year? Fingers crossed) I'll finally get round to it, but the names (such as star wolf, silver haired, bloody river etc) fed into an appropriate personal heraldry on the jetbike canopy. I might scan them in and upload them to the Gallery of Vaul actually now that I think of it.

Bah, distracted again. Was that all I'd got to say? I think so. Hopefully this will have given you a few ideas of how to come up with some original (and not so original, but convincing) names for your characters, and if you've never thought of naming them before, give it a go, you might enjoy it.

Nice read - I'd never thought of the reverse name thing (Archon Roht Llem'mart has possibilities).

I'm a big fan of using the meanings of words in naming my armies (I name HQ choices and Sarge characters only though - never tried to do an entire army). Here's my contribution, a website that is my go to source for naming my Raven Guard and Space Wolves - if you search by meaning or look through the mythological listings you can get some excellent stuff (and I like my Wolves and Raven Guard to be steeped in their respective mythologies)

http://www.behindthename.com/

That site gave me Wolf Lord Torgeir (Thor's spear) and my RG commander Bran Lachlann (Wolf from Norway - an homage name that helped give my RG solid ties to my Space Wolf Army and explain their buddy attitude) as well as the names of their officers, all with slight meaning behind them (from Riflemen Dreads called 'storm of fire' to a Runepriest whose name means 'powerful in magic')

For my Dark Eldar I didn't think any historic language would work to make me happy with it, and I'm a bit of a D&D nut and actually went to a Drow name generator and picked out meanings I wanted;

http://www.angelfire.com/rpg2/vortexshadow/drownames.html

Thus That'rakk (The name of my army/Kabal is the Cerulean Storm - his name is a direct translation being midnight/blue storm/tempest) and Felynlyn (White Assassin)

Though I also make up a fair amount of my DE names just trying to give them an archaic and sibilant sound (Zelanoviss) or a very sharp short name (Tael), both appealing to my personal mental take for DE names.

For Orks I pretty much stick to...well, what seems fun. Grab a couple of the inherent guttural sounds of other Ork names and just mash them around until it sounds 'propa' add in a micx of ridiculous titles and a couple of inside jokes and you're pretty much good to go.

Arch-Killa Zog’dakka Squatstompa my Warboss, Da Krusha Druzchoppa, master of the Battlewagons, Ripparik Zastley my Kommando Boss who Rikkrolls his opponents...or, perhaps even more puntastic Nascarr da Really Fast my Speed Freak boss.

I figure no pun is too much when it comes to Orks, just say them with a straight face and proceed ta krumping and wait to see if your opponent 'gets it' about halfway through the match.

Yes, good article. My archon doesn't have a name yet - "Oi mate, come 'ere!" is usually what he gets. I really do need to come up with a name, will probably just settle on something that I think sounds cool.

For my own warboss, I decided to go with the simple and Pythonesque "Bruce".

Bruce an' Da Ska' Vengaz - they're Deff Skullz.

i usually end up naming only my HQ, and then somehow demon names become popular. Holt marbas, last remaining marine from the lost chapter of the Arctic Bees is still running around on my painting table... somewhere

Excellent article there on character naming, it certainly adds something to your armies with a few named characters. To date, it's mostly HQs, officicers or particularly spectactular models who get names, those that fight hard and earn it. Commissar Romanski picked up his name after managing to kill a wraith lord in CC (very lucky power fist hit) so got his own name and short story covering that heroic deed!

I did have to resist downloading the study team I am working with to use as my imperial guard full roster But kept it just to the officers.

I've only just started on my DE so this will be really useful as I'm a bit stumped on where to even begin. I've had some success in the tweaking real words to make names, choosing precious stones for my Guild Wars characters back in the day.

EG.

Blue Saphire. Not a name in it's own right, but there is something kinda nice in saphire. Cut out most of the vowels.

Bl Sphr. Hmmmmm that's no good, you can't even pronounce it easily..... lets add some vowels back and tweak it some more.

Blu Sapir.. hmm no. Bu Sapir....... getting closer but sounds a bit like a famous sheep herder........ actually.......maybe that isn't so bad, maybe tweak it that way instead.

Bo Sapir.

Sorry, babbling on a bit, but just going thru the though process

Thanks for all the advice, I'll deffo be taking this on board!

I don't think it's an good idea to name someone after lets say you call your Haemonculi Torturix or Torturfex. That sounds like Tyrranid-species not Dark Eldar names. To be honest the best names I can come up with comes from me watching the Universe of National Geograhic.

As for Bo Sapir, sorry. I don't think naming your pig after a fat goalkeeper will make a good Dark Eldar. Abryss is somewhat better actually.

I think you missed the point, was just the thought process to a name I used for a different character, and I've no idea where pigs or goal keepers come in to it. It was never suggested as an Archon name.

Abryss is a good one tho, but I don't think we can all use it. I thought the whole point was to discuss the process.........

Torturix sounds like an Asterix character

Abryss came from the Pretender. A guy was looking at the word abyss at the end of a youghurt-cup. I added a r just to make it feel Dark Eldarish.

Maybe the people in Asterix is Dark Eldar. They are fans of combat-drugs, and vailing away at Roman soldiers.

here's a few fun ones that might work. Sytry, Marax, Oriax, Abraxas, Sabnock, Stolas, and Douma

Well, I can't remember how I came to the name of Aroshamash, but I think I took the word Shamash (apparently the Eldar word for blood), and took a word from the Druchii.net dictionary.

Morrowind the Elder Scrolls III I personally think of as the best way of getting names for DE chars. Dagoth Ur would be a terrific name if not already taken by the manin enemy of the game. Here is a link to a page where you easily finds the differencing names http://www.uhs-hints.com/uhsweb/morrownd.php many of them are directly Dark Eldarish.

For my Archon, my 12-year old self took Option Three: pick something big and badass (a Balrog) "doctor" it (add an "a") and boom! Instant character name. Further research shows that Balrog is an elvish term for "cruel demon", which is how many a mortal would describe a Dark Eldar. Though the Lord's original model got lost during the army's 10-year hiatus, GW saw fit to smile on him by making an Archon with a demon/Balrog hat! Maybe after gun hats went out of style in the Dark City, he raided a backwater planet where they play War of the Ring to find a replacement.

In any case, I wouldn't shy away from a straightforward naming style, perhaps relating to an event in your character's history. This is the same universe where the guy they named Ferrus Manus coincidentally got his hands coated in iron. While Dark Eldar don't get to abuse Latin as hard as the Imperium does, you get to raid every elf language out there, dark and light. Hell, Tolkien Dwarf and Black Speech have harsh consonants for those evil names. Archon Bara'zinbar, Succus Kheled'zaram, for example (Red Horn and Shining Mirror, respectively)

P.S. First Post!

My Archon Kaem Narcissus is the name from my original archon back in 3rd edition.
Narcissus is a character from Clive Barkers novel "Cabal" can't remember where the Kaem came from though somewhere back in the mists of time...

Narcissus is also a greek mythological character who was so proud he fell in love with his own reflection. Kind of appropriate for a dark eldar archon I'd say, well done!

CaptainBalroga wrote:

This is the same universe where the guy they named Ferrus Manus coincidentally got his hands coated in iron.

Well, to be fair, he wasn't named until after that happened. He never really joined the civilisations on Medusa, instead being basically folklore to them, the mythical hero that roamed the wastelands. Eventually, the Emperor found him, and he got given a name.

Aroshamash wrote:

CaptainBalroga wrote:

This is the same universe where the guy they named Ferrus Manus coincidentally got his hands coated in iron.

Well, to be fair, he wasn't named until after that happened. He never really joined the civilisations on Medusa, instead being basically folklore to them, the mythical hero that roamed the wastelands. Eventually, the Emperor found him, and he got given a name.

And here I thought Black Library was just not giving a damn, as they shouldn't, when writing books about massive men in ceramasteel armor hitting each other with fists with chainsaws attached to them.

CaptainBalroga wrote:

Aroshamash wrote:

CaptainBalroga wrote:

This is the same universe where the guy they named Ferrus Manus coincidentally got his hands coated in iron.

Well, to be fair, he wasn't named until after that happened. He never really joined the civilisations on Medusa, instead being basically folklore to them, the mythical hero that roamed the wastelands. Eventually, the Emperor found him, and he got given a name.

And here I thought Black Library was just not giving a damn, as they shouldn't, when writing books about massive men in ceramasteel armor hitting each other with fists with chainsaws attached to them.

Apparently Iron Hands AKA Ferrus Manus (Iron Hands in English) got his hands when he slayed a Silver Wyrm, who might or might not have been a C'tan. Since he drowned it in lave, the metal of the wyrm melted to his hands. He seem to have ruled Medusa, but kept the tribes feuding much like Leman Russ, and settled on a boxing-match with the Emperor in order to settle who was the master.

Special note: This are my own words from what I have read.

yes good read. i found this page very helpful in naming my Supreme Archon and coming up with the rank of Draconvar. you might want to add it to your post.

http://www.40konline.com/index.php?action=articles;sa=view;article=595

I am finding DE names a pain, pardon the pun.

My Wolf Lord was called Vargr Stiarnaganger. Vargr meaning wolf or outlaw and stiarnaganger meaning starwalker. Simples.

But as far as DE go, there is no easy frame of reference With BA or DA I can rummage through my dictionary of angel names for SW I can go through my collection of nordic names and words.

Where the hell do I even start with DE names?