Creating Names

Have any of you tried to name your normal microbiota yet?

No?

Oftentimes, we have to come up with an original name for something, such as the main character in an RPG. Sometimes we fail badly. The problem is, picking a name can be extremely important, especially if you choose a name that makes you laugh every time you think of it.

Here are some strategies- and feel free to suggest your own- for naming things:

1. EXTREMES

If you give someone an incredibly short name, it's funny. If you give someone an incredibly long name, it's funny. If you give someone an incredibly short name and tell people it's pronounced as some 20-syllable phrase, it's even better. A character's name can be too wacky or too normal, completely go against the character or validate the character to an extreme, and make large claims about the character or completely torture it.

Using objects in the name is also effective.

Example:
book. It's not even capitalized. Man.
Count Fabulous. He's a pink Plainstrider.

2. CHOOSE RHYTHM FIRST

If you want to go pro and start making up your own names for the extra tinge of uniqueness, go ahead. A good way to start is to pick the rhythm you want the name to have first- how many syllables do you want? Where should the stress land? Get a good idea in your head of how the name should sound, then start filling it out.

Example: Ustifilius. Utacratia. Fuitlack. Acustamondra.

One of these names is much different from the others, and that's because it was created by a different person by the other three. Look at the rhythms:

Ust-i-FIL-i-us
U-ta-CRA-tia
FWEET-lack
A-CUS-ta-MON-dra

If you guessed Fuitlack as the odd one out, you are right. The person who came up with that name wanted to stress the first syllable and have a shorter name, while the other person wanted to have a longer name with stress in the middle.

Actually, of the three that are similar, I made one and my best friend made two of them. You can tell who wrote what by looking at the rhythms too, actually. (Syllables.)

(Another hint: Start with U. It's just easier.)

3. GET A NAMING DICTIONARY

By having a naming dictionary, you have not only a huge list of possible names for things that you need many different names for (like normal microbiota, or Sims,) but also a basis for creating newer, crazier names over them. I'm not advertising- these are actually very, very useful to flip through whenever you need to name something and have no ideas.

If possible, get one of the older naming dictionaries, from the time when people named their kids Cleophus and Paxton.

In fact, if you search for strange names on Google, you can find quite a few options.

4. ENLIST ANOTHER PERSON

When another person is naming something with you, everything becomes funnier. It's best if you both brainstorm for a name. Then, pick the name that has you and the other person laughing or saying "YES! IT'S PERFECT!" for five minutes. One person you can brainstorm with is my roommate, Jessica, who wanted me to include her in a post.

There you go.

Any cool ideas for names?