Names!

[Vickii]

So.. just my opinion but I wonder why Square give such odd names to characters in their later games.

Cloud, Aeris, Tifa.. Relm, Strago, Celes... Zidane, Lulu, Cecil.

These stand out. They're so easy. Let's take some other games...

Garrosh Hellscream. Luca Blight. Lara Croft. So you can have surnames too...

Ifrit, Titan, Leviathan, Shiva.

So what is Raya-O-Senna and Midgardsomr and Gaius Van Baelsar and Glasya Labolas all about? They did this with war of lions too and i can't remember a single character from that!! Do people like these names?

[Ortamus]

The names are not terrible, but I don't think they're memorable.

Midgardsomnr was first used in FF3 (I think, he's known as different names in different places)

[Amiaze]

I personally do. I think it speaks more to the different cultures of the people we're dealing with in Eorzea, whereas names such as Cloud, Tifa, etc. are simply easier to remember for the player. They might sound cool, but most don't really have much meaning behind them.

The Garleans actually have a specific naming convention, according to some of the info in a Heavensward dungeon.

[Ortamus]

I forget to add, the names I do like.

Nero
Gaius
Yda
Thancred
Thordan

[Fevelle]

Lore. Look at my surname, for example, it is quite hard to spell and pronounce, but it has a deep lore explanation. Personally I love these names, they give a sense of freshness to Eorzea.

[Cilia]

Lots of names in vidja games (and especially Final Fantasy) are taken from various mythologies.

So.. just my opinion but I wonder why Square give such odd names to characters in their later games. ... So what is Raya-O-Senna and Midgardsomr and Gaius Van Baelsar and Glasya Labolas all about?

If memory serves me, someone said that all Padjal names are based on Ainu, the native people of Hokkaido. Don't remember who and can't find a source, but...

Midgardsormr was (is?) a gigantic serpent from Norse mythology, so massive he is able to wrap around the Earth (Midgard) and bite his own tail. I think he clashes with Thor at Ragnarok and dies? Never studied Norse mythology much, to be honest.

Gaius van Baelsar... Gaius was the name Julius Caesar took on after crowning himself emperor (his full name, rarely quoted, was "Gaius Julius Caesar"). "van" is his title and station within the imperial army. Not sure where Baelsar comes from.

Glasya Labolas is one of the 72 demons in the Ars Goetia, a book for sorcerers.

I forget to add, the names I do like.

Nero
Gaius
Yda
Thancred
Thordan

Nero is also the name of a Roman emperor. Translated from Latin it means "black."

See above for Gaius.

Not sure about Yda and Thancred.

Thordan is probably a slight extension of "Thor," the Norse god of thunder (played by hunk Chris Hemsworth in the Marvel Cinematic Universe). Kind of fits, since Thordan is at odds with Midgardsormr (if only indirectly) and fights dragons.

[Sakuraluna]

I think that, given this is an mmo, the character names are based off of the naming conventions for the in-game culture those characters are part of in order to make the world seem bigger. The more recent single-player Final Fantasies have had more simplistic, easily memorable names too.

[WhiteArchmage]

The game does have a lot of cultural influences for a few reasons:

1) Eorzea is not one unified culture. Each region has/had its own and they tended towards the isolationist or expansionist (triggering wars, Umbral eras and such), the naming conventions in this very forum kinda help in understanding where they come from.
2) Besides the cultures (Ul'dah and Sil'dih, Gelmorra then Gridania, Nym then Limsa) there are also the clan naming conventions (as said before) that expand even more the options present (an Ul'dahn Dunesfolk would have a very different name than a Garlean Midlander, and yes, I know pure-blooded Garleans are closer in size to Elezen and Highlanders, it's an example).
3) It's a Final Fantasy game that takes many influences and makes references to previous Final Fantasies. Ravana, Shiva and Ramuh come from Hindu Mythology, yet don't seem to have much in common in-game.

[Billeffingmurray]

Midgardsormr was (is?) a gigantic serpent from Norse mythology, so massive he is able to wrap around the Earth (Midgard) and bite his own tail. I think he clashes with Thor at Ragnarok and dies? Never studied Norse mythology much, to be honest.

Jormungander (Jormungand) is the name of the serpent that surrounds Midgard. He is the son of Loki Skywalker (the trickster), and brother to Fenris (Fenrir) and Hel. Thor slays him at Ragnarok, but as he dies he vomits venom over Thor killing him. I love all the Norse mythology in this game.

[Cilia]

jormungander (jormungand) is the name of the serpent that surrounds midgard. He is the son of loki Skywalker (the trickster), and brother to fenris (fenrir) and hel. Thor kills him at Ragnarok, but in his death throes he vomits venom over thor killing him. Love all the Norse mythology in this game.

Jormungandr is just another name for Midgardsormr.