How did you choose your name?

[Sigma-Astra]

Usually, whenever I go into an MMO or any other game that allows me to customize the name and appearance of a character, I fall back on prior role-play characters that I've used beforehand from role-playing campaigns that are run through IRC. I've been in a long-standing campaign with two friends for at least...11 years with over 30+ PC's/NPC's that I've had to micromanage since it's just us three together. I've had to get plenty creative in order to make sure that one PC or NPC doesn't necessarily blend into each other, whether by personality, appearance, or skills.

The first name, "Soma" is the first name of one of my more important and well-developed PC's. It's actually a Sanskrit and Indian male name, but in both of my characters using the name they are actually female. Personally, I think the name could be unisex honestly as it carries a masculine tone and a feminine one at the same time due to the "-a" at the end and the way it is pronounced, "So-muh".

In Sanskirt and Indian, the name means "nectar of immortality". In other languages, it can mean different things. In other forms, it can also mean "moon" or "moonlight". In other parts of the word's etymology, especially on the Hindu side, the name Soma is also the name of their moon god or a god similar towards the Roman's version of their wine god, Bacchus, bringer of wealth and good health. In both of my character's cases, I went and played with the meanings concerning moon and immortality. In both of my character's cases, they had white hair...which can be associated with the moon and though the first using the name was actually immortal, I think it's safe too say that the WoL may as well be too at this point. The use of relying on the darker skin of a Moonkeeper also plays heavily into the first name where I wanted my character to reflect her name and keep this exotic sort of feel about her. And come on, playing as a Moonkeeper was an obvious choice in the matter.

The surname is "Kagami" which is the Japanese word for "Mirror". The Japanese surname actually has nothing to do with the role-play character and this was just something that I wanted to use specifically for my XIV character. It rolled off the tongue better when combined with the Indian name, so we get "So-muh Kah-gah-mee". It's kind of challenging to take one name from one culture/region and pair it with another where they both pronounce things differently. Altogether, the name can be translated into "Moonlight Mirror" or "Mirror of Immortality", etc. It can be taken in various ways, but they're all lead up towards the same place.

The first character called Soma was heavily affiliated with the moon, she was an armored warrior, and was immortal. Her surname, however, was Tsukino. So, in the case of the Japanese surname already being "of the moon". She was basically "Immortal Nectar of the Moon" or....we could go with "Immortal God(dess) of the Moon".

The XIV discount version is Soma Kagami. A Moonkeeper WoL whom is governed by Menphina and may as well be immortal. It would have, of course, made more sense for her main job to be paladin, but it's black mage (because that's what I like playing as). So, we can tie in "mirror" as having something to do with the aspects of magic. Manaward is kind of reflective in some sense.

[MPK]

I used that generator that SE provided. Very useful!

[Latarma]

I was reading a book just before my ffxi days started so, the book char was named Tarma, she was warriors and general. when i created my char in FFxi i was talk to my best friend and miss typed La before Tarma hence Latarma, i like the way it look and ran with it.

[stormygabe]

This character wasn't even supposed to be my main. I made him when I first did the trial. Usually when I play MMO's I like "becoming" my character. In this case, it's different. He's separate from me. For characters who I look at as separate entities, I like them to have lore friendly names.

(Sometimes I like having a lore friendly name even if I'm seeing the character as myself but I'd be more likely to choose something having to do with the weather.)

Anyway, I did some random name searches and decided I liked the Z prefix. A few searches later I found "Kuza." Though I think I might have just corrupted a search result I can't remember. I went basic with Tia as his last name because lore and because I learned a bit about Miqo'te naming conventions beforehand. Nunh would have felt like a tryhard surname.

[xxvaynxx]

It was because I became an au ra actually so I tried to think of something original that might fit lore.

It ended up still not fitting lore but I liked it enough to stick with it.

[linay]

FFXIV in-game name generator, I think.

[Becken]

Nemeera is the name of my deathknight in Wow and Starnight was the name of my chanter in Aion

[Sanctify]

Paladins are always my go to class in MMOs so Sanctify has always clicked real well for me as a paladin-esque name. My last name is to pay homage to a sever where I made some of my best friends on a game I used to play

[TheMightyMollusk]

"Iyami" means "sarcasm" in Japanese. Sarcasm is pretty much my main language.

"Galvayra" was one of the five Weapons of Light in the third Slayers anime, Slayers Try. It was a magic bow that fired arrows of light, and was used by main heroine Lina Inverse to strike the final blow against the demon lord Dark Star Dugradigdo. Gave me a bit of a chuckle the first time someone called my character the Weapon of Light.

[Gihwezi]

I used a generator because I wanted to be lore-correct and straight up panic-slapped on a last name off the top of my head and I have to admit it flows quite nicely.