Character names

[JackLuis]

I'm looking for suggestions about Character names for a period piece I've been working on.

It is kind of odd story in that is cast in ~2200 BCE and spreads form the Balkans to Mesopotamia.

Wizards and witches and the "Gods" made me start out using any old name consistently for the characters. Find-Replace makes changes easy if you're consistent.

I was using Greek Gods names, but I found that they date circa 1600 BCE. And again there is the differences in language structure that translates in to English as way too modern.

But I digress, Got any suggestions? I have one character I call Adora, and it fits so well, and she is sooo beautiful, I won't change that one.

"Cletus" was originally supposed to be a bumbling wizards apprentice, but his part bloomed and he will become the savior of humanity so I suspect I need some help there.

 

[glynndah]

I'm looking for suggestions about Character names for a period piece I've been working on.

It is kind of odd story in that is cast in ~2200 BCE and spreads form the Balkans to Mesopotamia.

Wizards and witches and the "Gods" made me start out using any old name consistently for the characters. Find-Replace makes changes easy if you're consistent.

I was using Greek Gods names, but I found that they date circa 1600 BCE. And again there is the differences in language structure that translates in to English as way too modern.

But I digress, Got any suggestions? I have one character I call Adora, and it fits so well, and she is sooo beautiful, I won't change that one.

"Cletus" was originally supposed to be a bumbling wizards apprentice, but his part bloomed and he will become the savior of humanity so I suspect I need some help there.

This might help: Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses

 

[Euphony]

Bravo for the detail though I will suggest to you its far more worrisome to you than it will likely be to your readers.

Im guilty of getting hung up on names. I research all sorts of data, mine baby books, and do other insanities I will not share with the group. Its part of my process and when I find the right one I know it and it spurs me on greatly to flesh out the person now named.

The only reason Cletus doesnt work is its modern equiv is seen as "hillbilly" so yes, Id pass on that.

What Id suggest is not worrying about whats perfect for the reader but FOR YOU. You will spend far more time with them and in their head than even your most devoted fan. If a name circa 1600BCE would pick at your mind, dont use it. Find yourself one that wont. If you are pleased with what you have though, go with it. We're talking 600 years here in a far off distant past. Its kinda like a few thousand miles on an older model high mileage vehicle. 150k vs 170k, is it really a huge difference? Unlikely.

Stick with what you know and what you prefer. Maybe avoid ultra common stuff if only to have it seem more authentic (Im sure there were a bunch of Zeus and Venus children running around but you could be more unique)

I wouldnt worry too much with ultra authentic in the period which you mentioned. How many people here could call you on the carpet about it? Few Im guessing, even less if you discount the trolls.

 

[_Lynn_]

I'm looking for suggestions about Character names for a period piece I've been working on.

It is kind of odd story in that is cast in ~2200 BCE and spreads form the Balkans to Mesopotamia.

Wizards and witches and the "Gods" made me start out using any old name consistently for the characters. Find-Replace makes changes easy if you're consistent.

I was using Greek Gods names, but I found that they date circa 1600 BCE. And again there is the differences in language structure that translates in to English as way too modern.

But I digress, Got any suggestions? I have one character I call Adora, and it fits so well, and she is sooo beautiful, I won't change that one.

"Cletus" was originally supposed to be a bumbling wizards apprentice, but his part bloomed and he will become the savior of humanity so I suspect I need some help there.

You could check here. Maybe there's a category that will help.

 

[sr71plt]

Google is your friend:

http://www.nyboria.de/meso_names.htm

 

[JackLuis]

Qishti-ilabrat... well maybe not.

Thanks Pilot. I hadn't found that site.

Lynn the ref you cited is gold.

glynda, I already found that and was able to cross reference it into a lot of info which I have used.

Thanks all.

 

[TinyBeth]

Definitely I suggest following others suggestion to read up on ancient Mesopotamian Gods. My main concern is with the name "Cletus" which is Latin so it is from a much later period, regardless of the modern "hillbilly" association.

 

[Verdad]

You could keep the names of gods if you age them a bit. Zeus is hypothesized to come from proto-Indo-European Dieus, so you could use that or some similar form. You could also plain bullshit and call him, for example, Zis. You don't need accuracy (which is impossible anyhow) so much as evocation. If it sounds like a Zeus-like deity could have been called that in an earlier time, it's good.

Note, however, you have two areas with different language/culture.

Balkans of the time would be in process of being inhabited by proto-Greeks. They'd speak a relatively early descendant of proto-Indo-European. Their names and pantheon could be based on what you google on PIE words/names/religion.

In Mesopotamia, this would be around the time that Akkadian supplants Sumerian after a period of bilingualism, so look for Akkadian names. (Or Assyrian and Babylonian, which are its descendants.) For this area, there's no shortage of written documents, so it shouldn't be hard to find a list of names compiled from them.

Of course, that still doesn't mean you have to go for accuracy, and not even that you have to have regional differences. Your story may well need a unified culture, in which case none of this matters. Just in case you do need them, though, it might be useful to remember Akkadian is a Semitic language while proto-Greek would be Indo-European, and the sound of names could reflect that.

 

[_Lynn_]

Qishti-ilabrat... well maybe not.

Thanks Pilot. I hadn't found that site.

Lynn the ref you cited is gold.

glynda, I already found that and was able to cross reference it into a lot of info which I have used.

Thanks all.

I have several others but that's one of my favorites.

 

[Handley_Page]

I'm looking for suggestions about Character names for a period piece I've been working on.

"Cletus" was originally supposed to be a bumbling wizards apprentice, but his part bloomed and he will become the savior of humanity so I suspect I need some help there.

I think that should be "CLOETUS"
[ a diphthong, I think ]

 

[JackLuis]

I am looking for named that fit the characters and sound more modern than Qishti-ilabrat kind.

Or maybe change it to Quisi-Lab-rat and make him the snitch that pills the beans, er lentils.