Because I hate coming up with new names. I hate it. I write fantasy. Why do I do this to myself?

1. The credits of your favorite movies, video games, and TV shows

2. Scroll through your old yearbook

3. Pick a theme and go with it a la Sirius, Regulus, Arcturus or Pearl, Opal, Amethyst

4. Any baby names list, pick a year

5. Obscure mythological figures, full name or nickname derivative

6. Obscure or famous historical figures, like philosophers, politicians, artists, and reformers

7. Unabashedly Latin-based

8. Unabashedly literal a la every character in My Hero Academia

9. Biblical figures

10. Scrabble/Bananagram word salad until you get to something legible (my personal favorite, highly recommend)

11. Pick a regional dialect, go ham, a la “Mc-” or “Mac-” prefixes, “-sky” or “ski” suffixes (just make sure you aren’t being racist)

12. Rare colors, especially if they’re themed after said colors or color associations

13. The She-Ra/Thundercats method

14. The Transformers method

15. Pick two names. Create a ship name. Voila

16. Pick a letter and go with it, especially if they’re siblings or all related, like Jane, Jill, Julie, Jackie, Janet

17. Old magazines, newspapers, and local news, both author and subject

18. Go to library/bookstore, pick a random book off the shelves and scavenge their names

19. Wander Google Maps, steal the names of roads and towns

20. Dusty phone book/encyclopedia for address and authors

21. Your own ancestors

22. Name them after their hometown/region a la “da Vinci”

23. Name them after their most infamous act or notable trait a la “Frederick Hamhands”

24. Pick a real name. Make up a nickname and have them go by that

25. Let them pick their own name so it’s weird/quirky/unique/boring/cringey, but with reason