Need a good Captain name for my fan-fic

[issreliant]

So im writing my first Star trek fan-fic, its set after kirks 5 year mission, but before the first movie, hence the ship im using is an original consitution class ship, the uss republic, the story im dealing with is a commander thurst into the role of captain during a huge galaxy wide conflict. the problem is i cant think of a good name for him, so far i have been using kirk as a placeholder. im into the 3rd chapter so far, so if anybody would like to suggest a good name for my main character i would very much appeciate it!

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

You may want to look at sites like BehindtheName.com, to look at names of various origins, depending on where you think he or she is from.

 

[TheLoneRedshirt]

If you're going with a human, consider someone non-western, say from India or China (largest populations on Earth). You can google either country and usually find some representative names.

If you're going with a non-human, during the TOS era you have primarily Tellarites, Andorians, and Denobulans. Other than Spock, Vulcans seemed to crew together during that time period. Check Memory Alpha to find some suggestions for names from these races, then add your own twist.

 

[Kaziarl]

As Nerys suggested, look up the meanings of the name. Find one that fits the mood of your character, or rather how you want the character to be. Often, just that little bit can drive the character forward, or so it does in my experience anyway.

For example, the captain of the ship in my original fiction is Ken'Daichi, which when I looked it up means strength and wisdom. (Ken being one word, Daichi being another) Since then he's found himself in situations that test both his personal strength, and the wisdom of his choices. And not by design either as I typically play it by ear as I write.

 

[DarKush]

I agree with the advice already given. Though you might also want to look at historical figures, people perhaps tied to exploration, naval, or aviation exploits. Or maybe science or some other notable endeavor. I believe that at least Picard and Janeway were named for someone notable. Or maybe someone you admire for whatever reason. Or someone you know that has a name that sticks out to you.

One thing I've toyed with is looking at the runner-up names for Kirk on Memory Alpha for a future captain character. I saw a couple good ones just haven't found a way to do something with them yet.

Redshirt mentioned Memory Alpha as a good resource to look up alien names for inspiration and I agree. I would also recommend Memory Beta. I often go there for inspiration when I'm trying to come up with an alien character name.

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

I've always wanted to read someone with a Captain Byrd after Adm Richard Evelyn Byrd.

 

[ares93]

i've been using http://exonoma.com for alien names when i'm out of ideas. its got pretty much everything.

and as Darkush said. someone you know or admire is often a good place to start. if you vary the name a bit no one can see the resemblance if you dont want them too, that is.
in my case the captain is a joined trill named Sulhir Vaz (Vaz being the make of the first car i ever drove. Sulhir was just a random name i came up with by mistake.) and the most common admiral (and former captain of the ship) in the story(ies) is named John Andrew Davis after my friends late brother. simply added a variation of my name, john, to it.

 

[Gibraltar]

Lance Groinpull or Big McLargehuge... either would be fine by me.

In all seriousness, I used to go look up author names in the library back in the day, especially in school textbooks. Editors and contributors... tons and tons of names.

The Internet would make that ever so much easier today.

Good luck!

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

For surnames try a phonebook, and for first names get a wee book of baby names or Google "baby names", one site I've found is for baby names from across the world, with meanings, etc as well. I would agree with TLR to try and think of names from other cultures.

As for alien names I have used typos as inspiration for some, random tapping on the keyboard for others, or finding interesting street/place names (one good thing about coming from an island with a rich Norse/Viking past, there are some interesting named places). I love coming up with random alien names, for either established or created races. Also alien worlds will be as diverse as Earth and different geographical locations will have different naming styles and customs.

One thing that really annoyed me in some Sims I used to be involved in back at uni, were alien characters with human names.

Anyways, thats just my thoughts on the subject.

-Bry

 

[Gibraltar]

Sometimes you want to go against the grain and do something rather anti-Trek in establishing character names. For instance, I selected the name Donald Sandhurst for my captain because it didn't sound like your typical swashbuckling trek captain name. It doesn't roll easily off the tongue, and it doesn't conjure Kirk-like images of a roguish, devil-may-care type of personality. It seemed rather pedantic and ordinary, which made it perfect for my purposes.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Sometimes you want to go against the grain and do something rather anti-Trek in establishing character names. For instance, I selected the name Donald Sandhurst for my captain because it didn't sound like your typical swashbuckling trek captain name. It doesn't roll easily off the tongue, and it doesn't conjure Kirk-like images of a roguish, devil-may-care type of personality. It seemed rather pedantic and ordinary, which made it perfect for my purposes.

That's interesting...because while his name isn't swashbuckling, it seems very likeable somehow.

It's kind of like how when I picked Berat's first name, I deliberately did it to sound not as...threatening as a lot of Cardassian names can be. "Tayben Berat" doesn't exactly sound like someone who's going to torture you to death, now, does it? (And on occasion, in my head, I HAVE been known to think of him as "Benny Berat!")

Another kind of against-the-grain name...

When I chose the name "Makis Spirodopoulos," I did so KNOWING it was going to tick people off when they tried to spell and pronounce it. I was tired of all the "Joe Smith" type names, because that isn't how real life goes! Not all names follow English spelling rules and patterns, and shouldn't be expected to.

 

[SPCTRE]

If you're going with a human, consider someone non-western, say from India or China (largest populations on Earth). You can google either country and usually find some representative names.

Agreed. Definitely go for some realistic cultural diversity if you choose human names.

 

[issreliant]

Thanks for all the advice, i will use this to hopfully find my characters name, i wanted somthing that would stand out, this character is a rougeish, fun guy who is completely happy with his station in life, being a Lt commander he loves the adventure and excitement but dosent have to make the big decisions and hes happy with that. A tramatic event in his past made him not want to be the one in charge. think Riker but without the motivation to become captain or commander, just happy following orders.

 

[Candlelight]

Sebastian Pashington-Thrust.

 

[Finn]

I'm working on a new fan fic, since the other one (about a Jem'Hadar ship in the Malcorian system) didn't really workout.

It will revolve around a young Captain from New Hampshire named Calvin Rowe. I don't know why,where or how but I kinda like that name.

 

[Gibraltar]

I'm working on a new fan fic, since the other one (about a Jem'Hadar ship in the Malcorian system) didn't really workout.

It will revolve around a young Captain from New Hampshire named Calvin Rowe. I don't know why,where or how but I kinda like that name.

A good name, I like it.

Perhaps he has a backstory of unpleasant confrontations with the notorious Captain Wade.

 

[Avon]

Heinrich Powers

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

It will revolve around a young Captain from New Hampshire named Calvin Rowe. I don't know why,where or how but I kinda like that name.

It sounds very traditional, very believable for the people who settled in that area. I could imagine his having ancestors in the area all the way back to before the Revolutionary War. (Maybe he's even named after one of those ancestors.) I imagine the first name would have come from John Calvin, and Rowe just sounds like one of those very old British families that would have come to the US back in the 1600s or 1700s.

 

[The Badger]

My two pence worth, unless you are planning an over the top, not meant to be taken too seriously piece of fiction, try to avoid overly dramatic names. Clive Cussler can get away with 'Dirk Pitt' because he writes pure escapism. In a more realistic book that name would be laughably OTT. It's fairly OTT in a Cussler novel.

If you are planning something light weight (which isn't automatically a bad thing, entertaining nonsense is vastly superior to dreary worthiness) then you can afford something fairly flamboyant. Don't go too far though, something like 'Captain Hugo McVirile' is only suited to parodies.

 

[Mistral]

A name is a personal thing. I choose names based on roles and importance. In a few of my stories, there is a young ensign who I knew would be important-so I combined 2 of my best friends' names so he would have significance for me. I have touched on ST lore with a last name common to fandom, played with the whole "crossbreed" game with mixed alien/human names and borrowed from interesting people I've met. The thing is, each name of my characters has mattered to me. It holds relevance, acts sometimes as a place-marker to remind me of the character's chosen role and is unique so that my readers willl remember the character. Joe Smith doesn't cut it in my book.

Having 6 wild names doesn't always work-the reader can't keep track. Having 6 pedantic, humdrum names causes the same effect. Blend. That works best. Sometimes you need a name that remnds you what they look like-go for it. Whatever makes them come alive.