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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: Will your pandaren fit into your character naming convention?
by Mathew McCurley 
Mar 24th 2012 at 8:00AM
I've written about my naming conventions before, using the prefix Gen- or Genz- for most of my characters because of my own affinity for my middle name. Every character but two fit this mold and use some sort of variation on the theme. Thankfully, my pandaren monk easily fits into the Asian-themed culture.
The pandaren monk that I made at BlizzCon was named Genzji, and I liked it, so I'm happy to use the name come live. Will your pandaren characters fit within a predetermined and established naming convention? Or will you take this opportunity to break the character-naming mold?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 4 of 5)
Arbolamante Mar 24th 2012 10:55AM
My main is Arbolamante -- most, not all of my toons are Arb-something, and "Arb" is what everyone in my guild calls me. (I'm particularly proud of my DK name -- Arbitrary).
Arbear is the obvious riff, but I don't know. Still mulling it over.
edgarrinwow Mar 24th 2012 11:07AM
I have 2 naming systems, one is based off Old Norse and then references the race/class
Norse will not work for the Monk, so i went chinese + class
FengFist is the name I have in reserve (wind fist, or Phoenix fist)
neminem Mar 24th 2012 11:01AM
Being that, except for my main (neminem, a name I use -everywhere-), my naming convention has been "pick a random book, pick a random character from that book, use that"... yes it will. I'm still annoyed, I realized later that my warrior was given a name that fit my paladin way better, and vice versa, but oh well. I suppose maybe I'll forgo the "random" part in this case and just pick a minor character from Tales of the Otori - that'd be particularly relevant.
Amanda A. Mar 24th 2012 11:17AM
Yes. My 11th slot will be my former Auchenai monk.
No panda. :(
Caylynn Mar 24th 2012 11:17AM
All of my characters start with "Cay" or "Ca" - normally "Cay" is the prefix I use. I haven't thought of a Pandaren name that follows the convention yet, because up until recently, I never thought of rolling a Pandaren. I was going to roll a dwarf or draenei monk. But now that I've seen the female Pandaren, I think I will make a Pandaren monk, just like almost everyone else. ;) So now I do have to come up with a suitable name!
Stormstout Mar 24th 2012 11:45AM
I have Stormstout saved for my Pandaren Monk. I know it's not original but I like having toons named after lore figures. On my server I was able to use Gallywix and Steamweedle for my goblin toons. Lirastrasza for my blood elf hunter.
albusrequiem36 Mar 24th 2012 11:36AM
I've never had any set pattern in naming my toons, but my panda monk will be named tonyshaloub
Tsukuri Mar 24th 2012 11:41AM
Most of my characters have prefix of Tsu-, and thusly of a japanese theme.
But there is a selection of 5 characters who're named Tsuk - - i (depending on a k- letter and another -i letter from the japanese alphabet)
The other 2 characters are Tsubanku (bank obviously) and I'm going to call my panda monk Tsuchibi.
Exceptions are: Popess, Darckness, Enjin and Lunarium
Necromann Mar 24th 2012 11:48AM
My naming convention is "this sounds cool", so my Pandarian will follow it.
Falcon Mar 24th 2012 11:58AM
Generally I just like the funny
Warrior (Tauren) Tankerbell
Warlock (undead) Deathisalich
Shaman Topshaman (like the noodles not being leet)
Rogue Silenttbob
Priest Clericalwork
Druid (Bear/Cat) Fuzzypants
DK (Tauren Female) Leathergirl
Pally Bubbleohsevn
But I have a hunter named Giddi (literary char) and a pally named Leviticus because it seemed appropriate. I saved Kwaichang on my server after the char from the original 70's "Kung Fu" but lateer I checked and there are like 50 some variants of KwaiChang. One of the names above is actually unique if you check the armory (and its not silenttbob) so im a little sad to have such a common panda name im actually hoping to be inspired by something someone else is doing and create a one off of theirs so I hope my list helped others in that regard
Ralethisolur Mar 24th 2012 12:00PM
Yeah, I have never quite figured out the desire for naming conventions, it must be a fact of the MMO community that has cropped up since I started.
My pandaren will just be named for a Monk character I had for a long time in D&D and several MUDS.
Much like all the rest of my characters are actual names from previous characters.
(why didn't I roll on a Roleplay server?)
evoxpisces Mar 24th 2012 12:16PM
I keep a list of possible future toons but I don't have any particular pattern. My main a few alts have names of characters from books. Some are from video games. Some are names I made up. So I don't really have a convention. I go with whatever sounds cool.
Chetti Mar 24th 2012 12:24PM
I don't have a naming convention really. I started out using a personal nickname, then started thinking of other things that describe me, or from a book, something fun I hear, or run through the randomizer a few times till something comes up that sounds cool. My last 2 alts that were created to help my guild with the stay classy achievements, whatsthemage (troll mage) and somethinwdots (goblin warlock), were just plain fun names that came from either watching too much youtube (mage) or listening in vent when a guildie said - in reference to what she thought was a shadow priest but was actually a warlock - "Whichever! its a somethin with dots!" (warlock).
My panda, and I will have a female panda, i just don't know what class yet, will have similiar thought or randomness put into her name. I haven't really started thinking yet because I'm not sure what kind of panda I'll have. When I get my beta invite I'm going to try being a monk and a panda. Whether I wait till I can make a panda monk (in beta) or just try the 1-10 panda and some other kind of monk, I guess I'll figure out once I get in. I may not be good at being a monk, and I'm betting there will be a LOOT of panda monks, so I may make another priest (my main is an undead shadow priest - named gratfldeadly) so I can have a shadow panda. Not sure why I'd want 2, but I really like shadow priesting. Maybe my shadow panda will be my pvp toon.
Whattamattau Mar 24th 2012 12:31PM
the Whatt theme will live on with my monk....
however i am so tempted to create or would love to see a group pull off toons with the theme being that of "boot to the head" skit fame. old timers that got to listen to the dr.demoento show or have heard the skit/song from the group that did it back in the day will know..... (guild tykwanlead, the great master kilowknee, teacher master, and of course the student edgrooberman)
however i will probably have a set of buttons set up with "/s boot to the head!!!" macroed in, hoping to find people in lfg that know it and get a good laugh out of it.
eirinefrostblade Mar 24th 2012 12:34PM
My naming convention, such as it is, involves finding a name that fits the race and class, that sounds like a real name. That, and y or the Rh- combination. So I should be safe, whatever I end up with. Usually eith new races, I'll hit the Randomize button a few dozen times to get a feel for what Blizz suggests before I come up with something final.
Dankie Mar 24th 2012 1:14PM
My character names are a mix of historical characters, internet slang, or food and drinks. So with the pandas being big eaters and drinkers, I'd love to name her after my favorite Chinese invention: Potstickers. Of course, that name's taken even on my backwoods server of Terokkar so I'm going with something a little lesser known: Zongzi. It's like a Chinese tamale, sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves and stuffed with awesomeness.
Rikansolusar Mar 24th 2012 1:18PM
I will be breaking my naming convention for sheer amusement with my monk. All of my toons are named after characters in a fantasy trilogy I've been writing off and on for the last decade.
But my Brewmaster will be named a red-tailed female Pandaren named Zummi, because the models for the red pandas look eerily close to character designs from the old Gummi Bears cartoon from the early 90s.
I've never made a "just for laughs" character name before; even my bank alts have serious names. But I just couldn't resist with this one.
*sings* Gummi Bears, bouncing here and there and everywhere!
Deathgore Mar 24th 2012 2:32PM
Most of my characters aren't named for anything specific, but I was able to reserve the Name Yinshin, which means Hour of the Tiger according to the Chinese Zodiac.
Seika Mar 24th 2012 1:53PM
One of my naming conventions is Japanese Pokemon names - my Pandaren priest will be Neiti (Natu), and my Orcish Monk will be Jupetta (Banette).
Ailuvan Mar 24th 2012 1:55PM
I've been using "Ailuvan" as my RPG name for close to a decade, usually on a character that's druidic and elfin.
My DK is un-creatively Ailuvaknight.
My Worgen Lock, pretty much the polar opposite of my Night Elf Resto Druid, is Navulia.
My panda's name sorta just fell into place accidentally, given my semi-requirement of an "Ailu-" name. Do you know what the genus of the panda is?
Ailuropoda.