The Name Game
By Anonymous

Recently I have noticed a lot of one thing. Names. Names, names, names, names, names. It's a name that makes a person. And on Pern, a name is very important. Like on Earth, you are not going to have many people with names beginning with X. That is something important. There aren't going to be tons of people with names like Xania, Xenethe, Xarkann, Xetenn.....an X is a Z in sound most of the time. Make it a Z, save the trouble. Also, you aren't going to have many characters with current names here on Earth that are popular, like David and Jessica and that sort. If you've heard it before, think again. Now lets look at something that seems really popular. JAPANESE NAMES. Your character more than likely isn't going to be an Asuka, Shinji, Hitomi, Suki - anything like that. If it sounds Japanese, try and change it. CELTIC NAMES are also big. Cerridwyn, Branwyn, any WYNs, are going to be uncommon. If you want another idea, change Cerridwyn to Cerawen. Still Celtic sounding, not as blatently Celtic. Lastly but not least, intricate names. Pernese names aren't very extravagent. Your character probably will not be named Jynthiyanya, more than likely something shorter and to the point, Jinthi. Try that instead.

Now, let's look at honorifics. This is also very big. I've made a reference list for do's and don't's of honorifics.

ORIGINAL NAME HONORIFIC GOOD/BAD POSSIBLE CHANGES

Nikalas N'alas BAD N'las, N'kalas
Berilan B'ilan BAD B'lan
Verennia V'nia GOOD
Verennia V'ennia BAD See above
Corron C'orron BAD C'ron
Anadras A'adras BAD A'ras, A'dras
Delenn D'lenn GOOD
Kiyana K'yana So-So Better yet, K'na
Seeatha S'eatha BAD S'tha
Kandria K'andria BAD K'ria
Adell(male) Adell (no honorific) BAD A'del
*NOTE* Males must have honorifics
Oriana O'ana BAD O'na
Rynala Ryn'a BAD R'la
Corinnea C'nea GOOD

If your female must have an honorific, don't try to make it an acceptable name. If your female is named Teerana, don't make her T'erana. Her honorific is T'na, or at least T'rana if you must. Remember, there are honorifics with only three letters. If the honorific ends up that way, so be it. It's not the end of the world.

Anyway, now that you know this, please realize that there are good names and that there are bad names. Try and stick with the good ones, alright? Please?