Default Names Project - FINISHED

[Ellatrue]

I am rather inspired by Jordis names mod to replace the default townie names, but I want something with more variety. I find that in real life, the odd names tend to outnumber the more common ones. So, the idea is to make something similar, but with different names- but still only names that exist in real life.

Method:
I am trying to have a balance of common names and unusual/interesting ones, and selecting more of the names that I like over others. However, I don't want things to be TOO odd, so that they will still seem okay when given to a random sim with a random ethnicity and a random combination of first name and last. I'm generally avoiding using the same names for both first and last names, names of cities, gender-neutral or crossover names, and too many names from the top of the lists. Specifically, the name "Madison" really annoys me for some reason. Slight preference is given to names used in more than one culture (like Ken, for both the USA and Japan), or simple names that kind of sound like they could. Alternate spellings for the sake of trendiness are avoided, usually you will see them because that is the more common spelling in another country/culture, or because it fits a few more countries that way. Also, when looking at similar names (like Mary and Maria), I have chosen to lean towards choosing between them rather than including both, so sims in the game will be that much easier to tell apart.

So- finding the "ideal" balance between interesting and generic. Can it be done? Which names are cool, and which are dumb? And which would enrage you if some random sim had them? And finally- a few silly hippy names, yes or no? End result mod will be made available in this thread.

Sources:
Wikipedia lists of most common names worldwide:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_common_surnames
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most_common_names

US Census Bureau & Social Security Administration:
http://www.census.gov/genealogy/www/freqnames2k.html
http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/

Random site with last names:
http://names.mongabay.com/

Various name/baby name websites:
http://www.behindthename.com/
http://www.20000-names.com/index.htm
http://www.babynameworld.com/

This very useful site about Native American cultures and languages:
http://www.native-languages.org/home.htm

Random representatives and staffers from the US House of Representatives, personal acquaintances, the good people of #GRAH, textbook authors and published faculty/students of a random university, and yesterday's paper. A small number of names are hippy names, virtue names, biblical/historical/mythological names, or from literature. The only made-up names are the hippy names--and not all of them by me! Thanks Invisigoth for testing!


FINISHED VERSION NOW AVAILABLE! GET IT HERE!

[Ellatrue]

MALE NAMES

A
Adam Aidan Andre Andy Androcles Aristotle Antony Achim Angelo Alexei Arash Ari Arthur Asher Amir Apollo Al
B
Baldur Basil Benedict Benjamin Bran Brett Byron Blue Brian Bryce Bill
C
Caleb Castor César Christian Christopher Clark Clay Clinton Cyril Colin Chaske Calvin Cedric Cliff Chase Colt Carlos
D
Damien Diego Dirk Dominic Douglas Dante Darius Dallas David Dash Dale Drew
E
Erik Elliot Ethan Ezhno Enrique Elian Ernest Elan Edward Elijah Ephraim Evan Elim
F
Forrest Frost Flint Franklin Felipe Fritz Freddy Floyd Freddy
G
Galahad Gethin Guy Giles Gabriel Grant Gad Godwyn Giuseppe Greg George Graham
H
Henry Heikki Hiawatha Harry Haakon Hiro Howi Horatio Heath Hunter Hiresh Hakim Hideki Herb
I
Ian Icarus Inigo Ishkode Ishmael Isaac Isaiah Ivan Ime Indiana Isam Itzel Ike Ilya Ivan Ingman Irving Ithaqua
J
Jan Jack Jacob Jonathan John Joseph Jonah Jude Jim Jasper Jeremy Josh Jason Jin James Jordan Jake Joe
K
Ken  Keith Kwame Kyle Keme Koda Kotori Kai Kevin
L
Leonardo Leopold  Lucien Luke Loki Lyle Leif Len Liam Lionel Laurence Luther
M
Matthew Mark Martin Max Michael Moonshadow Mukki Matchitehew Manuel Moi Mikko Malak Mustapha Mercutio Matt Mike
N
Nigel Niol Nick Noah Nahuel Nathan Nakamo Nicolas Nolan
O
Omar Orlando Oscar Oz Owen Odin Oliver Orion Orpheus Olli
P
Peter Patrick Paul Poul Philip Pete
Q
Quentin Quinn Quincy Qasim Qamar
R
Ryan Raoul Rahim Rafael Rowan Remiel Richard Rhys Roman Ryuu Ray Rafi Rick Ricardo
S
Sam Saul Sean Shane Seamus Sebastian Samael Seth Sasha Stefan Star Shadow Sylvester Solomon Simon Stone
T
Taliesin Tristan Tyler Troy Tecumseh Tane Tse Thomas Tobias Truth Tim Tony Thir Tyree
U
Umberto Uther
V
Valentino Victor Valor Virgil
W
William Walter Wyatt Wesley Ward Wasim Wira Wapasha Winoc Wolf
X
Xerxes Xander Xavier Xenon
Y
Yash Yoshi Yishai Yuri Yefim Yves
Z
Zachary Zeus Zain Zion Zaki Zan

[Ellatrue]

FEMALE NAMES

A
Abeni Adele Alicia Aponi Ama Athena Ann April Asia Aisha Ariel Aurora Amy Aohkii Ayanna Ayo Amanda Africa Ashley Azura Aolani Abigail America Andromeda Angelica
B
Bridget Bonnie Brynn Brianna Briallen Bathsheba Bronwen Bell Bellatrix Beryl Bethany Blossom
C
Cynthia Catherine Camille Caroline Cornflower Columbine Chastity Charity Celine Charlotte Celeste Connie Claire Carmen Calliope Cecilia Chandra Cheryl Christine
D
Delilah Désirée Dayuma Daina Dawn Debbie Dolly Diana Demi Dahlia Demeter Darleen Deserét
E
Emily Ella Eloisa Eve Elizabeth Evelyn Emiko Emma Enemene Esther Erin Estella Eleanor Ebony Evangeline
F
Florence Fiona Freya Fern Faith Fatima Felicity Fleur
G
Gloria Gaia Glenda Grace Gwendolyn Genevieve Guinevere Gail Genesis
H
Helen Hope Harmony Haley Holly Hyacinth Hannah Hazel Heather Hera Hortense
I
India Indigo Isabel Isis Isolde Izumi Ivy Iolanthe Ioni Ikaika Ishtar
J
Jade Jasmine Jennifer Jessica Joan June Joy Jalila Jaya Jill Jewel Jenny
K
Karen Katarina Kathleen Kali Keisha Keiko Kaija Kalani Kaori Kenya Kira Kathy
L
Lavender Lara Leila Lily Liluye Lola Lorelei Lydia Lyra Lynnette Leisha Lacey Lyric Leah Lucy Lauren Liberty
M
Mae Maria Melanie Meli Maya Mbala Mei Míriam Mona Martha Marla Marianna Molly Marina Mimi Monique
N
Nelli Naomi Nadia Natalya Nimue Nyah Noélia Nova Nora Nina Nizhoni
O
Ocean Olivia Olathe Onawa Ophelia Olympia
P
Pearl Persephone Penelope Petunia Parvati Pamuya Pamela Penny Psyche Patricia
Q
Quilla Quintessa
R
Rava Rayen Rebecca Rachel Roxy Rose Runah River Ruby Rivka Raven
S
Sally Sandy Stephanie Sahara Sierra Salali Samantha Sarah Sethunya Shadi Sanuye Summer Shana Shakira Sienna Skye Saffron Stella Shale Sakura Solstice
T
Terra Tallulah Tara Tinashe Tracie Tendai Tabitha Tory Tina Tania Tamaya Tawanda Trinity
U
Ursula Una Umaya
V
Violet Victoria Virginia Valerie Vera Vanessa Vicky
W
Wynne Wilma Winona Wendy Willow
X
Xylia Xena Xanthe Xanthippe
Y
Yolanda Yuki Yvette Yuri Yakira Yamuna
Z
Zahira Zillah Zhen Zuri Zoë Ziya Zaida

[Ellatrue]

LAST NAMES/SURNAMES

A
Alexander Ali Andrews Anderson Anastazi Archer Armstrong Arroyo Ayers Azevedo Azulai Argentina Ayyad Avalon Abramsen Achilles Admiral Acqua Argentos Arab
B
Bach Baird Belendiuk Bell Black Bradley Brahmin Brave Brown Bryson Byrne Bradbury Blitzer Ball Bickerdyke
C
annon Collins Colorado Crane Castaway Caliban Catalan Clementine Cockburn Constantine Comanche Crosswhite Christensen Cayabyah Canowun Creek Corelli Cole Casanova Camden Cruz Cash
D
Dakota Darling Dawson Day DeGuilio Delarosa Dhara Dias Dillinger Dixon DuBois Domingo Davis Drake Detroit Denver Dark Diamond Dumas DuPont
E
Eagle Ellicott Enfield Evans Emmanuel Emerson Emke Elm Esham Elphinstone Emberstricht Edison Enomenga Eros Extebarria
F
Fairchild Fairfax Fisher Flores Franciscan Freeman Ferreira Frost Frazier Fox Farraday Fremont Flash Fitzgerald
G
Gala Galbraith Galan Gallant Gatsby Giordano Garcia Gauthier Goldthwaite Goldhammer Greenslade Greene Griffin Grijalva Guerrero Garnier Gali Galileo
H
Hallstrom Hatfield Hayashi Hazelwood Hawking Hawthorn Hassan Hajari Handel Hallahan Honor Holywell
I
Israel Ilves Ivanova Ingram Irons Ireland Idol Incera Ingles Illinois Ibsen Inoue Ito Iyer Innocenti Idoni Ihejirika
J
Jackson Jafari Jamal James Janis Janjua Jankowski Jaques Jordan Joliet Jefferson Jansen
K
Kerry Kamath Katz Kalaheo Khan King Kim Knight Kennedy Kwiecinski Korzonowski Kitamura
L
Lahiri Lakota Lee Lightfoot Latehla Lestrange Lessand Lin London Lawrence Lincoln Lamour Lemaire Leclere Lafayette Laertes Laurent Lionheart
M
Malachi Mars Martin McCoy MacArthur Mosayru Merino Miller Mayflower Montoya Moon Mozart Marx McLean Madison Muse Midnight Morpheus Mercury Matthews Marderosian
N
Nakamu Nakano Nathaniel Németh Nobel Noir Navarro Nokomis North Nirvana Nyström
O
Oak Ochion O'Connor O'Hara O'Neal O'Dell Oneida Orleans Outlaw Omaha Otter Orr Orchard
P
Palma Park Pepperdyne Pedersen Perry Peru Parrish Picasso Phoenix Phillips Piedra Pulaski Pyi Pyke Petraeus Pelican Payne Praetorius Paladin Pendragon Poorman Price
Q
Qazi Quahada Quartz Quick Quinby Quiroz Quaife Quaker Quest
R
Ravenscroft Raye Raquel Riddle Raleigh Russell Rivera Reyes Robinson Ravinder Raffin Richard Royal Rousseau Romero Reid
S
Shah Silkwood Silva Sims Sinhala Smith Snow Solis Song St-Pierre Sullivan Sunshine Swann Sarkisian Sweetapple Sunseri Sannicolas Sherlock Seki Starbuck Swift
T
Tallis Tanaka Temple Tremblay Torres Twain Turin Tumbarello Tulip Thunderfist Tan Thorn Troublefield Tillinghast Tungsten Timber Thomson
U
Udall Umeki Umeo Union Underwood Urban Uribe Usher Uhara
V
Valentine Valerio Velasquez Valiant Van Winkle Van Doren Van Damme Van Gogh Veracruz Vega Versace Vitelli Vetrano Vivaldi
W
Watanabe Waters Washington West Whitman Winter Wolf Woodcock Woody Wordlaw Wormwood Wright Wallace Willems
X
Xenos Xia Xanadu Xylander Xanthopoulos
Y
Yates Yarrow Ybanez Young Yeske Yazell Yeoman Yule Yukimura
Z
Zamora Zephyr Ziga Zellweger Zentai Zingel Zappa Zaman Zdravkov Zelenka Zabala Zhu

[Ellatrue]

ROUND TWO now in progress. Which names suck? Need second opinions!

Text file of rounds one attached, for anyone who wants it.

ETA: finished version now available. Because I could keep working on this project forever. I've attached the final text lists of male, female, and last names.

[Aggie]

Male Names:
Artem, Bastion, Chase, Drayden, Evans, Franklin, Gavin, Hardy, Irving, Jareth, Kerry, Logan, Maksim, Nate, Oliver, Pasha, Quincy, Riley, Shane, Travis, Ulric, Valkan, Will, Xerxes, Yancy, Zamfir.

Female Names:
Adelle, Bethany, Cerasi, Denae, Enelle, Fox, Glory, Honor (more of a female name in my mind), Isolde, Jessamyne, Kyla, Lynette, Melissande, Niroshi, Olathe, Peony, Quilla, Raina, Shelby, Terra, Ursula, Verity, Wendy, Xelina, Yoni, Zelda

Surnames:
Aaronson, Boromel, Chambers, Dracon, Everett, Finch, Gibbs, Hathaway, Ichabod, Jacobo, Kerry, Lowenstein, McGee, North, Others, Pretender, Quartz, Riddle, Smithsonian, Tamzarian, Uhura, Valiant, Wayne, Xerox, Yoshi, Zither

[witch]

Hermione and Hortense. 

[Aggie]

Oh, also for female names: Atley and Veronica.

[MidnightVoyager]

For girls: Bonnie and Katherine/Catherine.

I know at least five Bonnies and God knows how many K/Catherines.

[snowbawl]

I second Denim's Franklin for male...also Fox and Finnegan, Fabio, got to have a Fabio.  Do not like Fox for girl (sorry Denim, more of a boy name IMO)  For girl: Fortune, Fern, and Flower.  Those are my "F" suggestions.
Xan for boy (I am more fond of Zander with a "Z" for male name)
Xena for girl (warrior princess ftw)
Quinn is mostly a girl's name IMO (have known several), also Quintessa...definitely Quincy for boy as per Denim's suggestion.
Odessa for girl and Ophelia
I second Oliver for boys as well as nominate Owen...
I'm out of time, but pretty please, add Maddox to boy names

[jolrei]

I did a 'hood a couple of months ago in which all sims had the last names of composers.  I got these from classical CD cases, as well as various music dictionaries, encyclopaedias, etc.

Off the top of my head, surnames (in no particular order):
Beethoven, Bach, Corelli, Tallis, Byrd, Vivaldi, Messaien, Joubert, Wood, Vaughn-Williams, Parry, Handel, Mendelssohn, Stanford, Widor, Praetorius, Vittoria, Sumsion, Palestrina, Schubert, Schumann, Strauss, Wagner

[gethane]

Zoe for a girl

[Jelenedra]

You have to have a Zoe.

I've also always been a big fan of Ethan, Liam, Xavier, and Allen for boys.

[MadameUgly]

Male:

Arturo, Cosmo, Guiseppe, Seamus, Sylvester

Female:

Cameo, Joleen, Kitty, Pearl, Viola

Surnames:

Sunseri  (and my new favorite last name--Bickerdyke)

[Theo]

Some of the names I use in my game, excluding those suggested so far:

Male:

Bernie, Bruno, Cedric, Dennis, Felix, Flavio, Francis, Gustav, Hugo, Ibrahim, Ivan, Joel, Jonas, Manuel, Olaf, Simon, Theo, Wesley

Female:

Alison, Barbara, Beth, Claudia, Deborah, Elaine, Fatima, Fiona, Galina, Helga, Ingrid, Ivana, Judith, Octavia, Patricia, Simone, T(h)eresa, Valentina


And a few Surnames:

Escobar, Esteves(z), Johnson, Lancaster, Lopes(z), Montenegro, Nielsen, Novak, Olsen, Palma, Perry, Smirnov, Toledo, Torres, Ventura, Velasques(z), Wozniak



@Denimhojo: where on Earth is 'Others' a family name?

[Lyra]

Male: Colomb, Lionel, Julian
Female: Kirstin, Kirsty, Lorraine, Michelle, Louise
Surnames: Healy, McEvoy, Clayton, Sharratt

I'm not sure I like the name Enemene (sp?). Sounds too much like anemone.

[Zazazu]

Since they come from my family, and some from me:

Kari, Lynn, Betty, Jenna
My grandmother's name was Edmalee, which admittedly she sort of made up. But one of my little cousins, a girl named after her, is Eddy.

And thanks for the names...my RandomStuff is getting kind of stale.

[Lorelei]

Annaliese
Annabeth
Anya
Aislin
Allison
Amanda
Abigail
Acia
Adelaide
Adora
Adina
Agnes
Agatha
Ah Lee
Aja
Alma
Amalie
Annette
Asha
Aphrodite
Ava
Aya
Abbie
Abelia
Abilene
Abrianna
Acacia
Adabelle
Adair
Addie
Adelicia
Adelinda
Adeline
Adelle
Adelpha
 Adila
Adima
Adina
Adolpha
Adoncia
Adonia
Adora
Adorabelle
Adorna
Adriana
Adriano
Adriene
Adrienne
Aegea
Aemilia
Affrica
Afon
Afra
Afraima
Afric
Africa
Agape
Agate
Agatha
Aggie
Aglaia
Agnes
Ah
Ahnada
Ahneta
Ahuva
Aida
Aidan
Aide
Aideen
Aiko
Ailbhe
Aileen
Ailis
Ailish
Ailsa
Aimee
Aine
Aingeal
Ainsley
Ainslie
Airlia
Aisha
Aisling
Aislinn
 Akako
Akala
Akana
Akanksha
Aki
Akila
Akina
Ala
Alaine
Alameda
Alana
Alani
Alanis
Alanna
Alaqua
Alarice
Alastrina
Alatea
Alba
Alberta
Albina
Alcina
Alda
Aldabella
Aldara
Aldonza
Aldora
Alejandra
Alejandria
Aleka
Aleksandra
Aleksia
Alena
Alesandra
Alesandria
Aleshia
Alessa
Alessandra
Aleta
Alethea
Aletta
Alette
Alex
Alexa
Alexandra
Alexandria
Alexi
Alexia
Alexina
Alexis
 Alfonsa
Alfre
Alfreda
Algerine
Ali
Alia
Alice
Alicia
Alida
Alima
Alina
Aline
Alinga
Alisa
Alisha
Alisia
Alison
Alissa
Alissia
Alithia
Alix
Aliya
Aliza
Alize
Alka
Alkina
Alkira
Allegra
Allene
Allie
Allirea
Allison
Allora
Allunga
Ally
Allyson
Alma
Almeda
Almedha
Almira
Alodia
Alodie
Aloha
Alohi
Alona
Alonsa
Alonza
Alouetta
Aloysia
Alpha
 Alta
Altea
Althea
Altheda
Alula
Aluma
Alva
Alvina
Alvira
Alvita
Alyna
Alysia
Alyson
Alyssa
Alzena
Ama
Amabel
Amadea
Amadika
Amadora
Amala
Amala
Amalie
Amana
Amanda
Amandla
Amani
Amara
Amaranth
Amarina
Amaris
Amaryllis
Amata
Amazonia
Ambar
Amber
Ambika
Ambra
Ambrosine
Ambuja
Amelia
Amelinda
Amethyst
Amice
Amina
Aminta
Amira
Amita
Amity
Amoretta
 Amorette
Amorina
Amorita
Amrit
Amrita
Amy
An
Ana
Anais
Anan
Anana
Ananda
Anastace
Anastasia
Anastice
Anata
Anatola
Anaysis
Anca
Ancelin
Anchoret
Ancika
Ancilla
Andea
Ander
Andes
Andie
Andras
Andrea
Andreana
Andree
Andromache
Andromeda
Andy
Aneira
Anemone
Anezka
Ange
Angel
Angela
Angelica
Angelika
Angelina
Angeline
Angelique
Angharad
Angwen
Aniela
Anika
Anila
 Anima
Anisha
Anissa
Anita
Anitra
Anjali
Anka
Ann
Anna
Annabel
Annabella
Annabelle
Annalise
Annamaria
Annata
Anne
Anne Page
Anneliese
Annemarie
Annette
Annice
Annie
Annika
Anninka
Annissa
Ann-Margret
Annunziata
Anona
Anoush
Anselma
Anstice
Anteia
Anthea
Antigone
Antionette
Antoinette
Antonetta
Antonia
Antonie
Antonine
Anusia
Anya
Anzu
Aolani
Apanie
Apara
Aphra
Aphrodite
Apolline
Apollonia
 Apphia
April
Aqua
Aquamarine
Aquaria
Arabella
Arabelle
Arachne
Araluen
Araminta
Arcadia
Ardath
Ardelle
Arden
Ardine
Ardis
Areta
Aretha
Arezou
Argenta
Ari
Aria
Ariadne
Ariana
Ariane
Ariel
Ariella
Arielle
Arika
Arilda
Arinya
Arista
Ariza
Arjuni
Arlen
Arlene
Arlette
Arlie
Arlynda
Armada
Armelle
Armilla
Armina
Armorel
Armynel
Arnalda
Arnurna
Arora
Arran
Artemis
 Arti
Aruna
Arundhati
Arva
Asa
Asella
Asenath
Ash
Asha
Asha
Ashby
Asher
Ashira
Ashla
Ashleigh
Ashley
Ashlin
Ashling
Ashton
Ashtoreth
Asia
Asisa
Asmara
Aspasia
Aspen
Assunta
Asta
Aster
Astrea
Astrid
Asya
Atalanta
Atarah
Athalia
Athanasia
Athela
Athena
Atin
Atiya
Atlanta
Aube
Aubina
Aubine
Aubrey
Auburn
Audrey
Augusta
Aura
Aurelia
Aurora
 Austin
Austyn
Autumn
Ava
Avalon
Avara
Avel
Aveline
Avena
Avera
Averah
Averill
Avery
Aves
Avice
Avis
Aviva
Avoca
Avril
Awotwi
Awsta
Awusi
Axelle
Ayala
Ayesha
Aylwen
Azalea
Azaria
Azarni
Aziza
Azra
Azriella
Azubah
Azucena
Azura
Azure

MOAR? Go here: http://www.babynames.com.au

[Ellatrue]

Problem is, the list is already kind of heavy on the A names. Which of those do you actually like? All of them?

[Jelenedra]

Put me down for Avery. I love that name.

[Ellatrue]

I've noticed a lot of suggestions that are already on the list- are there any names you think should be removed? Or first names that would be better as surnames, and vice versa? The problem is not necessarily finding enough names, but finding "good" names, and the overall composure of the list.

How do you all feel about ethnic names, or names for which the ethnicity is very clear and unlikely to be used in multiple cultures (like, say, "Chin")? What about hippy type names, like "Moonshadow?"

[Jelenedra]

I am all for a nice mix. I would just like to volunteer Guerrero and (Spanish for warrior) Kitamura for surnames.

[MadameUgly]

I like "hippy names".  My one neighborhood has a hippy family (surname Woodstock).  Then include:

Crunchy Granola, Gaia Earth Mother (G.E.M.), Love, Hemp, Rainbow, Peace, Nirvana, Saphron, Experience, Wood Spirit, Inkberry, Sunshine, Truth, Cinnamon, Peppermint, Patchioulianna.

[Zazazu]

I think ethnic names are great as a mix-in, even if the resulting sim doesn't seem to fit the ethnicity. It's not like cultures don't intermarry and people don't give their kids names from outside their background.

[Ellatrue]

I kind of feel that way too. But looking at the response to Jordi's mod, for example, it looks like a lot of people are really bothered by it.