Naming your dolls

I usually look at the character(or doll) in this case, and come up with a few letters I have in mind for their first name. Then I narrow those down to one. In cases of dolls I base on Earth, I choose a name I like from their country of Origin from a baby names website ^^
I also make up a ton of original names too, based off of cool words or cool sounding vowel combinations. My boys Anno and Uriel are both Latin words because I'm obsessed with Latin ^^;

Last names are trickier for me. All of my characters are usually paired with my friends characters so although it may sound cheesy, I pick a last name that would sound good given to her character if they were married.

 

My doll Arwen was a bit difficult for me to name, I'm a writer and have plans to shell many of my characters but she was totally unplanned.
For her, she's an elf so I wanted to go with something that sounded plain, I browsed a few elven name sites but couldn't really find a fit. I originally really wanted to call her Sansa but after calling her that a couple days, it just didn't feel right. Arwen was one of my first choices as well, but I hesitated to call her that at first, I wasn't sure what people would think.
I'm rather glad I decided on that name for her though, I feel it fits. I still secretly hope I find a girl later I can call Sansa in the future though.
Last names are only something I give to actual characters, I find them difficult so I don't bother with them unless I absolutely need them.

 

I usually give my dolls Flower names.
You should let them tell you what their names are. Play with them for a little while and see what they say.

 

I am not a writer and i imagine my dolls stories slowly. So the name usually comes before the character backround is completely set, but the hair, eyes and clothes style seem to matter a lot in my choice : i cannot decide for a name when i have just recieved the naked doll. (except for one exception, my Venitu whose name came to my mind even before i got him )

When the doll arrive, and during the weeks it may take for him/her to get the right clothing and hair and so on, i try to think about a letter or a sound that would match him, and it helps for my searches.
But anyway yeah, they will end up telling you their names, and even if these names have nothing to do with your preferences or your searches, when you will think about these very names it will seem to be the evidence ^^

But none of my dolls do have a last name. I should think about that XD

I have a problem related to that name choising topic, though, i need advices too ! I got bored of one of my dolls, and thought about selling her. Instead i tried and changed everything about her. Her wig, her eyes and her clothes style, everything except her make up. She is like a complete different person and i really love her again... but her name doesn't fit her as well as it did anymore.
Has it happened to one of you to change your doll names, after some times, for one reason or another ?

 

Omg me too! I think it's a synaesthetic association that I get between the appearance/colours of my doll and the first letters of their name. My newest incoming, Tyresias, was very nearly Tyrian, purely because his skin colour/hair colour match gave me T Y and R as the starting letters. And I went with Tyresias over Tyrian because the wig I've made for him is quite wild and unruly, which put me more in mind of the letter S than the neat, cleanliness of the "ian" ending.

 

Most of my dolls are named before they're ordered and are based on my OCs. They all have full names, first and last and usually middle. Most of the time, I pick names from baby name websites or name them after people I know, celebrities or movie characters.

Luc is an exception. I did not plan him. My sister bought a doll for herself and she got to choose an event head. She knew I liked one of the sculpts previously and gave me the head, along with a body she was tired of trying to sell unsuccessfully. I didn't know what to do with him. His personality came to me faster than his name. He was stubborn on the name. Going about my usual methods, before he arrived home, I decided on Lucas Branden Hayden. I would call him Luke. Once he arrived, I started getting really strong feelings that I was totally wrong. Luke was too common, especially with the new Star Wars movie, so it had to be spelled Luc. Hayden was wrong and the name MacLaren continuously popped up everywhere for that first few days--on tv, in a movie, online, in a book I was reading. He had to be Luc MacLaren. Branden was all wrong too and a different name popped into my head very strongly there too.

I usually just choose names I like but sometimes it's almost as if they 'tell' me their names through coincidences and random occurrences!

 

I have a very battered, well-worn Baby Names from Around the World book. It's a first stop when I need a name. ^^; I have to admit, I'm a bit of the "Well, you look like a (fill-in-the-blank)" naming school. Sometimes I have a feeling for nationality or family background, and go from there. Sometimes the universe just offers up a decent suggestion and it sticks.

I like mythological names a lot, and I really love plant names for girls. (I have a Violet, Iris, Laurel, and two Lillys!) I did name one doll after someone I knew. My AprilStory Minngu reminded me so much of an infant I had in my class when I taught in a daycare center that I named the doll after her.

My big problem is that I have a tendency to go to the same sounds again and again, and I have to really keep myself from going back to those sounds. ~_~; Surely there are names that don't start with "A" or "Al-" that I would find appealing!

 

I am not a writer either, but I do have characters. As for names, though, I tend to like names that feature the letters a, n, k, i, s, r, and e. This probably stems from the fact that my own name has these sounds in it. Senna, for example, goes along with the plant/food naming that Luts seems to like giving their KDF line. I really like the idea, and name-wise I knew I wanted something short, cute, and easy to say.

I tried playing with my previous dolls to see if they would 'talk' to me and give me their names, but it just didn't happen. So, with Senna I made a list of names based off what I see in the Basil sculpt. I'm really happy with doing this, because the ideas I had name-wise gave me flexibility that eventually shelling a certain older character of mine will not.

 

I LOVE behindthename for naming purposes! I tried to do the 'oh, let's just run with it and see if a name comes to me' but that never works out for me. I just end up with a character that has a two-word description instead of an actual name
So in the end I have to sit down with some tea and rummage through that site, and wikipedia, and several books, until I found something I like.
I do like to give them names after gems, especially when they fit their personality, or flowers. I also noticed that I really like names that are simply nouns, such as a character named Phalanx, or a pair of siblings called Mirrors and Smokes.

 

Ung naming is the bane of me. I take forever to name anything but I do agree! I love to discover names that has meaning behind them especially if they somehow pair well with the story I've made for them.

 

All of my girls are actually named after my RP characters. There may be one or two in the future that don't adhere to that, but for now, that is how they are all named.

 

I actually just renamed one of mine when I realized that my dolls were not characters I had previously imagined. Berwyn and Sindri are both different than I imagined but have kept their names. When my Lan got her new wig, I saw that she wasn't Rosemary anymore, she was Maite! They're both witches but quite different.

 

Well, it didn't start on purpose, butall of my dolls names start with the letterA. That includes even my non-bjd and last names for those who have them.
I have considered switching to other letters, but so far can't bring myself to it. Maybe if I have a doll someday who refuses an A name it will change the rule.

 

I too use a baby names book....I have one called "new age baby names" which is fun to flip through. But I can't name them ahead of time..I have to look at them and pick a name that "feels" right. For some reason they all seem to have hippie style names...I have no idea why that is....they just seem to be free spirits!

 

I name mine after relatives, celebrities, historical characters or sometimes a name just comes to me after I get them.

 

I always think of their character. Sometimes the naming process is more straight forward, and sometimes it takes a bit of thinking. Like one of my dolls is named Facebones cause she has a skull face mask. But one is called Cheeto, cause the only real food he eats is junk food. Ones called fuckface because shes extremely annoying. Ive named like 6 dolls with that method and im pretty happy with it.

 

It's kind of hard to describe. I look at a doll and think about general personality traits that I think they'll have. Either a name immediately comes to mind and I stick with it, or I do research on names that have meanings that correspond with their overall personhood (usually in non-English languages). ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

None of my dolls have names yet so I've been calling them by their sculpt names as well! Naming is pretty rough for me so to take off the pressure I tend to have them go by a title like The Coroner (who to this day still does not have a proper name!) Other times tho the nickname will help form their name

 

Honestly, I come up with more names than I do characters or ideas for dolls. I usually write them down in my notebook so that if I ever need a doll name, I've already got a whole list!

 

My mom keeps asking me what my doll's name is. I haven't named her yet... I feel like I can't until I've made her clothes and she has the right color eyes. I don't think I'll know who she is until then, but I was going to get ideas from here for when I am ready to name her. A baby names book is brilliant, and I'm pretty sure I have one from naming my actual children. At least I know I can start there and that I'm not being neglectful for not giving her a name right away.

 

Sometimes names come easily, and sometimes not. In my case, I use titles and can't decide if that's worse (though sometimes they do also get proper names). Can't have any be too similar!

 

At first all my dolls came as defined characters with names and stories, but since last year they came because I though them pretty, so It has been more difficult to think of names. But I like a few sources, like fairy tales (Elisa, Vassilissa) mithology (Lyr, Nausicaa) and real people I admire (Ada). So I go to them when I'm out of ideas and find a name that fits.

 

I'm naming mine alphabetically in order of purchase. And then it was with a Celtic influence, though my Unoa is called Door (after Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere) as it seemed more fitting. I don't know if all the names will stick... If they themselves suggest other names, I'll be happy to oblige!

 

If I don't have a name for the character, I think about his personality and which name would fit.
For example, my Vito boy was meant to be studying architecture so I searched for famous architects on the net and made a mixture with their names and surnames.

 

I use names from a variety of places, but often from favorite books (even if the doll isn't representative of a specific character).

Also it's only fair to say I do change my dolls' names if I feel it doesn't suit them anymore for whatever reason. I've done this several times before and never have any kind of hang-ups about it...

 

That's a very interesting idea. The band Slayer does that with their album tittles.

 

It's neat to see all the different ways people come up with names. I don't have last names for my dolls, but I've seen that a lot in the doll community. I only have four dolls right now, including a new Elf Ducan that I'm having a little trouble finding a name for. My others dolls are named after different things (books, anmie, etc.),but it's only the names that I like, Sebastian, I've always liked as a name but I got really into Black Butler so it was heavy on my mind when I picked it for my Homme Ducan. However, my ducan is NOT at all like Sebastian Michaelis, nor was it my intention to have my doll be him either. He has his own personality that is very different from the character he's named for. Same thing for my Dorian. He was named for Dorian Grey but it was just the name I loved, not really the character.

 

Some of my dolls have names other don´t. Sometimes I just don't find the right name. I don't really care about it but a lot of people is surprised that some of my dolls remain unnamed :P
Sometimes I just call them by the name the company puts to the model.

 

Personally I always just pick a name that I resonate with and that I like (sound, origin, meaning)! Then I customise my doll and "give" them a personality to suit the name (:

 

So far I've been able to name my dolls when I picked them out to buy them. Though I do believe that it depends on the doll when they get to you. My newest doll is named Daiquiri, but I was really unsure when I got her that it suited her. I mulled it over for a while, and I decided that it was right for her, but if I find something I like better I'm not opposed to changing it.

 

Oona's name came easy even though she is just a head right now. Her faceup reminded me so much of Oona from Legend (one of my favorite movies) that I couldn't resist.

My Cherry Elf just got a new name last week as so far, none have seemed to stick. So far so good though!

Now my incoming SD13, I have NO idea what to name her and she should arrive in less than a week! As my first doll without elf ears I'm stumped. I'll have to look into all of your tips.

 

I hemmed and hawed over my boy, Lux, for forever. I initially wanted to name him after an anime character (Cheesy, but the character has deep emotional significance to me), but I decided not to use that name exactly-- I looked for names that had similar meanings instead. 'Lux' was the one I disliked the least, and now I couldn't rename him even if I wanted to.

Liam was named before I even knew I'd be getting a doll for him! He was a very prominent character in Lux's developing backstory. Then I just happened to fall deeply in love with a sculpt that suited him perfectly. I kind of don't want two characters with names that start with the same letter, especially since they're not related, but Liam is now stuck that way and will not change his name. I've come up with an in-story reason to justify this.

Naming things is not easy. Well, naming some of them isn't. Sometimes they're kind and just come with one.

 

Naming is super hard for me and so far none of my doll have names. They all go by their sculpt name.
Will need to invest some time on naming them as well as thinking of their story/character

 

I find that naming anything is really hard! All my dolls names have some kind of meaning behind them. I usually use this big book of baby names I have.

 

I write, but only a minority of my BJDs are characters that I shelled so those were easy. The rest are just really pretty dolls that I wanted, and thus I created a character around them because I love character building a writing stories. I ended up picking their names based on a letter that I felt their name should start with, and then after I pick a few names I check the meanings to see what fits best. I try to choose names that suit them based on the time they would have been born in, and for the spirits and otherwise ageless creatures I tend to look at Greek names, angelic names, etc.

 

When I got my first doll I had no name planned for her but after looking at her out of her box I knew that her name was Isabeau, A name that comes form a list of names meant for me before my parents settled on what I have as a name. When I get anther doll I expect the name to come to me at random after being with it for a bit.

 

I think it is really hard to choose a name especially for the first Doll .... I sat a really long time on my one. But I am not sure if I keep the names I choose for my Characters.

 

I don't have my first doll yet, but I already know the naming process can be difficult. Since I've gone through it for characters, since I write, and for some beta fish I used to have. All the names for my fish had meanings behind them, and I really love names like that, so... If I can't think up a name off the top of my head, I'll use my go-to source of baby naming websites. I use the sites and usually come up with a few that could work and then let the character/fish/whatever tell me which one they like best. Sometimes I can go days or weeks though, before the character will speak to me and let me know their name...

 

I generally have the character created before I start searching for a sculpt, so mine are all named before they get home. My novel characters are almost all based on RP characters so most of them are already fleshed out pretty well too as far as personality and looks go. There have been a couple that have undergone massive changes just to fit them into a different universe, but usually the personality and looks stay the same.

 

In Johnny's case I had a name picked out years before I even found a doll to shell his character. I named him after two musicians I listen to. I also wanted a simple name, since Johnny is supposed to be your average, every-day teenager (at first glance, anyway).

Regarding the dolls that I have on my wish list, I've gone with a number of sources ranging from sculpt names to literary characters to more music icons. In a pinch I'll even study lists of hurricane names to get an inspiration.

 

I try to pick names that are unique and not overly used. But I also try to pick names that suit the character and their origin.
The names I have picked for my dolls range from names that are so obviously names, to naming them after moods, objects and even colors. It really just depends on what sticks to the doll at the time and how it develops.

 

Everyone had a name before they arrived aside from my Obitsu girl. I thought and thought to come up with a name but even after a month she didn't have one. Eventually, my friend joked that she was tired of just calling her 'the girl doll' so gave her the name Andromia (Andy for short) and that name stuck.

 

I don't name my dolls until I get them, and even then, sometimes I hesitate. Admittedly, I only have one at the moment, but I'm waiting on another (finally). I used a name I was going to use for a cat but didn't seem to fit... To be honest, like others have said, a name doesn't really...gel with me until I've been around the doll for a while, and get a feel for their personality. I like creepy, ethereal names, especially if they're a little bit morbid, and Adipocere definitely fits the bill. I'll probably give her a surname eventually, but... maybe not. I won't know until it happens.

At least I have like 6 months to figure out how/what to name my incoming lady...

 

I pick creepy and morbid names too
But for me it seems to fit with the characters and the storyline that I have them all in.

Sometimes the names have been picked and it's finding the right doll, but lately I have picked more dolls than I had names for, so I had to get creative in naming them and placing them in my story, assuming that they were relevant to the plot. :P

 

When I got my doll, I figured I wanted her to be princess-esk and thought of names I thought sounded like a princess. But sometimes when I'm reading or in class, sometimes a really nice name will be said by the teacher and I'll write it down thinking "This would a great name!"

 

I sadly don't have any dolls (yet!), but when I'm naming new characters, I usually just get a vibe from them that their name should start with a certain letter, then I look around on those baby naming sites for names I like, make a list of favorites, and hopefully choose a fitful one from there.

 

I try to give my dolls unusual names. I've used the website "Behind the Name" for some of my dolls' names based on meaning or the country they're supposed to be from. For example, Yumiko is Japanese and means something like "archery bow child" which fits her personality. Several are named after mythology. Kali is named for the Hindu goddess of destruction and is a bit of a trouble maker. Her closest friend is Hermes after the Greek messenger god who is the guardian of travelers and thieves. I'm not sure how I came up with Ephemera, but it seems a fitting name for a fairy.

 

The dolls generally have their names before hand, most are planned in some way (or can easily fit a doll bought, eg Rosalind, Sirocco, Vinayaka, Miho).
Names vary, a lot are the names of Gods from other religions or names from mythology (Syrinx, Vinayaka, Freya Lilith Ivy) all the Siv are named after storms, and their other names are more random, or referencing something (Django, a future Siv doll) there are 3 dolls with Lilith in their name, weirdly, named after a character who won't ever be a doll since she's dead in the story from the beginning.

 

For the most part I already have names planned out for dolls I want to get in the future. Some are based on already existing characters, and others I just find a name I think fits the sculpt. In those cases, I have a list of names that I find interesting or pretty, and I'll usually pick a name from that list. If none of those fit, I'll search name websites until I find a suitable name. I generally give my dolls first, middle, and last names, since I think it gives more depth to their characters. Plus, I just think coming up with names is fun

 

So far mine have been named after anime/manga characters. Like with my newest doll. Fresh out of the box, I took one look at her face and thought, "Oh my gosh, she looks like Sailor Moon." I've been calling her Usagi ever since.

 

For me, the dolls that I customize (clothing./face up/etc.) get names.. But the dolls that I have full sets for (Like the fairyland mandrake moors dolls) keep their original names... I too have a hard time thinking of names... I got a breakaway head and arm from fairyland and it took me about 3 months of having him to give him a name other than "breakaway guy"

 

In my case, my doll Esther arrived on the Jewish holiday purim. It only seemed fitting that I would name her after one of the most prominent people regarding the holiday!

 

Some of mine retain the sculpt name (if it suits them) but most of mine get their own name - sometimes it comes straight away, sometimes, it takes forever to come to me (or several attemtps that don't stick), and sometimes it never comes... One of my dolls is called Elfie because her name never came and she was referred to as "My elfie girl" for so long that Elfie became her name by default.

One of my dolls even has a name that I don't particularly like, but it's the one that was right for her after several other names were tried and didn't stick.

Teddy

 

My dolls are not specific characters. I name them by considering names that I like and trying to find one that I find "fitting". Sometimes this takes a lot of work. Usually if I don't have something in mind soon enough my husband and sometimes other friends will try to help, making their own suggestions.

There's a lot of trial and error: "What about Juliet?" Then we try referring to the doll as Juliet for a few days. Maybe it doesn't stick; it sounds forced or just...wrong. "Hmm, maybe Lily?" Perhaps this time, the name sounds natural. And then it's settled.

Thankfully, when one is naming a doll there is no pressing timeline to give the doll a name. If it takes 3 hours, 2 days, or 4 weeks... there's plenty of time to find a name that you feel is appropriate for your doll.

 

I am not good with names, and I kind of feel that the doll becomes a stranger if I give them other names than their original names. So I keep with their original names. Even my Japanese named smartdolls have their original names, but it took me a while to remember..

 

I've often joked that it's good that I don't have children - the poor things would end up starting kindergarten before they had finalized names! And it's true with my dolls, too. If I can't keep their sculpt name, I agonize over their names for weeks.

My most recent boy doll literally got his name pulled from a bowl of slips of paper that had all the names I'd tried for him.

Very strangely, my most recent girl actually got named before she even arrived. The second I saw her, I heard lines from that Iggy Pop song: "Candy, Candy, Candy, I can't let you go..." And it stuck. But that's definitely not normal for the way naming goes around here!

 

I'd generally try to get a feel of their personality before finding them a name that fits. I do not have any characters to shell, so my dolls have always arrived in a blank slate. It'll take several hours up to a week for their personalities to develop, and the names will come to me naturally after.

 

I couldn't decide on a name for my first, so I took to here with a few pictures and asked what everyone else thought was a good name. I ended up going with Aisling, one of the suggestions.

As for the doll I have coming from IOS and the doll I want to assemble next, their names have already been predetermined. The IOS will be Mister Hyde, and if I can find the right sculpt, I will make Erik the Opera Ghost.