The naming of wolves

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boru
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The naming of wolves

Post by boru »

I'm making a list of wolf names for my UMC campaign and you're invited to participate.

What I have so far is a mishmash of (a) famous wolves from fiction, mythology and history, (b) heroic dogs, some fictional, some historic, (c) some werewolves (all fictional) and of course (d) goofy names that make me laugh.

If you have some good names that fit one or more of the above categories, please post and tell me where the name came from. If I like it, I'll add to the list. Obviously we're top-heavy on the male names, so I'm especially looking out for distaff lupine nomenclature.
  • male_names=
    Ace
    Akela
    Alberto
    Amarok
    Anfauglir
    Aragh
    Asena
    Asta
    Balto
    Baskerville
    Benji
    Bisclavret
    Borz
    Buck
    Calu
    Carcharoth
    Crunch
    Endal
    Fala
    Fenrir
    Gander
    Gubbio
    Hati
    Heart-kun
    Heena
    Hokey
    Jake
    Jean-Baptiste
    Kanellos
    Kazan
    Killhart
    Lanternhead
    Lava Eyes
    Lightning
    Lister
    Lobo
    Loukanikos
    Marmaduke
    Maugrim
    Melion
    Muttley
    Nemo
    Nipper
    Ol' Shep
    Orca
    Owney
    Rahzar
    Riff Raff
    Sable Chief
    Sköll
    Snuppy
    Spike
    Three Toes
    Wagner
    White Fang
    Wishbone
    female_names=
    Aniu
    Blackbelly
    Capitoline
    Diamond
    Dizzy
    Fleacircus
    Fowler
    Ginger
    Glimmer
    Goldie
    Hypno
    Inferno
    Jet
    Judy
    Lady Dire
    Gabriel-Ernest
    Grandmother
    Laika
    Lassie
    Liberty
    Little Snout
    Lupi
    Nitka
    Peppy
    Pokey
    Raksha
    Ransack
    Ratbreath
    Rose Tyler
    Rougarou
    Sadie
    Sarbi
    Shunka Warak'in
    Swamp Pumpkin
    Tawny
    Warg
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doofus-01
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Re: The naming of wolves

Post by doofus-01 »

Are you going to use the Markov chain thing, or are you going to make sure the names stay intact?
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boru
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Re: The naming of wolves

Post by boru »

I suppose I'll make it

Code: Select all

markov_chain_size=99
so it will not interfere.
“It is written in my life-blood, such as that is, thick or thin; and I can no other.” - J.R.R. Tolkien

My campaign: Swamplings - Four centuries before the founding of Wesnoth, the first wolf rider emerges from a tribe of lowly swamp goblins.
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sur.nhm
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Re: The naming of wolves

Post by sur.nhm »

I suggest removing the LotR ones to avoid copyright problems.
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tekelili
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Re: The naming of wolves

Post by tekelili »

I saw some dog names, so I supose hades keeper should be in. I know him as "Cerbero", not sure if changes in English.

I would also suggest "Tindalos", from:Frank Belknap Long, "The Hounds of Tindalos"

Not exactily a dog, but you could also use "Anpu" (Egipcian) or "Anubis" (Greek), egypcian god of death with a jackal head.

"Barnabas" was the speaking dog Destruction gives to Delirious in "Sandman" (Neil Gaiman comic)

"Sharn" is the name of Slive´s wolf in "Thorga Nº1" (also a comic, authors: Rosinski-Van Hamme)

"Luperca" is the female wolf that feed Romulo and Remo, mythological founders of Rome city

I saw in yor list "Lobo", just for your information that is Spanish translation for "Wolf" :P

"Greywind", "Lady", "Nymeria", "Summer", "Shaggydog" and "Ghost" are direwolves of House Stark in "Game of Thrones"

May be not great names for wolves, just remember "Milou" was Tintin dog and "Ideafix" Obelix dog (both very famous French comics) :lol2:
Be aware English is not my first language and I could have explained bad myself using wrong or just invented words.
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Mountain_King
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Re: The naming of wolves

Post by Mountain_King »

If you want some foreign words that mean "wolf", you could use "Faolchú" and "Mactíre." They both mean wolf in Irish. :)


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boru
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Re: The naming of wolves

Post by boru »

sur.nhm wrote:I suggest removing the LotR ones to avoid copyright problems.
I'm not versed in law but I think this would come under the category of fair use. I'm not naming a major character Carcharoth, et al. But please correct me if this is going to be a problem.

Tekelili, thanks for the list, I'll definitely include some. In english, "Cerbero" would be Cerberus, unchanged from the Latin (he was Greek before he was Roman so maybe I'll use Kerberos). I know what lobo means, it's also a popular name for pet dogs, a great band, and the name just sounds cool. I used "Capitoline" for the wolf that suckled Romulus and Remus but I'll include "Luperca" too (that sounds like it might be Italian for "wolf"). What is the genders of the House Stark wolves? I assume the others you mention -- Tindalos, Sharn, Milou, Ideafix and -- are male?

Mountain_King, what are the differences between "Faolchú" and "Mactíre"?
EDIT: Other Celtic names I will probably include are Bran and maybe Chuchullan (Chuchullan was not a dog but legend says he had to pretend to be one after killing the dog of a king (his name means "hound of Chullan").)
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Re: The naming of wolves

Post by Colouredbox »

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Re: The naming of wolves

Post by Mountain_King »

They both mean wolf. Literally, mactíre means "son of the land" while I think faolchú literally means "wild hound." Note the "c(h)ú" is the hound part which is also in "Cú Chulainn" (The h is added due to Irish initial mutations). Culann's hound/hound of Culann.


EDIT: I had a dog named Blue once...
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Re: The naming of wolves

Post by boru »

Colouredbox, you really want Snoopy in there? :) Okay, as long as the legal eagles don't descend on me …

Mountain_King, thanks, I will add Faolchú and Mactíre. I'm not sure if I'd be opening the floodgates by adding pets. On the other hand, Blue is a great name for a wolf.
“It is written in my life-blood, such as that is, thick or thin; and I can no other.” - J.R.R. Tolkien

My campaign: Swamplings - Four centuries before the founding of Wesnoth, the first wolf rider emerges from a tribe of lowly swamp goblins.
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Re: The naming of wolves

Post by tr0ll »

If you use the Irish words as names what will they be called in the Irish translation of the game? Imagine a wolf named Wolf in english :lol2:
Maybe names are not supposed to be translated but i would like to see names that refer to some possible aspect of their appearance, e.g. white-scruff, black-tail, grey-mane, half-ear, lean-gut. Then someone could make a wolf (or horse, griffon, etc) name generator based on a set of adjectives and nouns that works with translations. It would make the wolves more endearing and memorable for players, methinks.
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Re: The naming of wolves

Post by tekelili »

I am happy if any name I suggest helps you, Anyway I am having fun trying to remember all "famous" dogs/wolves I know :)

I think Capitolina is the name people gave to a statue of "Luperca", not her real name, probably bacause is sited in Capitolina hill (not totally sure about this)

I have seen tv adaptation from "Game of thrones", but didnt read books. I cant be really sure about their genders, may be someone that read those books can help you here.

"Tindalos" is the name for a whole race of terrific beings that looks like devil dogs and can travel in time, crossing thousand of centuries to haunt their preys, but not a name of a single male/female dog. They were created by a disciple of H.P. Lovecraft, and I think "Tindalos" suit very well for a bad ass male wolf.

"Barnabas", "Milou" and "Ideafix" are male names.

"Sharn" gender was never explained, but her owner Slive was a woman, so may be you could take it as female name.

I have remembered some more:

In "Princes Mononoke", a great movie from Hayao Miyazaki, main character pricess of mythological huge wolves protectors of forest is a girl, but she thinks about herself as a wolf: Her name is "San". Mother of all wolves in that movie, is a wonderfull white female wolf called "Moro"

"Huargo" is a generic name for call any giant fantastic wolf, but may be you could use to name a singel male wolf (I think this word come fom nordic and wont have tolkien royalties problems)

Other dog name from paper strips is "Odie", the dog that lives with Garfield

Finally is a shame "Hobbes" is a tiger and not a wolf, I just love him ^_^
Be aware English is not my first language and I could have explained bad myself using wrong or just invented words.
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Re: The naming of wolves

Post by Chtomorc »

I just start reading the Game of Throne novel. So their genders are the same as their masters.

Male : Greywind, Summer, Shaggydog, Ghost
Female : Lady, Nymeria.

You could add Gévaudan. It's based on a french history of the middle 18th century, beast of Gévaudan.
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Re: The naming of wolves

Post by HomerJ »

Cujo?
Or is that also copyright material?

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boru
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Re: The naming of wolves

Post by boru »

tr0ll wrote:If you use the Irish words as names what will they be called in the Irish translation of the game? Imagine a wolf named Wolf in english :lol2:
If I'm fortunate enough to get Swamplings translated, I think the wolf names would be the last of the translators' problems. :lol2:
tr0ll wrote:Maybe names are not supposed to be translated but i would like to see names that refer to some possible aspect of their appearance, e.g. white-scruff, black-tail, grey-mane, half-ear, lean-gut. Then someone could make a wolf (or horse, griffon, etc) name generator based on a set of adjectives and nouns that works with translations. It would make the wolves more endearing and memorable for players, methinks.
I suppose that depends on the player. Some people would really enjoy seeing Balto or Laika pop up, and maybe some would find "lean-gut" endearing.

Tekelili, thanks again for your help. I'll add Tindalos, Barnabas, Moro, Huargo and Idéfix. It's funny to see the way they translated Idéfix's name into english-- it's "Dogmatix." :) Unfortunately Sharn seems to be a word used in several different fantasy fictions, it's a city in Dungeon & Dragons and some kind of shapeshifters in Forgotten Realms, so I'm going to pass on that one.

Chtomorc, thanks for the info. Nymeria is a very memorable name and that will definitely be included, along with Gévaudan.

Homerj, great idea. If it does turn out to be copyrighted, I think you are an accomplice. :)
“It is written in my life-blood, such as that is, thick or thin; and I can no other.” - J.R.R. Tolkien

My campaign: Swamplings - Four centuries before the founding of Wesnoth, the first wolf rider emerges from a tribe of lowly swamp goblins.
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