One trend that has grown in popularity alongside the internet itself is the use of handles. Many people go by a specific handle throughout the internet, so much so that it has already become akin to a second name. I have no doubt that this will continue with such gusto that it won't be long before your handle is just as commonly asked for on forms as your given name and surname. If this trend continues to grow into the creation of the mesh, it would be no surprise to me if handles become an acceptable namesake by which to go by (maybe even overtaking traditional naming conventions)… and the degree to which a handle can be exotic is quite vast. Who knows? By 10 AF, it might not be that shocking to meet up with an anarcho-hedonist named Stoned4Life420, or some neo-bonobo named 69_so_fine. This might be true throughout transhumanity, such that even the conservative Junta might tolerate handles (though there might be restrictions on what is allowable… nothing too offensive there). The one place where traditional names most likely will always remain is among the hyperelite, whose reputation and prestige is likely intimately tied into the family name that they carry. For them, changing names on a whim is not an option, and handles or pseudonyms are probably only used when they don't wish an action to be associated with their true identities.

I agree with all the previous comments, and will add the few I remember from my campaign to the database if such a thing is created (shouldn't be hard, a google docs could do). I would like to add some thoughts on AGI naming (which probably could extend to some other mercurials). I think an AGI's name can come out of one of two paths: -External: probably many of them have been named before they achieve consciousness, whatever the process for that is. Such names can be either mechanical (Project 334), or maybe their programmer has decided to give it a clear name (Indexer), or maybe it has gotten fond of their AGI and given it a propper name (which can be anything, from Sunshine, to anything else peolpe can use as a name for a thing, or even personifications: many people call ships or guitars by human names). Probably, in most cases, it would be either the first or the third case. -Internal: at some point, the AGI got conscious of its existance and decided to name itself. Maybe it had a previous name, maybe not, whatever the case it decided to have a new one now. AGIs have been programmed to do something, as complex as that may be, and I can imagine many of them taking names that are personifications of those things. I have an AGI somewhere that is called Captain, because it is in charge of a full ship, so she sees herself as the captain of the vessel. Well, I'm sure I left many things out. Just wanted to share some quick thoughts on the subject. :)

Lorsa wrote:

Do you guys think it is possible to construct some large fanbased name-database which will list plausible names for the different background / factions? That would be awesome to have when GM'ing and you have to come up with a quick name. We could all pitch in to help?

I'm often using http://www.fakenamegenerator.com/gen-random-us-us.php http://www.kleimo.com/random/name.cfm http://www.behindthename.com/random/ I don't think names follow factions that strongly. There are rather few clearly ethnic factions (the Martian nomads as described in Sunward might be one of them). I sometimes use a bit of Scandinavian names for people from Titan and American (both north and south) names for Jovian space, but it is deliberately not consistent.

@ Pyrite Since I'm not from Serbia [a little bit west from there ;] and in the last couple of decades I heard much more SAVO then SAVA I suppose the name changed from one root to another. I guess because almost all female names end with an 'A' people gradually changed it. (you are right about the name though)