A slight issue with using fictional names

[Androxine Vortex]

So I am working on a new project that is set in a japanese-influenced setting. As many of you know, I dislike using already made names and try to create every name in my works myself. But say I make a character named Shinjoku or something, I would look and feel really dumb if it was an actual japanese word that means toilet paper. Or if part of the word was real so it read something like, puddingjoku.

What are your thoughts on this? Should I really worry about it too much?

 

[Panda]

This is why I rarely use made-up names in my stories and, when I do, I google them and any variations I can think of.

 

[Reilith]

Shinjoku is not a word that I am aware of in Japanese and I study it. If you want some interesting names or words in Japanese, feel free to contact me and I can help you out.

 

[SD Stevens]

A little research would be beneficial [emoji2]. I find a name then alter it slightly [emoji2]


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[Androxine Vortex]

Usually my creative process when it comes to thinking of something is I think of characteristics about that person/place and think of sounds that go with it. Like in my one work, there is an evil God of disease and agony who relishes in tormenting the mortal races. So naming him something Chebini doesn't sound right because it sounds almost happy (to me) So I named him Thurgoth, it sounds harsh and unpleasant.

I usually don't take real words and alter them around. And I think once I made a character and googled his name and turns out it was a hindu god so I didn't want to use it since the reader might think I was basing it off that.

 

[Penpilot]

What you fear is actually pretty common at least with English names.

Bobby pin, Peg, Bud, John, Dick, Rob, Harry, Jack, Jill, Jock, etc..

Then there's the people who actually name their children like Apple.

 

[Panda]

What does "Jill" mean, other than being a name?

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

What does "Jill" mean, other than being a name?

It is derived from Gillian, the feminine form of Julian. Julian itself comes from Julius, the last pagan emperor of Rome.

Some feel that Julius stems from Jupiter (Dyeu-Pater) which means Zeus (Dyeu) + Father (Pater).

A good site for name research:
Behind the Name: Meaning of Names, Baby Name Meanings

 

[Panda]

I mean I don't get why it's on a list of names that are also words, like "Bud" or "Jack." (It's my middle name, so I'd like to know if it has some meaning I don't know about.)

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

I mean I don't get why it's on a list of names that are also words, like "Bud" or "Jack." (It's my middle name, so I'd like to know if it has some meaning I don't know about.)

Ah, I think "Jill" was once used as slang for a young woman, girl, or sweetheart. When generalized, it would not be capitalized (jill).

 

[Panda]

Oh, ok. Cool, I didn't know that.

 

[Chilari]

I think Jill is also the word for a female rabbit or har. But most English names have some meaning, often because the root of the name is Greek, Roman, Hebrew or German etc. My name is Alice, which apparently comes from an old German word meaning noble. Also like a surprising number of feminine names, the root was a masculine name. So there's that.

 

[Trick]

I tend to do the: look up, alter as needed thing. My MC's name is Maddax, which comes from Maddox but I wanted him to go by Dax. It comes from Mad in Welsh which means fortunate... I love that juxtaposition since it's meaning is so different in English. It sort of works because he's a reckless thief.