How You Named Your Doll

I usually write down a name i heard somewhere and really like it and then when i really like a doll and matches the character i give him one of these cool names. Usually the names come from movies or books or roleplays.

 

I honestly don't know. The names just kinda popped in my head, and clicked. XD I prefer using uncommon names though.

 

So I have it pretty tough when it comes to names because most of my dolls are in multiple stories in one of those stories some of the characters have a name but have to come up with new ones every ten years so some of my dolls have three names or more and some have no name in one universe and two in another ... confusing I know ok so when I got my first doll I had a name picked out for him and everything it was gonna be awesome and I wasn't going to have to deal with the scary name beast but then I got him and as it turns out I got the wrong doll (fortunately for me I had been looking at getting this same exact doll as the older brother to the first) and it definitely ended up throwing me for a loop regardless I had a doll I loved the sculpt and I wasn't about to give him up so I sat there with him and put on this long blonde hair and I made the comment he looks like a siren or elven Prince and I really liked the sound of that so I decided he was going to be a siren and started calling him that but it was definitely not his name so it became part of his story and a major part of his character he doesn't have a name he goes by his species name but in another universe he goes by Sie so my advice is focus on your character take some of their characteristics and incorporate that in their name or play on names of characters they remind you of (did that for my second doll) lol sorry about that essay guys hope this helps

 

I normally find names through T.V. shows or movies that I watch. If I hear a name that sounds interesting I will write it down for later use. For example, my girl's name is Amondi. Her name came from the netflix show Sense 8. I planned for her to have another name but this name fit her very well since the origin of the name was African and my character is half African. If my list of names don't work out for the next doll that arrives, I end up on baby naming websites researching what names will fit his or her personality which is currently the situation with my new doll who will be arriving in a couple of months.

 

I searching the meaning of words in dictionaries with cross-searching it in another languages. Choosing the name is like a game. I try to use two or three parted names - AmeFionn for example. In accordance with Celtic ethimology this name means White Fire. Or another example - Asnjall, shorter form is simply Nay. I try to tie the story and character in name of doll. Sometime I mix languages for creating new name - Basks/French, Basks/Polynesian, Latin/Islandic etc.

 

I'm awful at thinking up names for my dolls.
And my boyfriend says that the names I like are rubbish!

But my doll is named Frances after Frances Kray.
After I watched the film 'Legend' I fell in love with that name.

 

None of my dolls are shells for characters, so I basically do one of two things...

I will modify the company name (this is lazy so I will only do this if I like the results)
Chloe became Coco, Celine will be Cece, Nanuri 13 became Nina, etc.

Or I will come up with some other sort of theme.

An example of this is I'm part French, so I looked for French names I like and Mirwen and Rendia, who I think of as sisters in the very basic backstory I give my dolls, became Sylvie and Celeste.

I find behindthename and nymbler to be the best "baby name" websites.

 

I kind of just go with what calls to me. Sometimes the name of the sculpt appeals to me, so they end up keeping their names. Other times, the dolls kinda look like a certain name that I end up calling them. I have a floating head right now (working on getting this poor girl a body though) and she is screaming Dahlia at me. Perhaps her name will change when she receives her body and clothes...

 

I tend to pick names that are uncommon, or that aren't actually names of people at all.

Typically, I want something unique and either dark or whimsical in some form or another. I also try to pick names that suit the doll's characteristics or "ethnicity". For example, I have two dolls that are Japanese characters, so I gave them Japanese names, and the names I picked describe their personality or characteristics and behavior.

And some other names just pop in my head... and for whatever reason they work.
I have an MSD doll who I dress up in stripes and lots of black with pops of color, and she always reminded me of a dark clown or carnival act, so I named her Circus. It seemed to fit and I got so used to calling her that that the name stuck, and now I can't imagine calling her anything else.

I've also named dolls after songs or bands that I love, as well as the odd or uncommon characters from books or movies.

 

I have a list of names I like saved in my phone and will probably use that for dolls that aren't based off characters that already have names. I like to browse name sites and I'll take note of ones that stand out to me. It would depend on the sculpt and plans I have for them too, of course.