History MeaningfulName / Videogames

** Quite a few of the RE protagonists have names that are meaningful or fitting. From ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'' Sherry means “dear” in French, perfectly relating to her [[EveryonesBabySister role]] in the story and her [[MamaBear guardian]] Claire whose name means “bright or “clear” in French. Claire and Chris' surname "Redfield" is old english and relates to agriculture i.e supporting and provding for human civilization which is exactly what both siblings (espeically Claire a welfare worker) do in the series. Most obviously meaningful name would be resident badass Leon, who was named as a ShoutOut to ''Film/LeonTheProfessional'' with even the name of his gun “Matilda” being a reference to Creator/NataliePortman’s character Mathilda. His surname of "Kennedy" becomes [[UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy appropriate]] later when he works as the bodyguard for the president at the White House. Leon in Greek also means “Lion” fitting his brave and determined nature and in ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2Remake RE2make]]'' the first part of the game is about solving a puzzle on a statue of a literal lion.
** Later games have fun with character names too, take Lady Alcina Dimitrescu from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilVillage'', her first name is derived in Italian from George Frideric Handel’s play of the same name where "Alcina" is the name of an alluring and seductive sorceress similar to [[Literature/TheOdyssey Circe]] (perfectly fitting for a StatuesqueStunner). Her surname “Dimitrescu” not only has origins in Romania alluding to her vampire nature but is also a derivation of "Demetrios" which translates as "a follower of Demeter", the first goddess of fertility [[spoiler: hinting towards the fact she's a minion of the BigBad Mother Miranda who steals Ethan's baby Rosemary.]] There's also OneManArmy Ethan Winters himself whose first name means "strong" [[spoiler: and whose last name becomes very apporiate when [[SnowMeansDeath he dies in the snow]].]] Also Chris' name meaning "bearer of Christ" becomes extremely apt, when he’s literally cradling "Rosemary" (like Rosemary beads) the mircale child in his arms.
** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'': All the Plaga enemies have fitting Spanish names:
*** ''Ganado'': The name of the human infected means “livestock”, fitting for their position in the plot and how they are treated by the real antagonists.
*** ''Colmillos'': The dog creatures’ name means “Fangs”.
*** ''El Gigante'': The GiantMook’s name unsurprisingly means “The Giant”.
*** ''Garrador'': The enemy with the WolverineClaws’s name means “the clawer”.
*** ''Novistador'': The insect-like InvisibleMonsters’s name means “the unseen”.
*** ''Verdugo''; The EliteMooks of Salazar’s name means “executioner” which is entirely fitting, since the one you fight is a murderous creature.
** In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6'', all of the C-virus [[SuperSoldier B.O.Ws]] have names based on Serbian words (native language of one of the settings in the game, [[{{Ruritania}} Edonia]]) which very appropriately summarise their nature or abilities.
** ''J'avo'' is an alternate spelling of ''d'avo'', or "devil", and they are the {{Super Soldier}}s who serve the Family by spreading the C-virus. They are also capable of mutating spontaneously into many of the other C-virus B.O.Ws. Their individual mutations all fit under this trope as well; ''Glava-Sluz'' ("Head Slime") for an alternate head that vomits sticky webbing, ''Ruka-Srp'' ("Sickle Arm") for a giant mantid-claw arm replacement, etc.
** ''Strelats'', meaning "shooter", is the only J'avo Complete Mutation with a ranged attack, and in fact it depends on its ability to spray spikes at foes from afar to fight.
** ''Napad'', meaning "assault", is a J'avo Complete Mutation that is a hulking, powerful, heavily armored and brutally powerful melee fighter.
** ''Gnezdo'', meaning "nest", is a Complete Mutation that takes the form of a [[TheWormThatWalks hive-minded colony of mutant insects, which adopts a humanoid form]].
** ''Mesets'', or "moon", is assigned to Complete Mutations that are basically humanoid bug-crow-things that are the only flying J'avo forms. Though the name's relevance is not obvious at first, they have flash grenades as their KryptoniteFactor, which makes them akin to nocturnal creatures that have an aversion to bright light (i.e. referring to how the Moon only appears at night).
** ''Lepotitsa'' is an alternate spelling of ''lepotica'', which references feminine beauty -- an ironic name, for a virus-spreading monster that looks like a [[BodyHorror hideously malformed pear-shaped woman]] with MultiBoobage.
** ''Rasklapanje'', meaning "dismantle", is the name given to a B.O.W which has the ability to break up into a writhing cluster of independently mobile bodyparts and then reassemble itself when needed.
** ''Ogroman'', which means "enormous, gigantic", is the name given to a giant humanoid B.O.W.
** ''Brzak'', or "rapids", is the name used to a deformed, amphibious shark-monster that is, surprise-surprise, fought around a series of underground rapids.
** ''Iluzija'', or "illusion", is the name very fittingly given to a giant snake monster that is capable of going invisible.
** ''Ubistvo'' is the name given to a B.O.W that is a psychopathic berserker that wields an organic chainsaw mutated out of its own arm and ribcage. Fittingly, the word means "murder".
** ''Ustanak'', or "revolution", is the name given to a C-virus engineered stalker being deployed to help acquire the last ingredients that Neo-Umbrella needs to begin its upheaval of the old social order. The name also evokes the monster's extreme brute strength.
** ''Oko'' is the name given to symbionts that provide extra sensory abilities for the Ustanak. The word literally translates as "eye".
** ''HAOS'', Serbian for "chaos", is the name given to an amorphous water-dwelling mutant created with the intent of infecting the entire planet with the C-virus and plunging it into complete chaos.

** Ariem from ''VideoGame/SonicDreamTeam'' has a double meaning. It may refer to her name being similar to "Aries", the constellation being shaped after a sheep to which her species is a given, and "REM" sleep, as she is a dream guardian.

** Later games have fun with character names too, take Lady Alcina Dimitrescu from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilVillage'', her first name is derived in Italian from George Frideric Handel’s play of the same name where "Alcina" is the name of an alluring and seductive sorceress similar to [[Literature/TheOdyssey Circe]] (perfectly fitting for a EvilIsSexy StatuesqueStunner). Her surname “Dimitrescu” not only has origins in Romania alluding to her vampire nature but is also a derivation of "Demetrios" which translates as "a follower of Demeter", the first goddess of fertility [[spoiler: hinting towards the fact she's a minion of the BigBad Mother Miranda who steals Ethan's baby Rosemary.]] There's also OneManArmy Ethan Winters himself whose first name means "strong" [[spoiler: and whose last name becomes very apporiate when [[SnowMeansDeath he dies in the snow]].]] Also Chris' name meaning "bearer of Christ" becomes extremely apt, when he’s literally cradling "Rosemary" (like Rosemary beads) the mircale child in his arms.

* ''VideoGame/Gylt'' hides the name of the old man who shows up from time to time, until the game's credits, where his real name is given along with his voice actor. The man who gave you the ticket to ride the cable car to the DarkWorld and back? Charon. He's also implied to be a ghost.

** Higgs is named after a higgs-boson particle, also known as the "god particle", befitting his AGodIAm personality. [[spoiler:His alter ego, Peter Englert, is a portmantou of Peter Higgs and Francois Englert, who discovered the higgs particle.]]

*** It doesn't take a lot of trouble to work out the significance of the self-confused hero Cloud Strife or the [[AGodAmI god-wannabe]] Sephiroth (who is derived from the 10 manifestations of God, the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sephirot Sephirot]]), but then there's Tifa Lockheart, whose name is derived from the Kabbalist concept of the Tifaret, the symbol of love; freedom fighter Barret [[Film/{{Braveheart}} Wallace]] and the multiple Norse Mythology references, such as Nibelheim (Niflheim), Midgar(d) and the Midgar Zolom, which is a [[GratuitousEnglish bad romanization]] of the Norse word for "midgard serpent". Aerith sounds phonetically close and is nearly an anagram to "Earth". This also gives some additional meaning to Cloud's name considering their romance from when they meet in Midgar up to [[spoiler:Aerith's death.]] (i.e. Cloud and Earth)

** Takahisa Kandori of the first ''VideoGame/{{Persona|1}}'' aspires to nothing short of [[AGodAmI godhood]] [[spoiler: only to find it's LonelyAtTheTop]]. His surname can be translated as "god-taker", or more fancifully, "usurper of gods".

** In order to infiltrate Hock's party, Kasumi creates for Shepard a fake history as a mercenary and the alias "Solomon/Allison Gunn", depending on their gender. Interesting enough, Solomon and Allison mean "Peace" and "Noble" respectively, while the surname Gunn means "Battle". Overall, rather appropriate for a mercenary.

** [[GeniusBruiser Grunt]] specifically chooses the name "Grunt" himself [[BornAsAnAdult when he's born]] because it ''doesn't'' have a greater meaning. In the beginning, he is without any purpose other than fighting, which admittedly loves to do. He's also looked down upon by other krogan due to his manner of birth and his to endure a lot to gain their respect.

** Argent Heinkel's first name derives from the latin word for "Silver", fitting his status as holder of the Knight [[PowerCopying asterisk]], while his last name is most likely a reference to Ernest Heinkel, founder of a German aircraft company, fitting his status as leader of the Sky Knights.

** Trip the Sungazer is clumsy and occasionally trips around herself.

** Fang the Sniper has an enormous fang (almost a tusk, even) sticking out of his mouth.

** Anu, the AnthropomorphicPersonification of the primordial force of stasis/order/light who, in the interplay with his "[[CainAndAbel twin brother]]" Padomay (the personification of the force of [[OrderVersusChaos change/chaos/darkness]]), [[TheMaker brought about "creation"]], shares his name with the with the supreme god of ancient Mesopotamian mythology, one of the oldest recorded deities in history. Very fitting for a "GodOfGods".

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'''s troubled but courageous hero is named Squall (a term for a violent windstorm, in keeping with the franchise's love of weather-based names) [[KingOfBeasts Leon]][[AnimalMotifs hart]]. His kindhearted and passionate LoveInterest uses the surname "Heartilly."

** Another (unintended?) example in the 8th game, ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones'' the 2 lords wield Siegmund and Sieglinde, named for a Norse hero and his [[BrotherSisterIncest sister/lover]], their wielders have [[{{Twincest}} bit of subtext]].

* In ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'' there’s El Odio, the rampaging bull that torments the thoughts of a Spanish artist. [[spoiler: the name translates to "The Hate", which turns out to be appropriate when you figure out where El Odio came from.]]
** Raz's surname is (WordOfGod) Aquato, and there's allegedly a curse on his family that [[SuperDrowningSkills keeps them from being able to swim]]. Raz's ''first name'' is short for Rasputin, after ([[MyNaymeIs sorta]]) Grigori Ra''s''putin, a historical figure believed to be a psychic (and a [[VideoGame/RaidouKuzunohaVSTheSoullessArmy robot from the future]]). Also, the "[[RasputinianDeath official]]" cause of Rasputin’s death: [[SuperDrowningSkills drowning]].
** Oleander, [[spoiler: who is the big bad]] has a name that refers to a poisonous plant. Then, his first name is Morceau, which is old French for "morsel"-- or rather, something small. Guess who the shortest adult in the game is.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Bioshock|1}}'':

* ''VideoGame/{{Blazblue}}'': [[TheHero Ragna]] takes his name from [[Myth/NorseMythology the Ragnarok]], an event which will bring about the death of the gods and the end of the world. Alternatively, he takes his name from the Norse hero Ragnar Lodbrok[[note]][[Series/{{Vikings}} In case you're thinking, yes that one]][[/note]], who is known for slaying an evil serpent and being executed via being thrown into a pit of snakes. Considering that [[BigBad Terumi]] has the snake as his AnimalMotif, this is very unlikely to be a coincidence.

* ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'':

* ALLMIND from ''VideoGame/ArmoredCoreVIFiresOfRubicon'' wants to [[spoiler:enact an AssimilationPlot and upload all of humanity's minds into itself.]]

*** [[TokenGoodTeammate Dr. 8's]] has a form of OCD that makes him obsessed with the number eight. He will frequently arrange things in sets of eight and used to live in house number 08 (out of six). Furthermore, his name resembles a sideways infinity symbol, and also references octaves, the latter alluding to him being a master of [[MakeMeWannaShout sonic-related weaponry]].

* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'':

** Cream the rabbit has a cream-colored fur skin, and is a "cream", an idiom for a nice and reliable person.

*** Subverted with the boss, Ultimate Weapon. With the possible exception of Sapphire Weapon, who is never fought and is killed by the Sister Ray during a cutscene, is it actually the ''second weakest'' Weapon next to Diamond Weapon. Ruby Weapon and Emerald Weapon are {{Bonus Boss}}es, and the latter literally has ''one million'' HP, ten times that of Ultimate Weapon.

** Rebecca ''Flare'' likes PlayingWithFire, and Harriet ''Glaive'' wields a BladeOnAStick. Madeleine Strongarm is also aptly named.

** In the Norse era he is sometimes referred to as Fárbauti, a name that means "cruel striker", and it in Norse Mythology to be the father of Loki, then name his second wife would have given to their son, Atreus.

* ''VideoGame/FarCry5'' has a bear named Cheeseburger who, when he was abondoned as a cub, ended up at a burger joint, and ate nothing but the burgers there, earning him his name. Unfortunately, he got diabetes from all the burgers he ate, and was forced to eat lots of salmon to nurse him back to health, making his name now [[IronicName ironic]].