Real-world names in a Fantasy World

I'm in the process of brainstorming a world that's slightly Medieval European Fantasy in nature, but heavily influenced by the ancient Middle East. As such, would it make sense if I give the characters names such as "Shamash" and "Anat" - a Mesopotamian and Canaanite deity respectively, and use Semitic naming conventions? Or would it be a case of Aerith and Bob?

Use the names for different cultures.

As long as they're speaking the appropriate middle-eastern languages, or said middle-eastern languages are representing the actual ones, go right for it.

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.

Yeah, pretty much that. In Bjorn Westlander, Agent Retriever, I use slightly modified European names (Medieval European Fantasy, well, maybe going into Renaissance a bit), so if you're going for Middle-Eastern feel, Middle-Eastern names are the most fitting ones.

"what the complete, unabridged, 4k ultra HD fuck with bonus features" - Mark Von Lewis

This post was thumped by the Shillelagh of Whackingness

aireth and bob might be good if bob is the main character so people don't get the important people confused, but then again this is coming from a guy who is bad with names

as of the 2nd of Nov. has 6 weeks for a broken collar bone to heal and types 1 handed and slowly

Aerith and Bob is not necessarily bad; indeed, if the characters come from different cultures it is actually a good thing. I get tired of homogenous naming convention in fantasy novels.

Also, question for the masses; would combining Indo-Asiatic first names with Latinate last names work?

If I were to write some of the strange things that come under my eyes they would not be believed. ~Cora M. Strayer~

Aerith and Bob occurs in real life, even in one culture.

It's what happens when a people is used to giving their kids names directly out of their own language for generations, and then suddenly a foreign religion comes storming in with a whole plethora of Hebrew and the occasional Latin and Greek names to choose from, and then that sticks around for more generations.

Compare my mom and her brother's names, named Katarzyna Ania *

and Jarosław Mirosław respectively.

edited 20th Jun '11 6:51:33 PM by annebeeche

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.

anne brings up a good point. I approve. d >.< b

If I were to write some of the strange things that come under my eyes they would not be believed. ~Cora M. Strayer~

Funfax: There are still lots of Scandinavians out there who are given names like Freyja and Thor. Freyja was the most common girl's name in Denmark in 2009.

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.

I had a teacher named Thor. One of my best friends growing up had the first name Zeus.

If I were to write some of the strange things that come under my eyes they would not be believed. ~Cora M. Strayer~

The Folketing Speaker of Denmark is Thor, whatever that is supposed to be.

Oh, it's the speaker for the people's thing.

...

.....

...

They still call their assemblies things.

THIS MAKES ME SO HAPPEEEEEEEEEEE

edited 20th Jun '11 9:23:01 PM by annebeeche

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.

Isn't Thing just the Scandinavian version of a parliament in modern times, like how the name of the medieval German Riechstag was retained for the modern German parliament?

edited 21st Jun '11 6:34:41 PM by SantosLHalper

Let the record state that Aerith and Bob specifically only applies to people from the same culture.

I think so, but it's still cool nonetheless.

Yes.

It is also an excuse for me to make puns about unspecified items and people's assemblies.

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.

Seeing as people from immigrating from another country tend to have their names changed to something more understandable to their new country's speakers, sure why not?

Has ADD, plays World of Tanks, thinks up crazy ideas like children making spaceships for Hitler. Occasionally writes them down.