I need a manly family name.

Foreign Meaningful Names are my death: That's where one could put one's knowledge to interest about how certain words feel of what hidden connotations they have. I could come up with a good equivalent in Hungraian, but translating something back into English? Hopeless.

The kind of name I'm looking for is for a clan of Johnny Bravo-esque old school machos. They are supposed to be fairly sympathetic characters, but ridiclulously over the top enough to get a few laughs from the reader.

I have found the name "Biggerstaff" fairly soon, and I'm fairly satisfied with it; I don't know how it actually sounds for the English though. Is it maybe too common, or too blatant? I don't know.

You could always go with the old standbys like:

• Max Power
• SSgt. Max Fightmaster
• The surname Manliness.
• Among many many other Rated M for Manly and Testosterone Poisoning inducing titles.

To me, Biggerstaff sounds like a silly name - like the kind of name that would lead immature preteens to tease you by claiming your name refers to a penis.

^^I've read that list too, but what I need is a last name. Something that expresses the idea when put after different first names, even if given to different types of people.

^Thanks. Tha's what I was afraid of - I don't know if you can get away with it even in a Real Men Wear Pink way. It's not a problem if the name sounds cheesy or lame (like I said, over-the-top is good) but it should be something bearable, something that would not look bad on a cover for example.

edited 12th Oct '10 12:56:28 PM by Vree

I'd suggest Armstrong, but it's already taken.

Awesome McCoolname has some excellent suggestions in the Real Life section.

My vote's for Stone. Nice and subtle, but capable of being paired with over-the-top first names to great effect; Hawksmoor Stone, Cannon Stone, Reading 'Red' Stone, Blackheart Stone, the half-Chinese Fang Stone, Cannon's German evil twin Wolfgang Stone...

Armstrong works. There are two raesonably badass real-life Armstrongs, so I say it's fair game.

My vote is and will always be for Wolf.

I recommend something short; a concise name sounds strong and forceful, while a longer name (3+ syllables) just gets to be a mouthful, and is more likely to sound silly.

I'd like to suggest Turnbull, which probably gets bonus manliness points for its origin. From Behind the Surname: "A strong man of the name Ruel, having turned a wild bull by the head which was charging King Robert Bruce in Stirling Park, received from the king the lands of Bedrule and the name of Turnbull."

The name practically means 'guy who took out a charging bull', how manly can you get?

edited 14th Oct '10 6:48:53 AM by Weaver

I once made a family in The Sims named the Ultimans. That's pretty manly, huh?

Or, if you want to go for something more serious...well, Grisham sounds kind of manly. Like the kind of thing you'd hear from a hero on a Last-Name Basis.

I think Trunk might be a good one, if not an entirely subtle one. Or you could go with Hero: not too long or obvious, but still quite manly, and perhaps feasible.

edited 12th Oct '10 7:15:18 PM by Everest

Eh, just watch MST3K's Space Mutiny again, and combine some of the many names of Bob Johnson Dave Ryder.

Joh Biceps

I'd say Archer is a good manly last name, though due in part to a certain character. Like Grisham, it also sounds good when used to address someone.

Hey. Hey.

Silverback.

First of all, there's "Silverback gorillas", which are the patriarchs of gorilla colonies. Gorillas are fucking manly, hands down.

And would you really go toe to toe with a guy named "Jack Silverback"? It rhymes, and he's named after not just gorillas, but a particularly BADASS sort of gorilla. I'd fucking bow out.

"Thorne" has a certain pointiness to it.

edited 13th Oct '10 8:55:16 PM by FeoTakahari

Call them Planck? Lance? Ooh, ooh, Salugi! How about Tromboli?

Planck's a physisist, Lance is no-one, Salugi is a random word and Tromboli is the name of an aussie crimelord. Former aussie crimelord to be exact.

Steele is always good. Add John Henry as names to get a cliched Black American superhero.

"Gunner".

Would you want to mess with a guy named Gunner?

Didn't think so.

^Better for a first name, along with Hunter and the like.

"Punch" and "Power" are two very real, very manly last names. To keep with the theme, "Pound" is another, er, "heavy" sounding one.

Bilging bullceps. Bulging biceps.

Cool names everyone (really I mean it), I can't use the non-sillier ones though, this -has- to be a ridiculous name. But lot of neat ideas there too.

Any unorthodox or unusual words or expressions I should now about that express manly stuff, and which most people would get?

Testicular Fortitude: balls, of course.

Jim Bradley?

Markidius.

Pryde? Or Lyons? Those are real names that can sound pretty badass when given the right first name.