History Main / FantasticNamingConvention

* ''Franchise/MassEffect'':
** Quarians have names organized as given name, apostrophe, clan name, vas/nar (for adult and underage, respectively meaning "crew of" and "child of"), ship of residence/birth (ditto). Thus, Tali receives several {{Meaningful Rename}}s over the course of the series: she begins the series as Tali'Zorah nar Rayya ("Tali of clan Zorah, born on the ship ''Rayya''"), then completes her [[RiteOfPassage Pilgrimage]] and becomes Tali'Zorah vas Neema nar Rayya ("Tali of clan Zorah, crew member of the ''Neema'', born on the ship ''Rayya''"), then Tali'Zorah vas Normandy (when she needs to leave the fleet for [[TheScapegoat political reasons]]), although it's just as common to refer to her simply as Tali'Zorah. The much-maligned ''Mass Effect'' novel ''[[Literature/MassEffectDeception Deception]]'' infamously only gave quarians a first name and ship name, and furthermore wrote as if their ship names were their last names.
** Turians and asari use the "given name then family name" order. Krogan originally have only a given name, but once they complete their RiteOfPassage they bear the clan name in front of their given name.
** Salarians list the individual's homeworld, nation, city, district, clan name and given name, but cut it down to just the last two (swapped to being in western order) in nearly all circumstances: only two salarians get their full names spoken on screen and neither are major characters.
** Hanar have two names, a simple one-word "Face Name" (example: "Zymandis") they use in general conversation, and a long, poetic "Soul Name" (example: "Regards the Works of the Enkindlers in Despair") that only very close and trusted individuals are permitted to know. The only hanar who goes by his Soul Name openly is noted as being incredibly rude and arrogant by hanar standards.
* ''VideoGame/ThemsFightinHerds'':
** Cattlekind are named after US states and other geographic locations from the Midwest and Great Plains areas, such as Arizona, Texas, Minnesota and Madison.
** Unicorns are named after flowering plants, such as Oleander and Amaryllis.
* ''Franchise/WingCommander'': The Kilrathi use [Given Name] ''nar'' [Clan Name]. The ''nar'' is always lower case, and usually italicised. The Clan Name is usually the name of the place or planet where the Kilrathi was born. The novels add ''hrai'' to the name of one Kilrathi, meaning 'of the family of'. The character in question starts as Kirha ''hrai'' Ralgha ''nar'' Hhallas (Kirha, of the family of Ralgha, who is from Hhallas), and after being ordered to serve the human pilot Ian 'Hunter' St John, renames himself Kirha ''hrai'' Hunter ''nar'' Aussie (Kirtha, of the family of Hunter, who is from Australia). This part doesn't come up anywhere else though.

* Goron leaders in ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' usually have names that begin with 'Dar'. Darunia, Darmani, Darbus, etc.
* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' Dragons have naming conventions separated by colors.
** Blue dragons have names ending in "gos" (Kalecgos and Malygos) for males. Female names end in "gosa" (such as Sindragosa or Madrigosa). There are a few outliers as WordOfGod says this naming convention wasn't decided on until the Burning Crusade expansion.
** Black Dragons' true names end in "ion" or "ian" for males (Deathwing's true name was Neltharion, for example, while his son's name was Nefarian). Female dragons end in "a" (Sinestra or Onyxia). In the Warcraft universe, black dragons are historically the most evil race and had the most direct contact with mortals, therefore most black dragons are known by nicknames given by mortals, usually based on color (Firemaw, Flamewing, Blacklash).
** Bronze dragons' names end in "dormu" if male (Nozdormu, Zaladormu). Female bronze dragons have names ending in "i" (Indormi, Nozari)
** Green dragons only seem do have naming conventions for females, whose names end in "a" (Ysera, Nishera). Most of the male green dragons identified have no discernible naming convention.
** Red dragons have names ending in "strasz" for the males (Korialstrasz, Nostrastrasz). Female red dragon names end in "za" (Alexstrasza, Rheastrasza).

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': Azure City has a number of naming conventions that have no apparent relation to each other. Some (Lord Shojo and his successor Lord Hinjo) are referred to by a title and one name, with no word on whether they have another name or not; others have hyphenated names (O-Chul, Gin-Jun); while others use the same given name and family name construction as most of the rest of the world (Miko Miyazaki, Ho Thanh). In the Kickstarter-backer story ''How the Paladin Got His Scar'', it's mentioned that there used to be many different cultures on the Southern Continent, but they were all absorbed by the Ancient Empire. When the Empire fell, it split into many different countries again, but now the cultures were spread randomly throughout the continent.
* Kayoss in ''Webcomic/LsEmpire'' have a sibling seniority naming system on top of their gender based ThemeNaming (destruction themed for boys and flowers for girls). Eldest children have a long first name and no middle name, second children have a short first name and short middle name, and the youngest have a long first name and middle name (they're biologically incapable of having more than three living children).

* ''Webcomic/{{Tamberlane}}'': Most of the critters of Treehollow use their professions as last names, such as Belfry Baker, while young children have a matro- or patronymic, as with Belfry's daughter Tamberlane Belfriton.
* ''Webcomic/{{Outsider}}'': [[SpaceElves Loroi]] names consist of three parts: the first denotes their caste, the second is their military rank and the third is their personal name. Beryl's full name, for instance, is Listel Tozet Eilis; "Listel" denotes her being part of the analyst caste, "Tozet" is a rank roughly equivalent to a tactical analyst, and "Eilis" is simply a word meaning "beryl".
* ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob'': Princess Voluptua's full name is Voluptua of House [[PrettyButterflies Monoptera]], and the dragon Hibachi's full name is Hibachi of [[{{Pun}} Mesquite]]. Fructose Riboflavin, an outlaw of Voluptua's race, is identified as Fructose, son of [[FamilyThemeNaming Dextrose]].

* ''Literature/TheCulture'':
** People in the Culture have multi-part names consisting of the star system and celestial body where they were born, a given name given to them at birth, a second name chosen at adulthood, a surname, and the house, town, estate or similar where they were raised. As an example, the author gives his own name "Sun-Earther Iain El-Bonko Banks of South Queensferry".
** Culture Minds, advanced artificial intelligences, choose their own names. These often take the form of quippy phrases such as "So Much For Subtlety" and "Of Course I Still Love You".
* ''Literature/PostSelf'': As uploaded consciousnesses have the ability to 'fork' or create duplicates of themselves, these new instances begin by having the same name as their 'down-tree' instance followed by a tag consisting of a string of hexadecimal digits such as Ioan Bălan#c1494bf, though they can also change their names later (Ioan#c1494bf becomes Codrin Bălan of the Bălan clade). Of note, those of the Ode clade take their names from lines of a poem that holds great meaning to them, such as Dear, Also, The Tree That Was Felled and The Only Time I Know My True Name Is When I Dream. These are commonly shortened to a word or phrase (Dear and True Name in these instances). As there are only one hundred lines in the Ode, the number of instances is necessarily limited. "It is perhaps not a very good poem," Dear opines.
* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'':
** The Aiel have OnlyOneName, which they append with their home sept (i.e.: fortified settlement) and clan. This causes them to be on a FullNameBasis with Westerners, since Aiel are unfamiliar with the concept of surnames and consider it a very intimate gesture to abbreviate someone's name.
** People in the Age of Legends were born with two names and could be awarded a middle name as an honorific for performing some major public service.
* ''Literature/ConfederationOfValor'': Taykan names go [life stage]'[family name] [given name], and having a shorter family name indicates a higher-class family (e.g. di'Ka Jarret); they usually go by their given name rather than their surname. Krai use OnlyOneName, which typically has has at least one 'r' sound and is usually but not always monosyllabic.
* ''Literature/CradleSeries'': We see three main ones.
** The first is what the Sacred Valley uses: [clan] [family] [given]. So Wei Shi Lindon is Lindon of the Shi family of the Wei clan.
** The Blackflame Empire, where most of the story takes place, uses [clan] [given], so Jai Long is Long of the Jai clan. Most clans always use their clan names and given names together (even Jai Long's sister calls him Jai Long), but the Akura clan that rules most of the continent typically just uses their given name in casual conversation; Akura Mercy is almost exclusively just called Mercy. Likewise, they are almost exclusively named after virtues, with the occasional vice thrown in (Mercy has a brother named Pride, and the matriarch is named Malice).
** Third, the Arelius clan uses a familiar [given] [clan] format, so Eithan Arelius is Eithan of the Arelius clan. While they are well-established in the Blackflame Empire, they're foreigners from another continent, so presumably that's the format used over there. It also makes it convenient when they want to adopt promising young people into the family, as they can just slap their clan name on the end. Lindon becomes Wei Shi Lindon Arelius when he joins the family.
* ''Literature/WingsOfFire'': Most dragons only have one name, which is typically a word associated with their tribe's natural environment:
** [=HiveWings=] are named after non-lepidopteran insects[[note]]Any insect that's not a butterfly or moth[[/note]], with a preference for venomous, poisonous, or parasitic ones (Cricket, Bumblebee, Wasp, Treehopper, Aphid, Hornet, Mantis). [[note]]Lady Jewel at first seems like an outlier, until you realize she's named after the parasitic jewel wasp, also known as the emerald cockroach wasp.[[/note]]
** [=IceWings=] are named after animals, plants, geographical features, or concepts relating to northern regions (Hvitur[[note]]Icelandic for "white"[[/note]], Icicle, Tundra, Narwhal, Mink, Glacier, Snowfall, Changbai[[note]]Chinese for "long-white"[[/note]])
** Modern [=LeafWings=] have two naming schemes, depending on which faction of the tribe they're from: [=SapWings=] keep to the traditional tree-and-plant-based one (Hazel, Sequoia, Willow), while [=PoisonWings=] specifically are named after poisonous or carnivorous plants (Sundew, Belladonna, Cobra Lily, Bryony, Hemlock).
** [=MudWings=] are named after shades of brown, animals, plants, geographical features, and concepts relating to the swamps and marshes (Sepia, Ochre, Moorhen, Reed, Cattail, Marsh, Sora, Crocodile).
** [=NightWings=] have an odd naming scheme unlike any other in the books, tending to give their children compound names that [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast inspire fear]] (Darkstalker, Battlewinner, Deathbringer), are based off of physical traits (Strongwings, Fierceteeth), relate to some occupation the parent hopes they may have (Tunesmith, Preyhunter), relate to their [[{{Telepathy}} psychic]] [[{{Seers}} abilities]] (Mindreader, Clearsight, Morrowseer), or relate to the night sky (Moonwatcher, Starflight). However, single-word names that fit into the above categories are also not unheard-of (Slaughter, Vision, Eclipse).
** [=RainWings=] are named after rainforest animals, plants, geography, and related concepts, as well as various synonyms for 'beauty' (Kinkajou, Tapir, Jambu, Liana, Glory, Magnificent, Bright, Grandeur). Until recently, [=RainWings=] did not practice any sort of individual parental care, operating under the 'it takes a village' philosophy, with everyone chipping in to help raise all the kids. Therefore, the names for new dragonets were drawn off a list, and whenever they got to the end of the list, they'd start over from the beginning again. This means there are probably multiple [=RainWings=] with the same name, though [[OneSteveLimit we never see this in-story]].
** [=SandWings=] are named after desert animals, plants, geography, weather, and concepts (Jerboa, Rattlesnake, Cereus, Ocotillo, Dune, Sandstorm, Sirocco, Blister, Smolder).
** [=SeaWings=] are named after oceanic wildlife, geographical features, weather conditions, or concepts relating to water (Tsunami, Auklet, Kelp, Tempest, Whirlpool, Reef, Fathom, Eel, Riptide).
** [=SilkWings=] are named after lepidopteran insects (Luna, Tau, Swordtail, Morpho, Whitespeck, Danaid, Admiral, Atala, Blue, Dusky).
** [=SkyWings=] are named after mountain geography, birds, or red gemstones and colors (Avalanche, Cliff, Kestrel, Vermilion, Garnet).
* ''Literature/ArrivalsFromTheDark'' books (including the ''Trevelyan's Mission'' spin-off series):
** [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Haptor]] add their family or clan name to the end of their given name after an apostrophe. For example, the lord of the Kshoo Clan, one of the First Dynasties, is Sheggeren'kshoo, although informally they may omit the family/clan name. It's unclear if the same naming structure applies to commoners.
** [[HumanAlien Kni'lina]] of the Ni Clan use common words as the second part of their name, while the first part depends on their hierarchy within the current group, meaning it can change. For example, a man named Third Blade can become Second Blade if his boss dies or is transferred.
** On the primitive world of Osier, those of the Seven Provinces use hyphenated dual names (e.g. Ugo-Tasmi). The same applies to their gods (e.g. Tavan-Gez). Their cities always start with "Mad", which refers to the drops of blood that were spilled by a nobleman to consecrate the ground (e.g. Mad Aeg, Mad Torval).
** [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Bino Faata]] of the ruling caste seem to use two-syllable names (e.g. Yatta, Iveh), while those of the lower castes (assuming they even have names) have one syllable (e.g. Yo, Yegg).
* ''Literature/Reaper2016'': People choose new names when they enter Game. The Founder Players, like Hawk, have a single name. The First Wave who joined after the experimental period have two names. When all the variations available have been used, people started taking three names. By Jex's generation, they're on four names.
* ''Literature/TheLockedTomb'': The Nine Houses don't use family names; people are given two names at birth, where the first can be [[AerithAndBob almost anything]] and the second incorporates some reference to their House number. For siblings to share a second name is rare and suggests that they're extremely close (like the Tridentarius twins) or were bred for a singular duty (like the Asht brothers).
* ''Literature/StarWarsThrawn'': Chiss names typically start with the family name, followed by an apostrophe, a part of the person's core name, another apostrophe, and a suffix. In daily use, though, they tend to shorten it to just their core name. As an example, a young but promising Chiss officer from a minor family is named Kivu'raw'nuru. He is adopted by the powerful Mitth family and is now named Mitth'raw'nuru. Eventually, he is honored by the Stybla family, and the suffix "odo" (meaning "guardian" in an ancient language) is added to his name, making him Mitth'raw'nuruodo. His core name also changed from Vurawn to Thrawn. However, when an officer reaches flag rank (commodore and above), they are tradition-bound to renounce their family connections and drop that part of their name. Thus, Captain Irizi'ar'alani (AKA Ziara) becomes Commodore (later Admiral) Ar'alani. Had Thrawn ever reached flag rank, he would've become Raw'nuruodo.
* ''Literature/AMemoryCalledEmpire'': Citizens of the Teixcalaanli [[TheEmpire Empire]] choose their own two-part names, comprising a number (each with its own symbolic association) and a noun (usually a proper object, plant, or concept -- animal names are considered improper). Three Seagrass ("[[AffectionateNickname Reed]]" to her friends) boggles a bit that one citizen ''wants'' to be known as Thirty-Six All-Terrain Tundra Vehicle.
* ''Literature/NewJediOrder'': Most [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Yuuzhan Vong]] have names that go [personal name][Domain name], with Domans being [[TheClan large, powerful extended families]]. So [[TheDragon Tsavong Lah]] is Tsavong of Domain Lah. [[FullNameBasis It's usually considered highly insulting to refer to someone, especially someone you don't know well, by anything less than their full name at all times]], but there are exceptions. Most priests have OnlyOneName, and this shows up occasionally in other castes as well. Shamed Ones, the Vong's despised outcast class, generally get kicked out of their Domans when they get Shamed, though some still use their Domain name out of defiance. Finally, the [[GodEmperor Supreme Overlord]] belongs to the entire Yuuzhan Vong people and thus never uses their Domain name after ascending; the current Supreme Overlord as of the series' present is Shimrra Jamaane, but by tradition he's just known as Shrimrra.
* ''Literature/TheTravelersGate'': In the villages, where Simon is from, they use IAmXSonOfY, so Simon is "Simon, son of Kalman," while Leah is "Leah, daughter of Kelia." In the cities of Damasca, they use house names similar to real life, and like in real life most of them appear to be simply the names of the original founders. Interestingly, the royal family of Damasca does neither, to represent how they have no allegiance except to the nation itself. According to Leah, this has prevented a handful of civil wars over the centuries.
* ''Literature/TheBrokenEarthTrilogy'': People have three names, the first which is the given name that people call them, the second which is their "use-caste", which determines what job they are to have when their community needs it to survive the cataclysms called "seasons" that happen every few hundred years, and their last name is the community they belong to.
* ''Literature/{{Rocheworld}}'': The [[BlobMonster amorphous]] Flowen take their names from 1) their flavour, 2) their color, and 3) the overtone of their voice, plus a unique wingding, leading to names like "Bitter◇Orange◇Chirr." Animals get an adjective, an ×, and a sound, like the Big×Boom, an ambush predator that hunts by exploding peices of its body to stun prey.
* ''Literature/KnownSpace'': Kzinti are not born with names, and need to earn them. As kits, they are referred to as their fathers' sons and by number of birth (e.g., "Fifth Son of Tsaar-Rrit"). On adulthood, they are instead referred to purely by their job or military designation ("Third Forward Gunner"). If they perform a deed of notable bravery or accomplish some valuable goal, they're awarded a partial name ("Chuft-Gunner"). A repeat of this will earn them the right to bear their family name ("Chuft-Rrit"). A single very impressive deed can catapult a kzin directly from the second stage to the final one. Referring to a named Kzin by his old title is a profound insult.
* The Literature/MegLangslowMysteries have an InUniverse example with the kitschy SoapOpera Meg's husband is on. Everyone and everything is named for a medical term - the Duke of Urushiol (the chemical in poison ivy), the Metatarsal (a bone in the foot) Knights and so on.
* ''Literature/SwansBraidAndOtherTalesOfTerizan'': Most people in Oreen have names with a z included, whether as part of their personal or family name.
* ''Literature/ShatterTheSky'': Zefedi people often have last names in the form of 'ben' something (e.g. Gao or Garret), but not always.
* ''Literature/BooksOfTheRaksura'':
** Raksura tend to be named after nouns that follow a theme within lines of descent, like the siblings Chime, Knell, and Bell; or Flower and her distant relative Petal.
** The Golden Islanders grant additional names as a mark of prestige, indicating that the CoolOldGuy Delin-Evran-lindel is ''highly'' distinguished as a scholar.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': We never learn if there's some cultural reason for it, but Time Lords who have gone renegade seem to give up their birth names and go by [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep short titles]], like "The Doctor", "The Master", "The Corsair", "The Monk", "The Rani" [[note]] Hindi word for "queen", though what significance Hindi has for her is a mystery[[/note]], etc.
** Perhaps this is because normal Time Lord names tend to be [[OverlyLongName painfully long]] and difficult to pronounce, sometimes veering into NameThatUnfoldsLikeLotusBlossom territory.
* ''Series/BabylonFive'':
** Minbari typically have OnlyOneName, usually with two syllables and featuring no hard consonants (e.g. Delenn, Lennier, Neroon). Their clan's name, though not typically used, is preceded by "of" (e.g. Delenn of Mir) and sometimes with a subdivision (e.g. Lennier of the Third Fane of Chudomo).
** The Centauri use given names and surnames that ''sound'' Roman or Italian (e.g. Londo Mollari, Antono Refa, Urza Jaddo, Cartagia). On occasion, they ''are'' (presumably coincidentally) Roman/Italian (e.g. Vir Cotto[[note]]Whose name could be interpreted as "Cooked Man": ''vir''= "man" in Latin, ''cotto''="cooked" in Italian[[/note]]).
** Of note here is Centauri emperors and their regnal names. Emperors only use their family name and, if necessary, a regnal number. Londo rules as Emperor Mollari II, because a very distant ancestor of his had briefly held the throne.
** Narns use OnlyOneName, with a prefix-apostrophe-suffix format. G'Kar explains in the season 5 premiere that Narns are given a temporary name for the first ten years of their life (because of high infant mortality rates in ancient times), then at age ten they choose a new name with a prefix denoting which of the many Narn spiritual leaders they've chosen to follow (G'Kar follows G'Quan; other options include G'Lan and Na'Kili).
** The members of the Zathras family, the caretakers of the Great Machine on Epsilon III, are all named Zathras, with small differences in pronunciation. This mightily confuses {{the Comically Serious}} Ivanova when she finds it out.
* ''Series/{{Krypton}}'': Like in the comics, Kryptonian males have a given name (usually single-syllable) with a hyphenated family name. Unlike the comics, the females follow this same naming convention (though they tend to use multi-syllable given names), rather than using their father's name. This was done intentionally to make Kryptonian culture less patriarchal.
* ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'': The Dwarves of Khazad-dhum never tell their true names to people who are not close family members. They use rather alternative names with strangers.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}'': Friend Computer has established a special naming convention for all clones of Alpha Complex that combines their personal name, the initial of their [[FantasticCasteSystem Security Clearance level]], their home sector's three-letter name, and their clone batch number. For example, the fourth of a Red clearance clone batch named Jenny from DND Sector would be "Jenny-R-DND-4", while the first of her batch would have been "Jenny-R-DND-1", and if she is promoted to Orange clearance, her name would be "Jenny-O-DND-4". In earlier editions, non-player characters often have their names rendered to form jokes or gags: Howe-R-YAH, Anne-R-KEY, [[OhCrap Tre-Y-TOR...]]
* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'': Chelish and Taldan nobles often have Greco-Romanesque names, referencing the fact that Taldor's former empire essentially served the role of Rome in Golarion's history--an empire that controlled the coastal countries surrounding the Inner Sea and much of the interior, before splitting in two and [[{{Balkanization}} Balkanizing]] due to internal and external pressures (albeit in this case it was the western half, Cheliax, that lasted longer as an empire, before a CivilWar led to it breaking up, too).

* ''Fanfic/LegacyOfChRihan'' retroactively applies the Romulan naming convention given in the ''Literature/{{Rihannsu}}'' series (see Literature) to official characters that don't follow it, with the official name becoming either given name or House-name on a case-by-case basis. For example, [[Film/StarTrek2009 Nero]] is given the full name Nero ir-Benheris tr'Sihalian. "Fanfic/HeisheRinanovai" reveals in passing that a married male takes his wife's surname: Senator Merken tr'Vreenak was born Merken tr'Ortikant and married Liorae t'Vreenak.
* In the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' HighSchoolAU ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10785555/1/Shadow-the-Hedgehog-First-Class Shadow the Hedgehog - First Class]]'', [[FunnyAnimal Mobians]] differ from humans in naming scheme. They have names like "Sonic", "Knuckles", "Charmy", "Cream", etc and [[OnlyOneName don't use surnames]]. Amy Rose and Shadow (who has the last name "Robotnik" in this fic) are oddities because they were raised by humans.

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

* In the ''Franchise/HowToTrainYourDragon'' series, the Hooligan Tribe believes that hideous names scare off gnomes and trolls. While there are exceptions throughout the franchise (like Astrid and Gustav), this proves itself with the likes of Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut and Tuffnut. Hiccup gets special mention because he was actually named after the local term for "runt of the litter" (and possibly his ancestor like in the original books series), which fits perfectly with his "un-[[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Viking]]-like" physique.

* ''Literature/DownwardToTheEarth'': Nildoror names consist of a three- or four-letter syllable, an apostrophe, and a longer section (i.e., Srin'gahar, Vol'himyor, Luu'khamin). Sulidoror names are similar, but with a two-letter starting syllable and a dash (i.e., Na-sinisul, Se-holomir, Yi-gartigok).
* ''Literature/{{On}}'': The protagonist is named "Tighe", but it's not until a few more characters of the protagonist's culture have been introduced that we learn that they use the suffix -he for all male names and the suffix -she for all female names.
* ''Literature/SpellslingerSeries'': All over the place. Jan'Tep mages have their childhood name, and receive their mage-name with an apostrophe in it once they pass their mage trials. The Gitabrians name by profession, family, and position in the family, in that order. The nomadic Argosi are named after the paths of fate they choose to walk, so you get names like Path of the Wild Daisy and Path of the Stormy Mountains.
* ''Literature/MorgaineCycle'': Nhi Vanye i Chya's native culture uses [Given Name] [Father's Clan Name] i [Mother's Clan Name].

* ''Literature/TheReynardCycle'':
** Surprisingly for a series chock full of dueling clans, none of the Southern characters have family names. When a second name is applied (Celia Corvino, for instance), the intention is to differentiate the person from another family member with the same name, and is taken as shorthand for X, son or daughter of Y. So Celia Corvino would be known to be Celia, daughter of Corvino.
*** Calvarians do have secondary names, but they only serve to tell you the order of their birth (Drauglir Seventhson) or whether they were an unwanted child (Isengrim No-Father). As Calvarians are only permitted to have half as many children as they have personally killed in battle, having the last name Fifteenthson is a pretty clear indication of someone's pedigree.
*** The royal family of Solothurn do have a family name, Vargr, but it's really more of a title than a name, as it is an indication that the person is descended from [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Wargs.]]
* Creator/MCAHogarth, self-proclaimed "anthropologist to aliens" uses a variety of naming conventions for her different species.
** [[Literature/TalesOfTheJokka Jokka]] use [Given name] [contracting house]-[birth [[BizarreAlienSexes gender]]], i.e. Keshul Akkadin-emodo.
** ''Literature/FlightOfTheGodkinGriffin'': The Godkindred kingdom, with their religious prerogative towards interspecies breeding, have last names indicating their number of bloodlines (Silfia Fiveblood for example), while those with at least ten use "Godkin" (Angharad Godkin).
** ''Literature/{{Kherishdar}}'': Ai-Naidar names are [Given name] Nai'[House]-[[[FantasticCasteSystem caste]]]. Ai-Naidar may change their House name upon founding or joining a new House, or even their caste if re-evaluation is deemed necessary.
** ''Literature/{{Paradox}}'': Many of the Pelted have developed their own naming customs, Tam-illee choose "foundnames" based on their calling in life instead of surnames (Carevei [=EarthHunger=] was a geologist but changed it to [=HawkFreed=] later after a spiritual experience, and one wonders how Fleet commander Jonah [=NotAgain=] chose his name). Harat-Shar refer to their families as "trains" but are known only by their personal names. While Ciracaana, Glaseah, Phoenixes, and Naysha seem to dispense with more than one name entirely. And the true aliens have their own customs, Eldritch have a personal, family, and House name (i.e. Jahir Seni Galare is heir to the Seni family of House Galare), and Chatcaava put no stock in names and prefer to be known by their titles.
* ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'': In Barrayar, aristocrats have the syllable "Vor" as the first syllable of their last name, and in-universe the entire warrior caste are routinely referred to simply as "Vor". There's also a tradition where the firstborn son is given his paternal grandfather and maternal grandfather's first names as his first and second names in that order and the second son is given his maternal grandfather and paternal grandfather's second names as his first and second names in that order (assuming each grandfather agrees if living). The Cetagandan warrior caste does the same only using the sylable "Ghem".
** There is mention of a custom at the Barrayar military service academy that Vor cadets are referred to only by the rest of their names (e.g. Miles Vorkosigan gets referred to as "Kosigan"), to emphasize that they are to be treated like any other student. It only works so well.
* ''Literature/WarriorCats'':
** The Clan cats have a naming system that involves putting two nouns, verbs, or adjectives together. These can include more or less anything, but tend to be drawn from the cat's appearance, distinctive physical or personality traits, or nature (Fireheart, Ivypool, Whitestorm, etc.) The suffix of the name changes throughout their life, starting as "kit" when they are kittens, and becoming "paw" when they begin training, pretty much anything on adulthood, and "star" if they become a Clan leader. (For example, one character goes from Bluekit to Bluepaw to Bluefur to Bluestar).
** This got distorted somewhat by [=SkyClan=] in their isolation. They kept the general rules but broadened the vocabulary to the point that the other Clans seem to see it as an AerithAndBob situation. Their ranks include the "normal-sounding" Mintfur, Blossomheart and Hawkwing, but also the likes of Bellaleaf, Frecklewish and Macgyver.
** Tribe cats are named after the first thing their mother sees when they are born, and this results in several-word-long, [[NameThatUnfoldsLikeLotusBlossom descriptive]] names, such as Bird Who Rides The Wind and Brook Where Small Fish Swim. (They just go by the first word of their name for everyday use.) The leader of the Tribe gives up their name and becomes "Teller of the Pointed Stones" (Stoneteller for short).
** Both naming schemes began with an early group of cats, who had names like "Moth Flight" and "Gray Wing" and so forth, which are very similar to Clan names. The Tribe's pattern branched off of this when an ancient cat, Stone Song (who was temporarily leader of the ancient group), was named by his mother for the wind that blew over the rocks when he was born.
* In ''Literature/TheWolfChronicles'', both wolves and humans have name patterns. Normal wolves' names have a double letter in them - Kaala, Rissa, Trevegg, etc. Greatwolves' names end in -dru or -dra, as an homage to their ancestor, Indru. Humans have compound names such as [=TaLi=] and [=MikLan=]; the last half signifies their gender and which tribe they are from (for example, [=TaLi=]'s tribe is the Lin tribe, so all males have the ending "Lin" and all females have the ending "Li").
* In ''Literature/JunctionPoint'', the ktrit'zal take on the family name of those they marry or make blood-brothers with. Family names are separated by clicks, which are represented as apostrophes.
* Creator/UrsulaKLeGuin:
** In ''Literature/TheDispossessed'', the Anarresti are given names randomly drawn from a predetermined list without duplicates. When someone dies, their name is made available again. There are enough names on the list that each is used only every few generations. The protagonist Shevek is the third person to have that name since the system was set up, two of whom were men and one who was a woman.
** In ''Literature/AlwaysComingHome'', the Kesh typically have three names throughout their lives: one given to them as children, one they choose as adolescents, and one they choose in late adulthood. They do not have family names, but are identified by where they live and by their position in the moiety system of the Five Houses of Earth.
** In ''Literature/{{Earthsea}}'', everyone has a true name used only by their closest confidants and a public use name. This custom developed because of [[IKnowYourTrueName true-name-based magic]].

* In Creator/IsaacAsimov's "Literature/Nightfall1941": The inhabitants of planet Lagash have a name followed by a number, e.g. Sheerin 501, Beenay 25, etc.

* In Creator/TanyaHuff's ''Literature/{{Quarters}}'' series, people use a given name, then a matronymic, then a patronymic. For example, the child Annice has with Pjerin in ''Sing the Four Quarters'' ends up being named Magda i'Annice a'Pjerin.
* In the web-novel ''Literature/{{Domina}}'' the angels swap out their last name for a Name based on their job and role. Gabriels are warriors, Jegudiels are workers, Michaels are protectors, Raphaels are doctors, Uriels are hunters, and Lucifers are teachers. There seems to be a little blurriness at times, though; Alex is a tracker, but he bears the Name Gabriel. WordOfGod is that the Lucifers should have been called Samael, but the Arch-Saints sort of skimmed some parts of traditional angelic lore.

* In Marcus [=LaGrone's=] ''Literature/TheHighlandsOfAfon'' novels Highlands Taiks have a personal name, a patrilineal clan name, and a house name that comes from the First Mother and is shared with her husband and [[ExoticExtendedMarriage co-wives]]. Females usually just use their given name and house name, while males use both their clan and house name as children and switch to just their given and clan names at adulthood until they get married.
* In the ''Literature/{{Eldraeverse}}'' the eldrae tend towards {{Overly Long Name}}s, as noted on the blog's "[[http://eldraeverse.com/2015/06/04/trope-a-day-overly-long-name/ Trope-A-Day]]" feature. The example given, Miran Esitariel Prime Cyprium-ith-Avalae isil-Claves Linlethar ion-Atiran iel-Calandra mis-Eliera-en-Kiriv Leir, includes a: title, personal name, [[MesACrowd persona identifier]], [House]-ith-[Lineage], spouse's House and Lineage, attributive name, {{UsefulNotes/Patronymic}}, Matronymic, and location.

* In the ''Literature/EarthsChildren'' series, the following naming conventions can be seen:
** '''Clan''': Masculine names have one syllable and start and end with a consonant. Feminine names have two syllables, start with a vowel and end with an -a. This only seems to apply to Clan people in the region where Ayla grew up; those living further west have two-syllable masculine names and feminine names starting with consonants, or at least with a Y.
** '''Losadunai''': Both masculine and feminine names start with a consonant. Masculine names have three syllables and end with an -i. Feminine names have four syllables and end with an -ia.
** '''Mamutoi''': Masculine names have a variety of endings, including -ag, -ut and -ec. Feminine names end with an -ie.
** '''S'Armunai''': Names may begin with either a vowel or a consonant. Masculine names typically end with -an or -ar. Feminine names end with -oa. The S' prefix is added to someone's given name as a mark of respect; it loosely translates as "Honoured One".
** '''Sharamudoi''': Masculine names end with an -o or a -do according to which half of the tribe its bearer belongs to. Feminine names end with an -io.
** '''Zelandonii''': All names start with a consonant. However, while masculine names have various endings such as -lan, -lar or -nan, feminine names always end with an -a.
* In ''Literature/{{Mirabile}}'', everyone on the colony world of Mirabile has a middle name reflecting their occupation, and the formal short form of a name is Middlename Lastname; for instance, Leonov Bellmaker Denness, known for short as "Bellmaker Denness" (but "Leo" to his friends). The middle name can change if the occupation does; for instance, Bellmaker Denness used to be Opener Denness before he retired (an "opener" is an explorer type who opens up new territories for human occupation).
* ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'':
** Andalites have three names strung together, with the first being the personal name: for example, [[TokenNonHuman Ax]]'s full name is Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill, [[ImDyingPleaseTakeMyMacGuffin Elfangor]]'s is Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul. It's notable that 'Esgarrouth' and "Sirinial" are their respective parents' second names, but it's unknown if that's a convention.
** [[PuppeteerParasite Yeerks]] are all a name, followed by a string of numbers; for example, [[BigBad Visser Three]] is Esplin-Nine-Four-Double-Six primary. The "doubled" last number and "primary" comes from being a twin; [[SerialKiller his twin]] has the same name, except with "primary" replaced with "lesser." Most Yeerks only have three numbers.
** [[GoodIsDumb Hork-Bajir]] have a personal name and a surname that passes from father to child; females don't change theirs when they marry. For example, Jara Hamee married Ket Halpak, and their daughter was Toby Hamee.
** The Ketrans, the species from which [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien the Ellimist]] came, have long, bizarre designations based on where they live on their planets' giant floating crystals; his was "Azure Level, Seven Spar, Extension Two, Down-Messenger, Forty-one." Because of this, individuals just make up names that they like; his was Toomin. "Ellimist" was basically his screen name, likewise made up just to sound cool.
* In ''Literature/{{Remnants}},'' members of the "Blue Meanies"/Children (of [[SapientShip Mother]]) have [[NameThatUnfoldsLikeLotusBlossom Names That Unfold Like Lotus Blossom]], in the style of [Number] [Pleasant Adjective] [Natural feature]. Examples include "One Perfect Mountain" and "Four Divine Streams." [[spoiler:When some start worshiping [[TokenEvilTeammate Yago]] they take names like "Yago's Catlike Grace."]]
* ''Literature/OldPossumsBookOfPracticalCats'': All cats have three names: first, they have a sensible name for everyday use, the kind you might find a cat having in real life. Second, they have a much more grandiose name, one unique to each cat and apparently necessary to afford them proper feline pride, such as Jennyanydots, Bustopher Jones, Growltiger, Griddlebone, etcetera. Finally, they have a hidden and secret name that no human will ever discover and no cat will ever reveal, reserved exclusively for the cat's own private contemplation.
* ''Literature/TailchasersSong'' uses the same system as ''Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'', with a simple first name, a more impressive second name, and a third and entirely private secret name. These are referred to as the a cat's Heart, Face and Tail names, respectively. Their use is a bit switched around from ''Old Possum's'' -- the simple Heart Name, given at birth, becomes reserved for lovers, friends and family, while the grandiose and descriptive Face Name, given later after the cat has grown enough for their personality to become evident, is the one used in everyday conversation. For example, the main character, Fritti Tailchaser, is Fritti to his family and to a very small number of other characters he tells that name to, and Tailchaser to everyone else. The Tail Name is not given -- each cat must discover it by themselves -- and none are revealed in the book.

* In ''Literature/{{Animorphs}},'' Andalites have three names strung together, with the first being the personal name: for example, [[TokenNonHuman Ax]]'s full name is Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill, [[ImDyingPleaseTakeMyMacGuffin Elfangor]]'s is Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul. It's notable that "Esgarrouth" and "Sirinial" are their respective parents' second names, but it's unknown if that's a convention.

** [=IceWings=] are named after animals, plants, geographical features, or concepts relating to northern regions (Hvitur[[note]]Icelandic for 'white'[[/note]], Icicle, Tundra, Narwhal, Mink, Glacier, Snowfall, Changbai[[note]]Chinese for 'white'[[/note]])

** [=RainWings=] are named after rainforest animals, plants, geography, and related concepts, as well as various synonyms for 'beauty' (Kinkajou, Tapir, Jambu, Liana, Glory, Magnificent, Bright, Grandeur). Until recently, [=RainWings=] did not practice any sort of individual parental care, operating under the 'it takes a village' philosophy, with everyone chipping in to help raise all the kids. Therefore, the names for new dragonets were drawn off a list, and whenever they got to the end of the list, they'd start over from the beginning again. This means there are probably multiple [=RainWings=] with the same name, though [[OneSteveLimit we never see this in-story.]]

See also FantasticHonorifics and FantasticRankSystem. LawOfAlienNames, LetterMotif, and AnimalNamingConventions are also related. Compare and contrast IKnowYourTrueName, ''especially the latter'' in RealLife examples.[[note]] It's not a coincidence that [[OnlineAlias usernames]] and [[HardTruckin trucker]] [[The70s handles]] are aliases for a person's name, as these two tropes are [[{{CyclicTrope}} cyclical]] among [[UsefulNotes/{{TheRenaissance}} Renaissance]] and [[SteamPunk later]] [[OlderThanTheyThink cultures]].[[/note]]

See also FantasticHonorifics and FantasticRankSystem. LawOfAlienNames, LetterMotif, and AnimalNamingConventions are also related. Compare and contrast IKnowYourTrueName, ''especially the latter'' in RealLife examples.[[note]] It's not a coincidence that usernames are aliases for a person's name, as these two tropes are [CyclicalTrope cyclical] among [UsefulNotes/TheRenaissance Renaissance] and later cultures.[[/note]]

See also FantasticHonorifics and FantasticRankSystem. LawOfAlienNames, LetterMotif, and AnimalNamingConventions are also related.

* ''Literature/SpellslingerSeries'': All over the place. Jan'Tep mages have their childhood name, and receive their mage-name with an apostrophe in it once they pass their mage trials. The Gitabrians name by profession, family, and position in the family, in that order. The nomadic Argosi are named after the paths of fate they choose to walk, so you get names like Path of the Wild Daisy and Path of the Stormy Mountains.

* ''Literature/TheCityAndTheDungeon'': Some delvers take the name of the first monster that successfully killed them. T.B. Kyoto, for example, was killed by a Tengu Bushi.

** In the Agatean Empire, almost everyone's name is number-adjective-noun, such as Nine Turning Mirrors and Six Beneficent Winds. Two Little Wang is particularly disgruntled about this. Some characters lack the adjective and run it into one word (Twoflower, Ninereeds). WordOfGod from Creator/TerryPratchett is "I think I pinched the Mayan construction."

* ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia2'': In Elympios, middle names are inherited through one's mother, though this is obfuscated in the English localization, which [[BarelyChangedDubName omits them for most characters]]. Thus, Elle and her mother Lara have the same middle name, and before [[MeaningfulRename he changed it]], [[spoiler:Julius Will Kresnik]] had the same middle name as his mother, [[spoiler:Cornelia Wi Bakur]].

* ''Webcomic/Unsounded}}'': Crescians outside the royal family traditionaly have four letter first names and four letter last names. The tradition started when there was a famine under the first Queen and she chose to ensure rations only for those with four letter names in a desperate attempt to keep the country alive, this meant her own children starved. This is not a hard rule, but it is considered to be inviting bad luck to give your child a longer name.

* In the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' HighSchoolAU ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10785555/1/Shadow-the-Hedgehog-First-Class Shadow the Hedgehog - First Class]]'', [[FunnyAnimal Mobians]]s differ from humans in naming scheme. They have names like "Sonic", "Knuckles", "Charmy", "Cream", etc and [[OnlyOneName don't use surnames]]. Amy Rose and Shadow (who has the last name "Robotnik" in this fic) are oddities because they were raised by humans.