History Main / MeltingPotNomenclature

* The spread of Islam led to a lot of name exchange among the major ethnic groups of the Muslim world. The biggest class is names originating in the Arabic-language names of God in Islam like Rashid ("Guide"), Malik ("King" or "Lord"), and Karim ("Generous" or "Noble"), and the "Abdul" names like Abdullah ("Servant/Slave of God") and Abdulrahman ("Servant/Slave of the Benificient"), but names of prophets (most especially Muhammad) and his companions (most especially Ali and Omar) also spread. Many Biblical names also spread from the Hebrew/Aramaic via Arabic through appearances in the Qur'an; in particular, Maryam (Mary), Ibrahim (Abraham), and Ismail (Ishmael) are common from Morocco to Mindanao. On the other hand, non-Arabic names also spread within the Islamic sphere; Persian names in particular like Rostam and Nasrin are commonly used by both Arabs and Turks ("Nasrin" and variants in particular had a bit of a vogue among Levantines--especially Palestinians--and Egyptians in the late 1980s-early 1990s), and to a lesser extent by South Asian and Southeast Asian Muslims. Persian and Turkish surnames are also commonly found among Arab and South Asian Muslim communities; the surname "Shah" (Persian for "King") is possibly more common in Pakistan and India than in Iran, while "Rostom" is a hardly unusual surname in Egypt and "Basha" (from Turkish "Pasha", a noble title roughly equivalent to "Duke") is known as a surname in Syria. And then there is "Khan", the most popular surname among South Asian Muslims, which came from a Mongolian lordly title made famous by UsefulNotes/GenghisKhan.[[note]]Yes, this means "Ibrahim Shah" from Pakistan is "Abraham King" and "Maryam Basha" from Syria is "Mary Duke". And you thought these were [[HayseedName just for Alabama]]![[/note]]

* Thanks to the spread of Christianity, many Biblical (mostly Hebrew and Aramaic) and Saints' names (mainly but not exclusively Greek and Latin) entered into different cultures, some even becoming some of the most common given names in various countries to which they originally had been foreign, e.g. the various forms of Miriam (Mary)[[note]]Its form in Latin, "Maria", proved to be very popular not only because it was the Mother of God but also because it was coincidentally the same as an existing Roman name, the feminine form of the ''gens'' Marius (of whom the most famous member was UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar's uncle [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaius_Marius Gaius Marius]]); this also gave us the (mostly) Italian male name 'Mario'[[/note]], Hanna (Ann/Hannah/all variants), Yochanaan (John), David, and Petros (Peter) for the former, and those of Barbara, Katharina (Catherine), Martinus (Martin), Nikolaos (Nicholas), Franciscus (Francis) for the latter.

* Thanks to the spread of Christianity, many Biblical (mostly Hebrew and Aramaic) and Saints' names (mainly but not exclusively Greek and Latin) entered into different cultures, some even becoming some of the most common given names in various countries to which they originally had been foreign, e. g. the various forms of Miriam (Mary)[[note]]Its form in Latin, "Maria", proved to be very popular not only because it was the Mother of God but also because it was coincidentally the same as an existing Roman name, the feminine form of the ''gens'' Marius (of whom the most famous member was UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar's uncle [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaius_Marius Gaius Marius]]); this also gave us the (mostly) Italian male name "Mario"[[/note]], Hanna (Ann), Yochanaan (John), David, and Petros (Peter) for the former, and those of Barbara, Katharina (Catherine), Martinus (Martin), Nikolaos (Nicholas), Franciscus (Francis) for the latter.

* The spread of Islam led to a lot of name exchange among the major ethnic groups of the Muslim world. The biggest class is names originating in the Arabic-language names of God in Islam like Rashid ("Guide"), Malik ("King" or "Lord"), and Karim ("Generous" or "Noble"), and the "Abdul" names like Abdullah ("Servant/Slave of God") and Abdulrahman ("Servant/Slave of the Benificient"), but names of prophets (most especially Muhammad) and his companions (most especially Ali and Omar) also spread. Many Biblical names also spread from the Hebrew/Aramaic via Arabic through appearances in the Qur'an; in particular, Maryam (Mary), Ibrahim (Abraham), and Ismail (Ishmael) are common from Morocco to Mindanao. On the other hand, non-Arabic names also spread within the Islamic sphere; Persian names in particular like Rostam and Nasrin are commonly used by both Arabs and Turks ("Nasrin" and variants in particular had a bit of a vogue among Levantines--especially Palestinians--and Egyptians in the late 1980s-early 1990s), and to a lesser extent by South Asian and Southeast Asian Muslims. Persian and Turkish surnames are also commonly found among Arab and South Asian Muslim communities; the surname "Shah" (Persian for "King") is possibly more common in Pakistan and India than in Iran, while "Rostom" is a hardly unusual surname in Egypt and "Basha" (from Turkish "Pasha", a noble title roughly equivalent to "Duke") is known as a surname in Syria.[[note]]Yes, this means "Ibrahim Shah" from Pakistan is "Abraham King" and "Maryam Basha" from Syria is "Mary Duke". And you thought these were [[HayseedName just for Alabama]]![[/note]]

* In ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', we have the Italian Renaissance-[[FantasyCounterpartCulture ish]] port of Vritanis, where the van Damion family lives ('van Damion' means 'from Damion' in Dutch, but 'Damion' doesn't sound anything like typical Dutch place names). They have kids with names like Magnifico and Farnese (Italian).

* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' uses European names for the Amestrian characters, but without any seeming realization that "Europe" is actually dozens of different languages, cultures, and peoples. English, French, German, Italian, Low Countries, and even ''Turkish'' names (in the case of Selim Bradley), as well as AsLongAsItSoundsForeign, are jumbled together seemingly randomly, along with the occasional Japanese name.
* ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' has many names that could reasonably appear in a quasi-Medieval European setting (Clare, Teresa, Flora) and then throws in ones like Queenie and Tesla, the latter of whom is not only a female, but has a name that's usually used as a surname, not a given one. Then there's Dietrich, usually a male given name again used for a female, along with mythological ones like Galatea, Nike, Undine and Uranus that stick out like a sore thumb next to the others. Given the huge cast, most of which are [[ImprobablyFemaleCast female]] one gets the sense that the author eventually just started flipping through a baby names book and picking at random.

[[folder:Comics]]

** [[ComicBook/AlphaFlight]] Sasquatch aka Walter Langkowski: English or German given name, Polish surname.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* [[DubNameChange The English translation]] of ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' has this because the translators have an obsession with giving ''everyone'' [[MeaningfulName Meaningful]] / [[PunnyName Punny Names]], so they'll go with whatever is most meaningful/makes the best pun rather than the most consistency. (e.g. Bianca (Italian), Cheren (Bulgarian), Volkner (German), Cyrus (Persian), Amanita (Spanish), [[OverlyLongGag Rood (Dutch), Bronius (Latin/Germanic hybrid), Giallo (Italian again), Ryoku (Japanese), Gorm (Gaelic), Zinzolin (French), etc.]])
* Can happen in ''VideoGame/TheSims2'' with townies and [=NPCs=] (because their names are picked at random), causing names such as Abhjeet Copur.

* ''VideoGame/AstralChain'' features a wide variety of names on the Hypermegafloat Ark, including Japanese (Akira), Hispanic (Lopez), Korean (Wong), Russian (Merkulov), Hebrew (Yoseph), and many more. Justified, in that a worldwide apocalypse caused millions of people from around the world to migrate to the Ark, which serves as the last refuge of humanity.
* ''VideoGame/DiscoElysium'' is set in a melting-pot community and gives everyone diverse names in order to reflect this.
** Player character [[spoiler: Harry du Bois]] has a [[FantasyCounterpartCulture Surense]] (French) surname and a [[FantasyCounterpartCulture Vespertine]] (English) first name [[HelpfulHallucination the Hanged Man]] finds mundane, though you will later discover it's short for "[[spoiler: [[AerithAndBob Harrier]]]]". (Also an English word.)
** A special mention goes to Kim Kitsuragi, who is of Seolite descent (a FantasyCounterpartCulture most similar to Japan) whose first name is a Korean family name, and whose second name is a Japanese family name. (Well, the actual Japanese family name would be "Katsuragi", but close enough.)

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* In ''VisualNovel/AnalogueAHateStory'' and its sequel ''VisualNovel/HatePlus'', the ''Mugunghwa'' is a Korean GenerationShip, so naturally it boasts an all-Korean population with Korean names. One of the noble families is known as the '''Smith''' family, yet it's still composed of those of Korean lineage.

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* The naming conventions for [[AllTrollsAreDifferent the trolls]] in ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' are ''absolutely all over the place''. Generally speaking, the individual characters were [[MeaningfulName named with symbolism in mind]] rather than any consistent pattern, leading to an incredibly eclectic mix. The majority are derived from either Sanskrit or Latin, but then we have Megido (Hebrew), Leijon (Swedish), Maryam (Arabic), Terezi (Azeri), Zahhak (Farsi), Gamzee (Turkish), and Peixes (Portuguese). And then there's the Cherubs, in which we have a ''brother and sister'' whose names are Latinized Welsh and Greek respectively.
* ''Webcomic/WeakHero'' is set in a Korean city, and so all of the characters have full Korean names. However, in the English translation, the characters are given a Westernised first name (e.g. Humin Park becomes Ben Park). This practise only lasted until Season 3- characters introduced after that point retain their Korean names, leading to a mish-mash of Westernised and Korean names in a fully Korean setting. For example, the Yeongdeungpo Union has Jimmy, Forrest, Wolf, Seongmo, and Bongha as members.
[[/folder]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', the Water Tribes generally have vaguely Inuit-sounding names, but there's also a couple like Yue (Chinese). Earth Kingdom has names like Bumi (Indonesian), Jet, Long Feng (Chinese), Haru, Suki (Japanese), Song (Korean), Toph (Hebrew), and Koko (French), though the Earth Kingdom does happen to be much bigger than any of the other nations. Fire Nation gives us names like Roku, Iroh, Mai (Japanese), Lu Ten, Ty Lee, Li, Luo (Chinese), and even a couple of Latin-derived names (Ursa, Azula).
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' follows on from this. Korra is a MyNaymeIs variant of Cora. The "fabulous bending brothers" are {{Creator/Mako}} (firebender, Japanese) and Bolin (earthbender, Chinese). Hiroshi Sato and his daughter Asami have Japanese names and are descended from Fire Nation colonists, which may also be the case for Shiro Shinobi. Korra's parents Tonraq and Senna have Inuit names, as does Narook the noodle-shop owner. Tenzin is Tibetan (a ShoutOut to the Dalai Lama), as is Pema. Jinora comes from Sanskrit "Jinorasa." Ikki is Uzbek for "two." Butakha is Indonesian for "bald." Lin Beifong is Chinese. Saikhan is Mongol. Hasook is Korean. Amon is Egyptian. Tarrlok is Irish made to look Inuit. And "Lightning Bolt" Zolt is odd--the only name close to Zolt in the real world is the Hungarian name "Zoltan." This is the result of people from all over the world coming together in Republic City.

%% Remember not to add examples of MultiEthnicName. This trope is about a variety of name origins in a society, not an individual.

* In ''Literature/RebuildWorld'', the story is implied to take place in the ruins of what was once a futuristic version of Japan, given how the characters use Japanese honorifics and the Japan-themed naming of the ruins and cities. Despite this, you have characters with both Japanese and Western names in the story, such as Akira, Sara, and Sheryl.

* ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'' gives the franchise's "Japanese" regions populations with diverse names, usually Western, Japanese, or [[MultiEthnicName both]].

Compare AerithAndBob, which combines real names with fictional ones in a single setting, and WackyAmericansHaveWackyNames where a RealLife cultural melting pot leads to mashups that sound odd to people from other cultures, in turn leading to exaggerations in fiction. Not to be confused with MultiEthnicName, which is this trope set in the real world and often with a specific explanation.

* [[DubNameChange The English translation]] of ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' has this because the translators have an obsession with giving ''everyone'' [[MeaningfulName Meaningful]] / [[PunnyName Punny Names]], so they'll go with whatever makes the best pun rather than the most consistency. (e.g. Bianca (Italian), Cheren (Bulgarian), Volkner (German), Cyrus (Persian), Amanita (Spanish), [[OverlyLongGag Rood (Dutch), Bronius (Latin/Germanic hybrid), Giallo (Italian again), Ryoku (Japanese), Gorm (Gaelic), Zinzolin (French), etc.]])

* Some examples from ''The ComicBook/XMen'':

** ComicBook/{{Storm}} aka Ororo Munroe (daughter of a Kenyan mother and an American father): (fictional) East African given name, American (Scottish?) surname.
** Sasquatch aka Walter Langkowski: English or German given name, Polish surname.

** ComicBook/JubileeMarvelComics aka Jubilation Lee (second-generation Chinese-American): English given name, Chinese family name.

* In ''LightNovel/RebuildWorld'', the story is implied to take place in the ruins of what was once a futuristic version of Japan, given how the characters use Japanese honorifics and the Japan-themed naming of the ruins and cities. Despite this, you have characters with both Japanese and Western names in the story, such as Akira, Sara, and Sheryl.

* ''Fanfic/PokemonCrossing:'' gives the Hoenn region plenty of diverse names for locals and immigrants. For example, Coco Haniwaki and Tank Pepper are both Hoenn natives.

* ''Fanfic/PokemonCrossingFlyMeToTheMoon'' gives the Hoenn region plenty of diverse names for locals and immigrants. For example, Coco Haniwaki and Tank Pepper are both Hoenn natives.

* The naming conventions for the trolls in ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' are ''absolutely all over the place''. Generally speaking, the individual characters were named with symbolism in mind rather than any consistent pattern, leading to an incredibly eclectic mix. The majority are derived from either Sanskrit or Latin, but then we have Megido (Hebrew), Leijon (Swedish), Maryam (Arabic), Terezi (Azeri), Zahhak (Farsi), Gamzee (Turkish), and Peixes (Portuguese). And then there's the Cherubs, in which we have a ''brother and sister'' whose names are Latinized Welsh and Greek respectively.

* ''Fanfic/PokemonCrossingFlyMeToTheMoon'' gives the Hoenn region plenty of diverse names for locals and immigrants. For example, Coco Haniwaki and the Hawkian family are both locals of Rustboro City.

Note that this only applies to single fictional countries. If you have one country with French names and one with German, then it's not an example. However, a small farming village where you can meet a pair of brothers names Pierre and Gunter ''would'' be an example.

* ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' has many names that could reasonably appear in a quasi-Medieval European setting (Clare, Teresa, Flora) and then throws in ones like Queenie and Tesla, the latter of whom is not only a female, but has a name that's usually used as a surname, not a given one. Then there's Dietrich, usually a male given name again used for a female, along with mythological ones like Galatea, Nike, Undine and Uranus that stick out like a sore thumb next to the others. Given the [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters huge cast]], most of which are [[ImprobablyFemaleCast female]] one gets the sense that the author eventually just started flipping through a baby names book and picking at random.

* Toys/{{BIONICLE}}: In its first year (2001), the brand drew its character names, place names, and other terminology from a wide range of Polynesian languages. This led to some controversy over the use of Maori names, and in 2003 some of these original names were changed to MyNaymeIs variants. But 2003 also introduced LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters in the Mata Nui Online Game II, who had {{Meaningful Name}}s coming from even more diverse global languages. Examples include Nixie (English), Pelagia (Latin), Taiki (Japanese), Tehuti (Egyptian), Kalama (Hawaiian), and Pakastaa (Finnish).

* Thanks to the spread of Christianity, many Biblical (mostly Hebrew and Aramaic) and Saints' names (mainly but not exclusively Greek and Latin) entered into different cultures, some even becoming some of the most common given names in various countries to which they originally had been foreign, e. g. the various forms of Miriam (Mary),[[note]]Its form in Latin, "Maria," proved to be very popular not only because it was the Mother of God but also because it was coincidentally the same as an existing Roman name, the feminine form of the ''gens'' Marius (of whom the most famous member was Creator/JuliusCaesar's uncle [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaius_Marius Gaius Marius]]); this also gave us the (mostly) Italian male name "Mario".[[/note]] Hanna (Ann), Yochanaan (John), David, and Petros (Peter) for the former, and those of Barbara, Katharina (Catherine), Martinus (Martin), Nikolaos (Nicholas), Franciscus (Francis) for the latter.

[[folder: Literature]]

* The naming conventions for the trolls in ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' are ''absolutely all over the place''. Generally speaking, the individual characters were named with symbolism in mind rather than any consistent pattern, leading to an incredibly eclectic mix. The majority are derived from either Sanskrit or Latin, but then we have Megido (Hebrew), Leijon (Swedish), Maryam (Arabic), Terezi (Azeri), Zahaak (Farsi), Gamzee (Turkish), and Peixes (Portuguese). And then there's the Cherubs, in which we have a ''brother and sister'' whose names are Latinized Welsh and Greek respectively.

* The spread of Islam led to a lot of name exchange among the major ethnic groups of the Muslim world. The biggest class is names originating in the Arabic-language names of God in Islam like Rashid ("Guide"), Malik ("King" or "Lord"), and Karim ("Generous" or "Noble"), and the "Abdul" names like Abdullah ("Servant/Slave of God") and Abdulrahman ("Servant/Slave of the Benificient"), but names of prophets (most especially Muhammad) and his companions (most especially Ali and Omar) also spread. Many Biblical names also spread from the Hebrew/Aramaic via Arabic through appearances in the Qur'an; in particular, Maryam (Mary), Ibrahim (Abraham), and Ismail (Ishmael) are common from Morocco to Mindanao. On the other hand, non-Arabic names also spread within the Islamic sphere; Persian names in particular like Rostam and Nasrin are commonly used by both Arabs and Turks, and to a lesser extent by South Asian and Southeast Asian Muslims. Persian and Turkish surnames are also commonly found among Arab and South Asian Muslim communities; the surname "Shah" (Persian for "King") is possibly more common in Pakistan and India than in Iran, while "Rostom" is a hardly unusual surname in Egypt and "Basha" (from Turkish "Pasha", a noble title roughly equivalent to "Duke") is known as a surname in Syria.[[note]]Yes, this means "Ibrahim Shah" from Pakistan is "Abraham King" and "Maryam Basha" from Syria is "Mary Duke". And you thought these were [[HayseedName just for Alabama]]![[/note]]