My Names Project

[gridlore]

OK, here's the deal. I have to name about 270 planets. I suck at coming up with names, so here's you chance to achieve nothing but the warm feeling that you've help a hack writer with a block.

What I need a place names that would translate well to a planet. Doesn't have to be in English, but a quick explanation of the name would be appreciated.

TIA!

Comments

[bunyip.livejournal.com]

Taroona - Tasmanian aboriginal word meaning seashell. It's an actual place name of a riverside suburb in Hobart

[lysana.livejournal.com]

Being at Pantheacon, I'm going to throw you a deity name:

Taranis - continental Gaulish thunder/lightning god. The sort of planet some wag would give that name to would run two directions. I don't think I have to explain which two.

[karmabreeze.livejournal.com]

How'se about "Serendipity"? So what if it's a cafe in New York... the idea of the accidental discovery of a planet is fairly appealing. Shorten it to "Serendi" if you want something less sugary, with the attached excuse that there wasn't enough room to write the whole word, or the guy's pen ran out of ink, or the crew threatened mutiny on such a sentimental girly name...

Or, you could name a whole bunch after the 1980 Miracle on Ice team, just for kicks...

And there's always "Normal", which is a city in central Illinois...

And Wonkatonqua, the fictional non-city of the famous Coca-Cola commercial...

'Miracle' Planets

[murphymom.livejournal.com]

"Captain's Log -Stardate nevuhmind; We are in orbit above the planet Eruzione.."

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

And there's always "Normal", which is a city in central Illinois...

Oh, I'd be lynched if I used Normal.. ya see, Normal used to be home to a little game company called Game Designers' Workshop. In 1977, GDW release a new game, shipped in a black box with a red stripe on it.

Game was called Traveller. So most Traveller fans are already more than familiar with that town.

Anyway, I used it already. In GT: Ground Forces I wrote up a series of medal citations for winners of the Starburst for Extreme Herosim (the Imperium's highest award), and one of the came during the invasion of Terra, and I set the fighting in the "Normal - Springfield district."

Planet names, get your planet names here...

[murphymom.livejournal.com]

How about Heisenberg - no one's entirely certain where this planet is at any given moment, due to its erratic orbit. Or how about naming them after acronyms? The planet Pemdas (Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally) would warm a mathematician's heart. Pick up a copy of Leo Rosten's "The Joys of Yiddish" - that should be good for a few...