Do you like names based on the real world (Grand Duchy of Geoff)?  Or alien sounding names filled with unusual letter combinations and apostrophes ( Cl'belkal)?

What are your favourite and least favourite examples of Fantasy Names?

For fantasy, I find that the names should be evocative, reminiscent of something familiar, as opposed to being challengingly alien.  Tolkein is a classic example of hitting the right notes of "evocative" and "reminiscent" in terms of European languages.  M.A.R. Barker's Tékumel, which I adore, pushes the limits of alienness.

I don't mind the bit with borrowing titles from history (such as your "Grand Duchy of..." example), as long as it's understood that these are intended as translations of foreign conventions, and as long as they're used sensibly and correctly (no using "Grand Duchy of..." in a culture that has never been feudal in organisation, etc.).

!i!

If I can't read it, or it doesn't flow off the tongue well, it's useless to me. Cl'belkal falls into that category.

This changes if dealing with a race that's truly alien, like a Vrusk. Er, I meant to say "like a Thri Kreen." If it's a bug race, their names should sound like mandibles clacking and have a hard time being pronounced with lips.

Depends on the purpose. I make up names that fit the feel of a setting and its cultures. I don't much care if Modern American readings of them seem strange.

Examples: High Valor, the world is Aeia, and has things like the Fane Lord Draugd, the city of Tal Llmn, the people named Wodfhuin, or Caen-Cluith, as well as more "pronounceable names"

In an SF setting my aliens the Chxtll, are bug like and so their names of things tend to include such mandible clicks as mentioned. I worry less about such realism in fantasy but still try and make the words fit a cultural or racial trend.

Quote from: James McMurrayIf I can't read it, or it doesn't flow off the tongue well, it's useless to me. Cl'belkal falls into that category.

This changes if dealing with a race that's truly alien, like a Vrusk. Er, I meant to say "like a Thri Kreen." If it's a bug race, their names should sound like mandibles clacking and have a hard time being pronounced with lips.

I agree with that 100%.  It's also cool if the differences can be worked into actual gameplay somehow:

Ka nama kaa lajerama.  

Pete