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I looooove narrative in 40k and I love to name my troops to give them all personality. However, I'm stuck on names to give all my guys (i only played orks so naming was easy). Anyone got any suggestions or lore friendly name generators?

I need to name my chaplain, captain and lt.
My contemptor.
And if I have time my 15 marines.

Also need to name my inquisitor.

Oh man thats gona be tough.

What chapter?

it might be simple enough based on their real world counter part. like smurfs are probably some sort of roman.

I name all of the sergeants and characters in my Crimson Fists collection. Because the Crimson Fists have a Spanish flavor to them I take most of my names from the Spanish epic 'El Cid.' I also mix in names from famous crusaders, as a nod to the Imperial Fists.

My advice is to pick a common theme and stick with it, like a particular culture or a particular time period. However, don't directly translate over famous or recognizable names, and it distracts from your character and makes people think of the real world instead.

For example, don't name your character 'Richard;' instead, call him 'Rikardus' so it sounds more like Imperial High Gothic. Instead of 'Napoleon' call him 'Naleonis'. Small changes like that can make all the difference.

Back when I was starting out and a marine represented a week or so of disposable income they were all named - now only my tanks get a name, maybe.

As such I was delighted to find this website still exists:
https://www.behindthename.com/

as I used it extensively for my doods, and D&D characters as well

 Desubot wrote:
Oh man thats gona be tough.

What chapter?

it might be simple enough based on their real world counter part. like smurfs are probably some sort of roman.

Shadow Wolves (in the lore they're an imperial fist successor but no marine specifically is ever named in the books. Just the chapter).

Mmmmmm well the imperial fists has some Germanic things going. id say go for some flavor of that or in that general area. names that tickle your pickle.

I've been having a similar dilemma with my Raven Guard; is there a particular naming convention that they use? "Corvus" and "Corax" are obviously Latin derivations, but things like "Kayvaan" don't ring any bells to me.

According to reddit raven guard are Persian?

Imp fist are Prussian and stuff too.

These won't be as chapter specific as what Desubot is doing but here's a generator:

http://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/warhammer-40k-space-marine-names.php#.Woez9YPwYuU

This is one of my favorite things about 40k, all my characters and sergeants have names and little back stories. Once you select a theme finding names is easy with the internet, just tinker with them a bit and go nuts.

A word of warning, once you name a guy you may suddenly make a few tactical errors to keep him alive instead of risking his life to achieve a mission!

You may also look into personalizing a few models who perform above and beyond. I have a veteran guardsman, Corporal Moscato (named after a cook I used to work with), who has been rewarded with purity seals and a fancy optic for his lasgun. He is regarded as the finest hand to hand combatant and most lethal marksman in the regiment after a game of Kill Team in 6th edition where he shot two genestealers and killed 3 more in hand to hand combat. (Charging into cover without grenades used to mean you had to swing last...)

Can you post pics of the figures? I always find that helps, you can see if they look like a golden hero type or shady grim guy and name them accordingly.

Personally I’m the other way round and have characters in my head but not models of them yet. Lord Brigadier Grenfield and the 31st Praetorian Infantry ‘The Levellers’ - an Impy army I’ve never even started!!

One easy way to do it...look up a map of ancient Greece...mix/match some city names and you'll come up with cool enough sounding stuff.

I name a lot of my models after friends or pets or cause they sound cool.
My old marine force was lead by Uptonius (Me), Chaplain T (cause of the converted helmet I made him), Dreadnaught Ivan (a friend), Librarian Apollo (my friends dog). It wasn't until much later someone pointed out many of them are Rocky characters.

My current Astra Militarum army is all named after New Hampshire related things. Its my home state.
Cadian 603 (area code).
General Stark. (Creed)
Webster, Pierce, Greeley, Larsen Blue, White Tail, Chinook, Monadnock, ect.

German Field Marshal's from World War 2.

Dare you.

Having seen the figures from Lolman1c’s painting thread they’re purple (regal and noble), have some Ultramarine roman decorations and intentionally ‘battle worn’ to add grit and reality to them!
Really crisp looking army scheme by the way, I approve of the mono colour use.

Just picking a theme I’ve not heard used before, Turkish! These are some names I’ve half inched from a baby name site;
Arslan (lion) - maybe for the dreadnaught?
Asil (nobleman)
Berkant (strong oath)
Demir (iron)
Egemen (superior)
Evlan (colourful person)
Erol (man of courage)
Evren (of the universe)
Hakan (one who rules)
Taylan (high)
Tolga (wearing helmet)
Toygar (er, lark)

I thought they sounded enough like names and easy for Western tongues to pronounce but still foreign enough to sound like strange purple star knights from the sky.
I’d play a few games and give them a nickname based on how they do. Evlan the Far Travelled (who fled the battle), Tolga Fatebreaker (who a dice rolled up against him and stayed on its edge), although admittedly they sound a bit like eldar, but you get the idea!

It would be easy enough to take modern names and just add distortions. 39,000 years is likely to distort any modern name. Or just latinize modern names.

In linguistics, the most likely thing to be lost over time would be the harder to pronounce and/or unnecessary sounds - especially blends or redundant sounds. Also, combine this with transliteration across multiple languages and you get really weird words. Blends get dropped, Hard sounds turn to soft sounds, ending or beginning vowel changes.

Example:
James -> Thai -> Chaen maybe Chamen (no definitive J or ending S in Thai)
James -> Japanese -> Jeh ma su (transliteration error)
Chaem -> Japanese -> Maybe Cha Mu (long a)


That's just an example that could happen in one lifespan if one were to carry their errored-up name across 3 countries.

So, over 40,000 years.. you can basically distort a name into anything at all. James in 40,000 years could be Bob. Who knows?

I don't have anything to add, other than saying that I like the idea, and hope you get on well with it. I'll be naming some of my own models, but for Marines, just the characters and Sergeants probably.

It doesn't matter who we are.

What matters is our plan.

Your Primaris Captain should be named Optimus.