Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So I searched and nothing much came up so my question is why do Imperial Guard(AM) get normalish names(for current day) and Space Marines all have crazy names for the most part. Why cant I allow my Space Marines to have normal names like Gerald, Parker ect.

Because on recruiting worlds, infants with normal-sounding names are strangled in the crib.

It's only to make marines sound cooler a lot of their names are allusions to old medieval literature, but theoretically you can have a space marine named Bill but that would be silly after a long title like Brother Captain.

Brother Captain Timothy isnt bad, i mean having a short hand name sounds weird. Just making sure, I want to name my characters names I would remember slightly.

Also, it lends to the Gothic feel of the setting. Old latin Greek and Spanish names, as well as those from dead ancient sounding languages give gravitas to a figure... if first captain Jerry Andrews and librarian john Ryan ran around the planet cr345 around it would be harder to suspend disbelief over the awesome things they do.

What makes Gerald or Parker a normal name?
That is subjective.

Besides every setting that uses Latin never has real Latin names, They all usually use Latin Adjectives.

The Space Marines are best thought of as orders of Warrior Monks. Upon induction into the order, each warrior chooses or is assigned a name befitting the traditions and history of his order. It is likely a name that has been used by one or more illustrious marines from centuries past.

 Khonsu wrote:
What makes Gerald or Parker a normal name?
That is subjective.

Besides every setting that uses Latin never has real Latin names, They all usually use Latin Adjectives.

Exactly. Space Marine names are probably normal-ish names for the Imperium, who have turned to embrace Latinised names and more archaic ones that ours. It is quite sensible to imagine that our naming convention has evolved/devolved into the 41st Millenium. Even the IG have fairly archaic names, such as Ibram, Uriah, Gideon. I still haven't encountered a single person called Steve or Alan.

What about Pedro or Alecio? There is also a famous Salamander named Xavier. You can name your Chapter Master John or even after you and it wouldn't be surprising.

I think theres a Biff in the book called Space marine.

Mvh.

Don't forget about good ol' Spots.


I'll just jump in with one specific example, the Grey Knights, where recruits are stripped of their names and referred to by number. Upon completion of training they are handed a new forename and surname from a special book. Each part of their name is linked with a specific Daemon's true name and so gives them a special connection to help (or sometimes hinder) fighting that Daemon. For example, there is a Grand Master called Anval Laeron, who shares a forename with Anval Thawn, but their differing surname links them with different Daemons.

Specifically, the GK wiping of their personality and name gives them a new true name and identity.

Normally, a Daemon can use a persons identity and desires against them. But GKs only have identity to kill daemons, thus it makes their entire being toxic to daemons. Their very names poison for the daemon to speak.

Lottrup wrote:
I think theres a Biff in the book called Space marine.

Mvh.

I don't think the bad guy from back to the future is a space marine

I think the implication is that Space Marines are given formal High Gothic names when they join a Chapter, and that the regular schmoe Imperial Guardsmen have Low Gothic names.

I'd say it differs from chapter to chapter weather or not they change the names, in the NL and UM books it's said they keep their pre marine names.

I was always under the impression that they were given these names. What's the point of total pyscho-indoctrination if you get to keep your same old name, which has parts of your same old identity? Get a new name which truly personifies your new "Angel of death" role.

IGs are regular joes, or as close as you can get in 40k. Corporal Bob serves the purpose of grounding him, making you realise how fething terrifying the 40k universe would be for someone like you, which 38,000 years aside he is.

Brother Agamemnon is a bearded 500 year old demi god fit only for murdering 100 Orks at a time, he is not meant to be particularly relatable, simply a badass.

I'm quite happy to leave this down to pure artistic license because that's obviously the reason.

In a universe of sword wielding super-soldiers, one needs a name of equal baddasary. If a 8 foot tall power armored monster armed with a rapid fire rocket launcher approaches and says "Greetings, my names is Steven of the Flesh Tearers 3rd company" you might lose some immersion.

*In a great booming voice* "Some call me Tim."

 Lord Blackscale wrote:
*In a great booming voice* "Some call me Tim."

He would clearly be a librarian or sorcerer of potent power.

He was an angel of death. A force of unstoppable fury given form. Each shot, fired with honed expertise born from centuries of warfare, brought devastation . Each bolt round blowing apart the limbs and torso of the orks that charged him.

Never stopping, he fired until his bolter ran dry. An ork, seeking this opportunity to strike his weaponless foe made the mistake of charging him.
It realized it's mistake too late as the bolter caved in it's skull.

Tossing the bolter desecrated by xenos viscera the warrior unfastened his chainsword and charged the nearby Nob.

He activated the sword and began cutting his way through towards the biggest, baddest Nob he could see. Eviscerating and mauling all that stood before him, he made mince meat of all the orks that stood in his wake.

A mist of xeno blood coated him as he finally plunged his sword through the giant beast's torso. As he stood panting like some demonic god of destruction, his chapter and armor decorations matted in gore, he removed his helm. He stood over a mound of broken bodies and finally exhaled.

First Lieutenant Eldrin stammered as he struggled to thank his savior. Nearly overrun they would've died to a man had it not been by the space marine not intervened.

"M..M'lord Astarties what name do I owe my life and those of my rank thanks?"

He didn't look down at first. There was still a blood lust inside him. Bottled but not fully contained. When he noticed the mortal beneath him, he sneered.

"You may address me as Smith."

 Inkubas wrote:
He was an angel of death. A force of unstoppable fury given form. Each shot, fired with honed expertise born from centuries of warfare, brought devastation . Each bolt round blowing apart the limbs and torso of the orks that charged him.
...
"You may address me as Smith."

I was going to attempt to be funny, but... nope. Can't beat this.

Space marine named 'Sue':

A lady would giggle and he'd turn red, a fellow would laugh and he'd bust his head

2BlackJack1 wrote:
Space marine named 'Sue':

A lady would giggle and he'd turn red, a fellow would laugh and he'd bust his head

Well played, sir.

Not 'all' marines have gothic/latin names, just the chapters that get written about a lot. Names generally depend on the planet the chapter in question recruits from. I'd like to see a chapter where everyone is named Bruce. Except for that one, awkward guy.

Several chapters have culture-specific names, but they all invoke badassery. As I recall the Astral Lions had Zulu inspired names, for example.

In some very old Dark Angels fluff (2nd edition or earlier) a squad of terminators had the usual Latinized names. They returned to their recruitment world to find it infested with Genestealers, at which point they painted their armor white to show they were already dead and resumed their original Native American tribal names before (literally) going on the warpath. Allegedly this was the reason the Deathwing wore bone-white armor.

So yeah, badassery and committing yourself to the Emperor's service by cutting ties to your homeworld.

 Inkubas wrote:
He was an angel of death. A force of unstoppable fury given form. Each shot, fired with honed expertise born from centuries of warfare, brought devastation . Each bolt round blowing apart the limbs and torso of the orks that charged him.

Never stopping, he fired until his bolter ran dry. An ork, seeking this opportunity to strike his weaponless foe made the mistake of charging him.
It realized it's mistake too late as the bolter caved in it's skull.

Tossing the bolter desecrated by xenos viscera the warrior unfastened his chainsword and charged the nearby Nob.

He activated the sword and began cutting his way through towards the biggest, baddest Nob he could see. Eviscerating and mauling all that stood before him, he made mince meat of all the orks that stood in his wake.

A mist of xeno blood coated him as he finally plunged his sword through the giant beast's torso. As he stood panting like some demonic god of destruction, his chapter and armor decorations matted in gore, he removed his helm. He stood over a mound of broken bodies and finally exhaled.

First Lieutenant Eldrin stammered as he struggled to thank his savior. Nearly overrun they would've died to a man had it not been by the space marine not intervened.

"M..M'lord Astarties what name do I owe my life and those of my rank thanks?"

He didn't look down at first. There was still a blood lust inside him. Bottled but not fully contained. When he noticed the mortal beneath him, he sneered.

"You may address me as Smith."

War-smith?

 Inkubas wrote:
He was an angel of death. A force of unstoppable fury given form. Each shot, fired with honed expertise born from centuries of warfare, brought devastation . Each bolt round blowing apart the limbs and torso of the orks that charged him.

Never stopping, he fired until his bolter ran dry. An ork, seeking this opportunity to strike his weaponless foe made the mistake of charging him.
It realized it's mistake too late as the bolter caved in it's skull.

Tossing the bolter desecrated by xenos viscera the warrior unfastened his chainsword and charged the nearby Nob.

He activated the sword and began cutting his way through towards the biggest, baddest Nob he could see. Eviscerating and mauling all that stood before him, he made mince meat of all the orks that stood in his wake.

A mist of xeno blood coated him as he finally plunged his sword through the giant beast's torso. As he stood panting like some demonic god of destruction, his chapter and armor decorations matted in gore, he removed his helm. He stood over a mound of broken bodies and finally exhaled.

First Lieutenant Eldrin stammered as he struggled to thank his savior. Nearly overrun they would've died to a man had it not been by the space marine not intervened.

"M..M'lord Astarties what name do I owe my life and those of my rank thanks?"

He didn't look down at first. There was still a blood lust inside him. Bottled but not fully contained. When he noticed the mortal beneath him, he sneered.

"You may address me as Bacon. Chris P. Bacon".

Sorry, couldn't help myself


Regarding SM names, they are supposed to be legendary angels of death. I assume that they pick a new name to reflect that if their previous one is not good enough. Also, it would be really weird to still see people with 21st century names in the 400th century. It would be even worse than giving ancient Romans modern English names in a movie. So what you think are just crazy names, may actually be very common, ordinary names in the year 40000. After all, in real history it is only relatively short time ago since Roger was called Hrōþigaizaz.
Realistically, names in the year 40000 should be completely unrecognisable for us.

2BlackJack1 wrote:
Space marine named 'Sue':

A lady would giggle and he'd turn red, a fellow would laugh and he'd bust his head

Here, have an exalt for the man in black!