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[Karnewarrior]

So most of us are established enough to have a routine of how we set up our individual forts. Most of us also have trouble distinguishing between the default dwarven names. Luckily Toady has provided in his nigh-infinite wisdom a way to name our dwarves however we wish.

So, the question here is, how do you wish? How do you decide what names to give your dwarves? Are you like the fabled CapnDuck, naming your bearded midgets after famous video game characters? Are you fond of certain actors and the idea of them building exceptional death draps?

For me, I don't have to distinguish between most dwarves. They're all just nameless peons. But occasionally one will catch my attention, and as a reward for some exceptional action, he recives a name. For example:

My newest fort is, well, new. I just had a strange mood (from a Ranger ), metalcrafting. He made it through and is my first ledgendary who isn't a miner. As a reward for his exceptional mood (and a very snazzy iron door, just in case you know) he recived a name. "Hephaestus". His name relates to both his profession and a certain injury he appears to have recived in world gen (the game says scar but damnit if it isn't a limp).
 
Hephaestus is hunting Geese now. I should probably fix that.

[Girlinhat]

I go by skill, no personal touches at all.  "Blank" is my favorite, the peasants and the cheesemakers, while others get names like "Potter" and "Soldier" and "Weapon".

[Khift]

For my dwarves, I typically single out the ones that need / deserve names based on skill and position. If the dwarf has high ranks in a skill I use him for he typically gets named and if he's a dwarf I need to find and recognize often I give him a name too. I also give all my soldiers names, if only so I can remember them when they die.

As for how I name them, I typically open up their details screen, skim through it and name them the first thing that comes to mind. I once named a dwarf Pastor because he liked guineafowl "for their social nature" and I imagined him surrounded by a flock of guineas. A smelter who likes adamantine became "Picky". A brewer whose last name was Edamam became "Peas" because his name reminded me of edamame. No rhyme or reason to it and I try not to dwell on it too much or else I'll take too long, the important thing is to make them distinguishable from the crowd.

Naming fortresses is more in depth, but ultimately similar. I hit random a lot until I see a compound name I like, then add a fitting "the [adjective] [noun]" to it. I spend a lot more time on that, though.

[Ledi]

My last game I decided to get silly with naming. It actually worked really well for me to both remember which dwarf was which and to make looking a dwarf up on Therapist easier, too.

My starting 7:

Loppy (Woodchopper/Carpenter)
Healy (Doctor)
Bossy (Admin, leader skills)
Chippy (Miner/Mason)
Diggy (Miner)
Boozy (Gatherer/Brewer)
Feedy (Gatherer/Cook)

As the ranks grew, I had to start thinking of new descriptive names that fit the pattern.

Peasants: Hauly, Monotony, Serfy, Draggy, Povvy
Animal Caretakers: Puppy and Trebuchety (also a siege operator)
Armorer: Shieldy
Blacksmith: Smithy
Butcher: Fillety, Carvey
Carpenter: Adzey, Peggy (after the pegs used in joinery)
Clothier: Sewy, Stitchy
Dyer/Tanner: Tanny
Farmer: Smokey (also woodburner), Farmy, Arty (also stonecrafter)
Fisherman/Worker: Lurey, Eely, Fishy
Furnace Operator: Smelty
Glassmaker: Glassy
Jewelers: Shiny, Blingy
Lye Maker: Hunty (he came with his own bow)
Mason: Furny, Marbley
Mechanic: Mechy
Metalsmith: Tinny
Miller: Milly
Miner: Slabby (also mason), Picky
Pump Operator: Pumpy, Slushy
Suturer: Bandaidy
Tanners: Tanny
Engraver: Smoothy
Trapper: Cagey
Bonecarver: Boney
Siege Engineer: Ballisty
Woodcutter: Choppy
Woodworker: Elfy

It's actually a challenge to think up fitting names sometimes, that fit into that rather specific pattern. You'll notice that I've bent the rules a few times (Trebuchety and Monotony etc) because I couldn't think of anything else to fit. For a while I also had Needs-a-Picky to remind me to buy one at the next Caravan.

[NewsMuffin]

I don't name my dwarves because they mean nothing to me. If I give them a name, it was something along the lines of 'Lone Wolf' or 'Hero' because they died. The only way of recognition in my forts is through glorious and heroic deaths.

[Aramco]

Am... am I the only one who never changes their names...? Honestly, I have never changed a Dwarfs name. (Unless I'm Dwarfing people for a succession fort, of course.)

[Ledi]

Am... am I the only one who never changes their names...? Honestly, I have never changed a Dwarfs name. (Unless I'm Dwarfing people for a succession fort, of course.)

It's only the last two forts I've named. Usually I've been lazy and left them, but there are only so many first names, and trying to work out which Urist needs a smackdown in a 140+ fort is a little annoying.

My next fort I'm going to name like a Wolf Run (for those who haven't heard of the term, it was a type of game play in Creatures 2 where you left the little buggers alone and watched to see how many generations you could get before they all died. There was actually a program to automatically name them dependent on generation (first gen names started with A, second gen B etc)) - not sure whether I should do it by actual generation or by migrant wave yet.

[agatharchides]

Am... am I the only one who never changes their names...? Honestly, I have never changed a Dwarfs name. (Unless I'm Dwarfing people for a succession fort, of course.)

Nope. I use professions for any dwarf with a useful one and leave the names be.

[Aramco]

Wait, I just had a really good idea. Is there a list of all the Dwarven names anywhere? (I assume there would be a file with one somewhere in the DF files, but I couldn't find one.)

[FuzzyZergling]

I usually go with profession-related nouns for my dwarf names. I have a brewer named Rum and a miner named Shale, for example.
The exception is soldiers, who are all assigned the same name relating to their squad (I have three Hermits, who are the squad "Inky Hermits").

[Urist Da Vinci]

Being a named dwarf in one of my forts is often not good. I often name migrants as they arrive, until I find a good purpose for them. Dwarves are also given special names so I can assign them to a workshop, ... or a lever.

The dwarf should be happy that he gets his real name back, as opposed to being called "m3".

Custom professions are more useful when a dwarf is "armorer 3 / fisherdwarf 7".

[arkhometha]

Usually I name them by profession. Some non important don't have a name, and the most important ones have distinctive names or nicknames.

[Biag]

I have a couple habits. I always name the starting 7; sometimes after their preferences or last name, but more often I name them all after the 7 Wonders of the World. I always assign custom professions to important military people (usually "Capitaine"), and I always always always name my bookkeeper Roland.

[arkhometha]

I have a couple habits. I always name the starting 7; sometimes after their preferences or last name, but more often I name them all after the 7 Wonders of the World. I always assign custom professions to important military people (usually "Capitaine"), and I always always always name my bookkeeper Roland.

Roland Deschain?

So some of your dwarfes are named...the Rhodes Colossus?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[Naryar]

I tend to give my dwarves classic dwarven surnames (Granitetoe,Ironbeard, etc), but sometimes give them badass surnames when they do something awesome/have legendary skills("Enemy of All that Live", "Reaper", "Hero of the Fortress", or "Nightmare Made Flesh" for a butcher or soldier, by example)

The lye makers and dyers tend to be named "USELESS" however.