Jump to content
Banner by ~ Ice Princess Silky

How do names work?


Mysterycat

Recommended Posts

Okay, I'm a bit confused about how names work.

We have normal names like Maud, Lyra, and Cadence, mixed in with not regular names like Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy.

The ponies' names seem to be related to their destinies sometimes like with Celestia and Luna. (Celestia raises the sun and Luna raises the moon).

Sometimes the "family name" comes first like Applejack and Apple Bloom and sometimes last like Pinkie and Maud Pie. And sometimes, like with Rarity, there is no family name.

And also there are inconsistencies like Fluttershy's parents have "shy" as their family name, but her brother has "Breeze".

Also, there's the please-call-me-Twilight thing, which is the name I gave to the thing where Rainbow Dash, for instance, is either Rainbow Dash or Dashie, whereas Princess Twilight Sparkle is nearly always just "Twilight". How does all this work?

  • Brohoof 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

i think its all from the dev team, their affection towards the characters. the ones with families have sur names, showing a family conection. the ones key to things, such as the mane 6 and the 4 other princesses, have names, but not all have family sur name.

then there are others whom also have names that don't quite fit, like Cheese Sandwich. but he is a famous person, known for his oddity.

it could also be explained that each ponies destiny takes into account their origin story, as in name as well. and as it is "destiny" their whole lives would be "colored" with the implications of their purpose, name, attitude, possibly even physically... like how RD has a rainbow color to her, and she does the fabled sonic rainboom, a play on words but still nice coincidence, don't you think?

(rainbow dash, rainbow color, rainboom ability, for the win!)

 

as for my personal OC name, its greek (thank google translate) for "dancing equilibrium".

named so because of my profile pic / tattoo / personal yin yang (in order from newest to oldest usage)

as i told the artist as i showed him the "hand movements" dipicting the "yin yang"

"two equal yet opposite dancers forever locked in balance, with love..."

the combo of symbol and name is meant to be poetic, and I think I hit that nail on the head. original, seems good... and finally awesome sounding... "Choros Isorropai"... is it just me or is that %20 cooler than just "dancing equilibrium"

 

well to the point, I think the dev's did have a kind of plan for some of the ponies, and the others are like my OC, personal little touches and nuances, added by creating the world we call "My Little Pony".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly I've always figured they were named after traits their parents saw in them when they were born, either with or without a family name. That really doesn't make a whole lot of sense for some ponies at first glance, but I just handwave that by saying their parents might have been thinking a bit more artistically in some cases.

 

For instance, maybe foal Rainbow Dash had a knack for sprinting around, so her parents took her rainbow mane (which may or may not be a family trait/family name) and her love of running/flying around really fast, and that's why they gave her her name.

 

Pinkie could have been named Pinkamena because she alone had a bright color in her family. I'm guessing her middle name Diane was supposed to be her only one before she was born, but things changed a bit when they saw her.

 

Twilight's coat is purple and the twilight sky sometimes shares that color, not to mention her mother is also called Twilight so it might be a family name. Sparkle might come from her eyes being very bright as a foal or something.

 

Applejack may have been named after the color of the drink that shares her name, Fluttershy could have been very timid when she was very small and disliking flapping her wings but just fluttering them a bit, and Rarity's parents may have decided she was 'a rarity' and just gave her that name.

 

Obviously I'm just making guesses here, but from an in-universe standpoint it's the best I can come up with without correlating names and Cutie Marks, as doing so would imply that pony parents are aware of their children's talents as soon as they're born, which seems strange considering the weight of 'discovering one's Cutie Mark'.

Edited by KatonRyu
  • Brohoof 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

I assume the creators just do it on a whim. Something that sounds catchy or magical, or something that would possibly catch the attention of the target audience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Join the herd!

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...