[jason taylor]

I use names that are from Earth history as I am positing a planet settled mainly by Terrans. Names that just strike me as "cool" are used. Insofar as there is preference, I often though not universally, use Anglo-Hebraic for personal names. Nicknames come from a variety of sources. Political institutions are have several names depending on what is meant to be implied in a given context but Italian is favored (in the most formal usage, Capo Albergo is used instead of chief).

There is a minority of Vilani names as well.

Males generally have patronyms, females have matronyms, before being wed. Afterwords the second name is the spouses for both partners ("XSworn").

One curious trick was to translate Sikh usage into Ganglic (John Lionfolk, etc).

Clan names often use the first starship the clan ever used. Historical heroes are also common. Curiously ships often have a matronym and are accounted dynasties.

Ships pets (especially cats) are given family names as if they were humans.

Tools and weapons are named according to the choice of the owner with various customs. One notable usage is a reference to the first use: if a hare is caught in the rear by first using a weapon in a hunting park, Tailbiter might be used.

There are often large lists of nicknames, so that they can be adapted to context. Someone might for instance have a nom de guerre regularly used at a club or society for various reasons (much as the SCA has fanciful names in pre-Starflight Terra).