[Space/Sci-Fi] I Need Some Names

[Phantasm]

I'm working on my space opera setting, gearing up for a game set there. (My Marvel Shadowguard game is on hiatus again due to burnout.)

I'm looking for names I can use for cities, planets, space stations, and systems for a sector of space situated roughly 40 to 60 lightyears from Earth.

So, ideas? Functional, fanciful, pop/geek culture references and homages, "New $place_on_Earth", and mythological names are all welcome! You don't need to go into detail; I just suck at names (this is known).

And for the record, planet Bob is already accounted for! :)

[Fred Brackin]

Terabyte Station
Trilobyte station
Cenobyte station
Overbyte Station

As you can tell we had a theme going in our last space game.

[The Colonel]

Part of this, like naming locations in any setting, will be to decide on the naming culture(s) and how they work.
How were these locations settled and by whom?
A sector settled by free enterprise may look more like the American West with places and colonies named after the pioneers (Drake's World, Hogan's Landing, Kowinski Station), whilst a more statist or corporate approach might lead to blander, more PR based and scientific names (Enterprise Station, Agricultural Facility #5, Eridani III). Monarchies and other aristocratic traditions might look like the free settler model with more formal names dedicated to kings and princes. Ideologically driven settlements (religious or political) will have names that suit the cause.
Also look to non-English speaking cultures - then either use the names in the native language or translate or Anglicise them (for example Hong Kong apparently translates as Perfume Bay - either would be a decent name). Also, misuse foreign words - we have at least four rivers in England called The Avon. Afon is the Welsh word for "river".

[ericthered]

I like to incorporate a bit of history in there:

Keatonblunde (Keaton's Blunder. Yes, the namers were english, blunde just sounds more like a place name)

A reference place and an adjective work well:

New Anchorage
New Phoenix
New Yukon
New Everest
Far Luna
Grand Vegas
Little Cali

Naming places after people has a long history, as long as the name is both short and distinctive. If you don't want politicians and historical figures (and they are moderately unlikely at this point), consider Actors. Will Smith probably doesn't make for a good place namesake, but consider:
Denzel
Jackson*
Morgan*
Reynolds
Radclift
Cumberbatch
Garfeild*
Holland**
Gyllanhall

*ok, I already know of real places named after people who are 100% not the actor
** that is... sort of already a place, but when has that stopped people?

[thrash]

Luban
Lemoine
Shaanxi
Al-Sayeda Zeinab
Teclu
Ryougoku
Caobao
Chit Lom
Camden
Changping
Lesoparkovaya
Paco
Sichuan
Saint-Martin
Aquino
Tawaramachi
Zinkensdamm
Tai Wai
Huaning
Jawa
Mokotow
Heiwadai
Mladost
Phloen Chit
Boulets
Exarcheia
Sodra Angby
New Pest
Billancourt

These are from a list I made to give some international flavor to my settings. There is a theme, but (as you say) it doesn't matter.

I suggest, however, that you don't use anything that you can't readily pronounce (or alter the spelling/pronunciation to something more comfortable). I discovered that my players took the too-exotic names and gave them easier nicknames anyway.

[DeadParrot]

travellermap.com

Thousands of names to pick from.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

I'm working on my space opera setting, gearing up for a game set there. (My Marvel Shadowguard game is on hiatus again due to burnout.)

I'm looking for names I can use for cities, planets, space stations, and systems for a sector of space situated roughly 40 to 60 lightyears from Earth.

So, ideas? Functional, fanciful, pop/geek culture references and homages, "New $place_on_Earth", and mythological names are all welcome! You don't need to go into detail; I just suck at names (this is known).

And for the record, planet Bob is already accounted for! :)

Planet "My Patron I wish to flatter".

Planet "Some religious or ideological reference"

Planet "Classical mythological character" (you will run out of these but as long as you have it go with custom).

Planet "A relation of mine"

Planet "Weird event happened here"

Planet "Just happens to remind me of something"

Planet "I'm to tired to think of anything"

[thrash]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Planet "Some religious or ideological reference"

Planet "Classical mythological character" (you will run out of these but as long as you have it go with custom).

The US Geological Survey maintains a Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature for the IAU. Sorting through this data can provide a list of inoffensive divine and mythological names from a deliberately diverse array of cultures.

[dcarson]

And typos. Nome Alaska there was a dot on the map and someone wrote name? and was read as Nome.

[ak_aramis]

Originally Posted by dcarson

And typos. Nome Alaska there was a dot on the map and someone wrote name? and was read as Nome.

I've seen the transcripts for the naming of Chicken, Alaska (National Archives unit NS12- Anchorage Branch Office). They're explicit that it's said tar-ma-gin, but couldn't agree on how it's spelled (ptarmigan), and so wrote "chicken" on the paperwork sent to the Territorial Governor.

But many of the names of Alaskan towns are odd due to orthography issues for native names... Igagigagik is (I've been told by a resident" supposed to be closer to Iqagigagiq. (The q being the "back of mouth k", not quite the same as the German CH nor the Russian Х.) And it's a different place from Iggagik.

Oh, and Wasilla is "wah-sill-ah", and yes, it's a reversal of "all I saw"... not a native derived name.