We use the Fantasycraft name generator for NPCs... because they're so stupid, it's awesome.
Patrick Kinghawk
Bruce Whitetiger
Rhy'tal Mountainfist, the elf (and his alias, Tal'rhy Forestfoot)
William Ravenarm
Seth Sharktooth
Ronan Duskfang
Bartholomew Daytiger
Aiden Wolfcrest
Yagdreg the Killing Blade
So dumb sounding. So awesome.
Snarky answer: I read.
De-Snarked answer: No, really. Basically, it's always a matter of finding another, pre-existing character that works as a reference point for the character. That name gets suitably adjusted for setting.
It's great because it also gives you a shortcut for figuring out that character.
One thing I like to do, and I think previous posters on this thread have mentioned it, is to equate each major in world language with a parallel Earth language.
One advantage is that this way names of different characters from the same region sound like they come from the same region.
For example:
... etc.
After I come up with a back story and know what sort of campaign I am playing in I come up with english words that describe my character. For example a sorcerer who had a tumultuous childhood, but who came to terms with his life I would think of words like peace, serene, magic, sorcerer, powerful, etc. Then depending on the setting I go to another language and find words that sound cool, but not too unusual. In this case I went with akkadian and came up with Pashah Dannu. I usually use online dictionaries (although I do have some hard copies I look at too). I don't use the exact words, just the basic structure.
Catfolk :
Syl'vashta, Hisssor'i, Mie'soth'a
Sylvester! "Sufferin' succotash!"
Is there an arakoa named Tw'tty?
:)
I keep a notebook by my bed for names I come up with or read in books. Then I can mix and match names for first and last names. Alot of the names I use are from secondary characters in the books. That way you only write down the ones you like.
I use this one.
Feel free to use mine.
I also like to use the classic Hero Builders Guide Book (3.0).
I have different ways for different races. For instance- Whenever I play a halfling I steal two different American Presidents names, my last halfing was named "Woodrow Hamilton".
Elves I use Actors. Dwarves I use an atlas or roads, Like "Gladstone"- Google Maps for the win, just spiral out till you find something. Gnomes I use games- like board games for the first name and local dentists for the last name "Boggle Gillispie". Humans I use a phone book for typically. Don't have a system for Half-orcs.
Generally I go to a baby names website and type in a general word, phrase or other parameter into the search database.This website, for example.
Enworld also has a naming resource thread, with plenty of links to other different websites you can go to for names.
I use the names of alcohol: particularly wines and Scotch. Merlot the Magician, Lagavulin the druid, etc. Had a fighter named Brut de Korbel.
One of my fellow gamers in high school used to just take the names of people he knew and stuck "-lore" to the end: Marclore, Abalore (Abbie + Lore), etc.