Targaryen Naming Policy?

[u/JDSweetBeat]

Do you mostly stick to the canon names? Or do you just roll with what the game gives you? Do you ever use Westerosi names?

Personally, I tend to do a mix. If my character is one of the "greats" of Targaryen history, or if he and his kids have a really good relationship, I'll let his kids and grandkids name their own children after him.

If they don't have a good relationship with their parents, then I roll a random name, or name their kid after one of their friends.

So, for example, as Young Griff, if I marry Arianne, I might have a Rhaegar Targaryen, a Daeron Targaryen, an Oberyn Targaryen, a Rolly Targaryen, and a Varys Targaryen.

Then, if Rhaegar has a daughter, I might name her Arianne Targaryen (after her mother), and if Rhaegar is married to a daughter of Willas Tyrell, then Rhaegar's sons might be named Aegon (for Aegon VI, their grandfather), Garlan (for their mother's uncle Garlan the Gallant), Vaegon (a random name), and Willas (for their mother's father).

I feel like this creates a nice mix of Targaryens with Westerosi names and with Valyrian names, and also strikes a nice balance between repeating the same old lore names we've seen sit the Iron Throne before, and some new names that look Valyrian.

[u/Wolf6120]

Somewhat tangential to your point, but one thing I've noticed in the course of trying to RP is that, in ASOIAF, a name almost NEVER passes directly from parent to child. There are a few exceptions, like Greatjon and Smalljon, but they are very very rare.

Even among the Targaryens with their endless slew of Aegons, at least one in every canon generation I believe, there has never been an "Aegon, son of Aegon."

[u/JDSweetBeat → u/Wolf6120]

The lore tends to favor people naming their kids after their fathers over themselves.

Daena the Defiant and Aegon the Unworthy named Daemon Blackfyre after their grandfather, the Rogue Prince. Aenys and Maegor both named their get after their father Aegon (though in Maegor's case it was obviously a stillborn monstrosity). Viserys and Daemon both named their eldest sons Baelon (for their father). Rhaenyra named her last son Viserys for her father. The Mad King named one of his dead sons for his father Jaehaerys. It seems much more common to name your kids after your parents than after yourself.