Unacceptable Names

Despite the numerous variations possible for naming your character, it is time to introduce the types of names that cannot be used under any circumstances in TFF. They may seem pretty, unique, or 'match your character,' but you must remember that this dream aims to mirror the Warriors series' set rules as closely as possible.

A cat's name not only shows its status in the Clan, but it says something about who that cat is, so naturally they are very important. There are also some important standards names go by. Because these cats are feral - and can't/wouldn't understand humans even if they aren't or weren't - human elements are not allowed in names. This includes things like seasons, science/technology, and mythology, among other things. This page is meant to outline some of the "don't"s when it comes to naming your character.

Not every name will be listed here, feel free to consult a staff member if you think a name would work, or aren't sure.

Human Terms
Human terms, such as "winter," "autumn," "car," "road," "quicksilver," "midnight," and "house" cannot be used, because the cats simply don't know them. "Winter," for example, is called "leaf-bare" instead. Fall or autumn is "leaf-fall." A house is a "twoleg nest." A car is a "monster," and it travels on a "thunderpath," rather than a road or a street. Instead of "midnight" and "noon," the cats use "moonhigh" and "sunhigh." None of these terms are acceptable as names.

Gems and Shinies
The names of precious gemstones, how ever 'cool sounding' they may be, are not accepted because the cats do not know of and/or have no use for them. This category includes such words as "ruby," "diamond," "emerald," and "pearl," as well as precious metals (with the exception of silver and copper, which are both used in the books). Some exceptions may be made for kittypet names, as in the case of "pearl," but for the most part, these terms are unacceptable.

Mythology
Cats do not share the same mythology as humans, so they don't know what dragons, gryphons, phoenixes, vampires, Greek/Roman gods, and the likes are. In their world, the three big cats in their legends are their mythical beings - lion, leopard, and tiger. These are also the only three big-cat names accepted. Also included in this category are "good/evil" type names, such as "Angel," "Devil," "Demon," and "Heavenly." 
Some exceptions may be made for kittypets or loners who have been around twolegs for a long time.

Non-native Species and Places
Many animals, such as giraffes, simply do not live in Britain, where the dream's continuity is located. Therefore, only species native to Britain - such as foxes, badgers, voles, mice, and various fowl, may be used in names. Even if one of these animals were to, say, escape from a zoo, the cats wouldn't know what to call it. There are three exceptions to this, due to Clan cat mythology: the Lion, the Leopard, and the Tiger. The same goes for plants; there are no cacti in Britain, or sequoias, or bamboo, etc. There are also no deserts, oceans, or seaside beaches in the middle of Britain (although, naturally, the coast will be), so names such as those, or any other type of non-native land type, is unacceptable. Although some of the aforementioned items may be found elsewhere, they are not located in the area that the dream is set, and still may not be used.

Negative Connotation
Would you name your child "Blood," "Evil," or "Death?" Probably not. And neither would a queen naming her new, beloved kits. Because a name defines, in essence, who and what a cat is, giving a kit such a gloomy name doesn't bode well for him or her.

Celestial Bodies
The word "star" is reserved only for leaders, and cannot be used as a prefix. Planets are not known to the cats, so they're out, too. "Cloud" is acceptable as a prefix or suffix, and "Sun" has been used as a prefix, but as a general rule, if it isn't in the earth's atmosphere, it can't be used as a name.

Emotions
"Anger," "love," "happy," and other emotion-type words cannot be used as names. Also unusable are words such as "hope," "greed," and "thought." An exception is the suffix "-wish," because it is listed on the official Warriors website - and the prefix "Dream-" because it has been used in the books. As has been said many times, a cat's name defines it - and you can't very well be defined by something you can't touch, like an emotion.

"Fancy" Names
Words you dig out of the Thesaurus or from an Elitist/Wolfscript list are not necessarily good names. These include words such as "Swarthy," "Ebon," "Optics," "Auds," "Brunet/Brunette," "Obsidian," "Bane/Baneful," "Alabaster," "Pallid," "Ecru," and "Scintillation."

Names that Don't Make Sense
Why would a black cat be named "Snow?" Why would you call a white cat "Soot?" Names should describe the character's physical attributes, and/or some aspect of his/her personality. In addition, the two pieces of a Clan name must make sense together. For example, the name "Redfur" makes perfect sense for an orange-furred cat - but since a cat's eyes cannot be red, the name "Redeyes" would make no sense. Other examples of unacceptable combinations would be "Silverflower" (when was the last time you picked a metal flower out of your yard?), "Roseflame" (a rose on fire?), and "Grassfur" (is the cat green?).

Uncategorized Names
If you are unsure of whether or not a name will be acceptable, ask first! Just because a name is not listed here doesn't mean that it is acceptable. There are hundreds of names to find and list, and we simply can't list all of them - just like we can't list the hundreds of acceptable names.