No Hohenhiem was an alchemist.

oh, you are so perceptive! I also wonder why Arakawa-sensei named them english names. she might have just used japanese stuff. Maybe its since Ed wouldnt fit in with any other jap names, so i dunno.

But Edward and Alphonse are french names...

I always thought Alphonse was named after some kind of chemal or stone for some reason. Note to self: research the name Alphonse!!

that was a very interesting read. the homunculus were very easy for obvious reasons, but the rest was completely new to me. one very ingenious writer

[attachmentid=5661]

I also knew about all the Military, and the Homunculus... But the rest of them shocked me! They were the last things I would have thought of.

Nope Edward is English and Alphonse is indeed German.

@Nil-chan: Maybe she used Western names because the story of the Philosopher Stone is part of the European folklore?

@Keoni: That's a probable reason. And it also seems a lot of other things in the series are based off western ideas as well (writing for example is in english) so it makes sense to use westen names.

Wrong on the Alphonse part. The spelling for Alphonse is french, the german spelling is Alfons.

I was reffering to the origin. You're right about the spelling, but the origin of the name is German. Hence the missunderstanding on my part, sorry about that!

Found this. Essentially, it's an FMA names and meanings database. That's what it is, that's what it's there for. Should shed some light on the matter.

NOTE: "Namesakes" refers only to other notable people with the same or a similar name, although it sometimes includes who a character is named for (Edward Elric - Edward Siccorhands). The site's author acknowledges this.

Thats a great site! Thanks, Nepharski! THat site answered a lot of my questions that I was going to ask before.

Oh!!!
that site is good!!!

*Checks the site*

I thought the kana spelling for Heidelrich's name was "Haiderurihi" or "haiderihi"

Maybe the author just liked Edward Scissorhands, and said "I think I'll name the main character after him!" *shrugs* And can't a majority of names be common in more than just one country?

Both characters have metal prosthetics.

Do you mean her first name? Because Hawkeye was a military aircraft, if I'm not mistaken.

Oh!
And I found this.
You know how Roy sounds like a common English name, nothing too out of the blue, on the contrary to Breda's name, or Fuery's. But, in a French-English dictionary it says this....

roi .m 1. (souverain, a. dans les jeux) king

-Okay, spelling's a little different, but work with me here -

Ever notice how the Fuhrer's title is Fuhrer King Bradley? And he is of the highest power in the Amestrian Military. Roy's goal is to become Fuhrer. See the connection?
Roy's goal was very present in the mind of Arakawa-sensei, seeing as how she went through three different languages to make his name.

Just thought that was interesting...

-Stolen from Pyrography, a Roy Mustang Shrine-

-windxalchemist

Your steal is just PRICELESS~~!!! Great snatch!! I lurve ya, girl This webbie shall go under my faves!! *glompx* shouldn't I advertise your post to the Royai thread <--- I believe you've done it..

I found a site that said meanings of names and I found Elric it either means noble ruler or elf ruler

ha! Elf Ruler! Ruler of the short vertically challenged people!
*Bows down*
lol.
-windxalchemist


<Edited the oversize "Max sig notice box" and switched from Image to link because it was stretching the forum page. ^^ 02/17/07 ~Tombow>

That page is very interesting!
Riza's name could also be from the spanish word "risa" in english "smile".

*uses Topic Transmutation to revive this topic from the death*

I was roaming around Behind the Names-site, searching a name with 'prisoner' in meaning, and I came across the name Russell. I knew I wouldn't use it anyway (for obvious reasons) but I clicked it anyway.

Russell comes from an Old French surname, meaning 'little red one' xD How ironic is that?

^Ironic that Russell is imitating someone who's the 'little red one'?

The names may have no original meaning, Maybe someone just thought hey I need to make up a cool sounding story and make up some cool sounding names for it. Sarcasm [Riza was named after a planet from star trek the next generation. ]

I have one theory on Alphonse...wrong as it may be. Alphonse is the name of Victor Frankensteins father. Al isn't Ed's father but they do create a being from death as does Frankenstein.

/end foolish idea.

Ah, now you get the Frankenstein connection. I knew that days ago. I mean the raising their mother from the dead implies it. So obvious come on people.

Now foolish would be saying father Cornello was named after a Camello caramel candy bar.

BULLSH*T! Knew it days ago my purt little ass.

I wonder where Oliva Miller comes from...(Armstrong's older sister)

Hey when Chiyo mentioned doing a dissertation on Frankenstein I knew it immediately. I was about to go on about it but I did not feel like posting so much. Call me a BSA if you don't believe me.

Olive Milling the process of making olive oil.

Frankenstien is a refrence to Paracelsus. Whose real name was Theophrastus Phillupus Aurolus von Hohenhiem.
I think Envy is a reference to Paracelsus's son. Did we ever find out the name of the human he was supposed to be?

As far as I recall, we don't get his in the anime, nor in the film, and not in the 'Reflections' extra (which told us some interesting homunucli-related info, but not on Envy's original identity).

I'm not sure what you mean about 'Frankenstein is a reference to Paracelsus'. Are you talking about the references to the alchemist in the novel, the names, or have I missed something? (I haven't read Frankenstein in years yet feel I should be 'getting' this).

@Chiyo - There is a certain if slight similarity between the two when it comes to their notions of resurrecting the dead. I like how, in Frankenstein, the actual method used to animate the Creature was never revealed, and in FMA we are shown that that which is dead can never be returned. (on a tangent, have you read a fanfic called 'Catharsis' by Tobu Ishi? It is an original and flipping terrifying take on the 'Frankenstein' ideas in FMA).

I have not read Frankenstein for quit some time now, but I do see how Sweety_Pie drew a connection between the fictional scientist and the real-life alchemist/philospher/chemist Van Hoenheim (Parcelsus). Akin to the fictional Frankenstein, Hoenheim acredited himself with the creation of the first man-made human, which he reffered to as a Homunculus. When people questioned Hoenheim about his newly created human-being, he simply stated that his creation ran off. (The Alchemy Data-base online does a much better job explaining the oddities of Hoenheim than I ever will). Like the Hoenheim, the fictional Frankenstein has created a supposedly souless being that ultimately flees from him. (It rather amuses me that both FMA's Hoenheim and the fictional Frankenstein end up being done in by their own creations.)

What do you mean 'know you get it'...I was the one who mentioned the connection in the first place. You didn't even explain Frankenstein right. And its part of my dissertation *ranteth*

@Astria...I can assure you I have read Tobu's fic ^^

You, sir, are a BSA.

fletcher + agricultual achemy = no connection to anything it was just a random name because he was supposed to have a strange past. He is in fact an rare form of life alchemist that is suppose to have a special talent for plants. But for what reason. He was simply exposed to red water by accident giving him a added boost in his alchemy. The red water is based on red mercury.

man i didnt know they tooked the names from stuff like that and was there a true alchemist ? and if ,what did he do with alchemy???

al. i read that (in my science book) that there was an alcheist (early days of alchemy) that he was one of the first people to work with alchemy

Now this is going to sound stupid but when i first heard Al's full name, i thought of this ....

Maybe Arakawa-sensi likes mango's coz there is a type of mango's called 'Alphonso'.

Haha, Al named after mango!! I actually like that idea!!

I always thought that the pun on Alphonse's name had to do with the shortened form of his name Al. In Japanese it would be pronounced Aru. I thought that the 'pun' was the fact that Aru in Japanese is a verb that means: to have/to be in existence. (Maybe I'm reading too deep into stuff.)

Per chance, do you pay attention in science class? We even talked a little about alchemists in social studies. :x

According to school textbooks, the alchemists' main goal was to turn lead into gold. Real life alchemy isn't quite like what you see in FMA tho...very different. I even heard a very interesting theory once by a fan that perhaps the turning point that decided which ways the two parallel worlds in FMA (the alchemic one and ours) went in was the success of turning lead to gold. Of course it didn't happen in our world, so technology advanced. But it most definitely happened in Ed and Al's world, and thus alchemy advanced instead of technology.

Someone who knows their alchemy info well can give you a better idea of real life alchemy.


Me too. XD That'd explain why he's so sweet!


I don't think you're reading too deep into stuff at all! I think that makes sense!
I think there was more than one influence on certain names. Arakawa could've selected Alphonse because of the real alchemist, the similarities in her story to Frankenstein and because of Aru's meaning as a verb. Many things influence's a creator's choices after all in their work.
......
And because of mangoes! XDDDD



Roy's always been one of my favorite male names because of it's meaning (and because the older brother of my friend who I used to have a crush on when I was young is named Roy) even tho I haven't been able to look at French words the same since French class in grade 9....>_O Ack....

^To be fair, we did not once study alchemy in all the years I took science at school. My only knowledge of it originally was 'Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone' *edited in America as you wouldn't know what a Philosopher was apparently*

Reallys? We didn't really study it, but it was mentioned when we began our chemistry unit (and in social studies in the intro to the Age of Enlightenment).

Haha, I remember the Harry Potter thing. It wasn't changed in Canada btw, just the states. :B No idea why tho. Must've offended some dumb bloke in some dumb way.

They were worried that no one would know what the "Philosophers stone" was even though it explains in the book. publishers are not clever people.


They seem to be pretty much on our level of technology for the year (early 19th century.) All they really lack are them thar flying machines.

Really? O_o That's....pretty stupid.


Hoho made it seem like it was more than that. O: Ah wells.

(for the record tho, automail is pretty gosh darn advanced. I'd rather have the automail than the flying machines :B )

Just reminder that we do have Alchemy in real life, have you ever done it?", If you could have Automail, would you want it?, and Harry Potter threads.
If you'd like to discuss Alchemy in real life or some other topics, you can post on these threads and continue the discussions there.

Please use this thread to discuss FMA Character names.

(If you mean the year the series is set, seeing as the that is around the 1910s, it would the 'early 20th century', because early 19th would be the 1800s.)

I always thought it odd that a country which the manga shows is landlocked, but is so intent upon waging war on various places (I can imagine some countries getting twitchy over the Ishbal mess, for a start), doesn't appear to have an air-force or any suggestion of aircraft. I tried to think of why that would be, and decided it was likely down to Arakawa not needing it; the Elrics are never going to go beyond Amestris, and so the manga-ka has no need to suggest how they might get to other countries. Or she just didn't think about it.

Everyone, please stay on-topic, and use this thread for discussions of FMA Character names.

it makes sense! I didn't even think of these

Anyone find out what Maes means yet? As of late, I've gotten curious. I have a feeling his name may be an intentional one too...or not.

*decides to investigate*

Anagrams?

Seam
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I got nothing. XD