Echoes Sneak Peek: Breathless Last Names

Note: This sneak peek was provided in the Fall 2024 newsletter.

The Breathless (the aquatic people of Echoes) have a unique way of determining their last names. Think of them as Icelandic last names with a tidal twist.

Basis: Icelandic Naming Convention

(Source: Wikipedia’s Icelandic Name article)

Icelandic names do not indicate the historic family lineage (family name). Instead, they are patronymic, meaning they indicate the name of the child’s father. Occasionally, they are matronymic, indicating the name of the child’s mother.

If a man named Jón Einarsson were to have a son or a daughter, his children would not share his last name (Einarsson). His son’s last name would be Jónsson and his daughter’s last name would be Jónsdóttir.

Jóns + son =  Jónsson

Jóns + dóttir = Jónsdóttir

Twist: Birth-Tide

The Breathless use a similar naming structure, except their names indicate the tide when the child was born, also known as their birth-tide.

They believe the reach of the sea during a child’s birth is a predictor of how strong their magical connection will be (though there is conflicting evidence as to whether this is true).

Their tidalnymic names are structured as follows: 

[Birth-tide] + son

[Birth-tide] + dotur

Sigrid Highdotur, for example, was born during one of the two daily high tides. Vakri Ebbson was born while the tide was falling (or ebbing). Idunn Flowdotur was born as the tide was rising (or flowing).

Endryn Kingdotur has the rarest of last names (very main character of her). She was born during the highest tide of her birth year: the king tide.