[This came to traveller-request. I forwarded it to traveller and added
a more meaningful subject line -- James]
1) If you don't mind spending the bucks for it, a good biographical
dictionary is an excellent source of names. So is any good encyclopedia.
2) The cheap way to do the same thing, for people names, is to get a copy
of a phone book for any major city, but Manhattan is probably one of the
best.
3) An atlas, and/or an almanac (which lists names of towns, counties, etc.)
4) A dictionary of mythology, or a dictionary of Saint Names
5) A good thesaurus
>From what I have seen, people name places after (a) obvious geographical
features, (b) famous people, (c) important ideas, or (d) other places.
Examples include (a) Falling Rock, (b) Washington, (c) Intercourse (yes,
there is a town named Intercourse), or (d) New York (which used to be New
Amsterdam).
Generally, I think stars will be named after people, probably very famous
real persons or mythological figures. As for planets, anything goes. And
when it comes to moons or asteroids, of which there are usually an abundance,
especially below the 100 km. size range, you can expect some of the names to
be damn silly.
If you need a randomizer, there are several methods. I usually just flip
through pages with my eyes closed and stab a finger down at random intervals;
if I like the name I find, I take it. If not, I keep going. When I get
through one list of names, I either start over or go back.
Another method would be to throw two or three ten-siders (depending on the
size of the book) and use that as your page number, or a number to add to
your current page. If you reach the end of the book, either subtract your
total from the length of the book and use that as your new starting page
number, or just start over.
By the way, I totally forgot another useful source of names. Baby name
books! (You can find some that have ten thousand names in them, and there
is at least one "Baby Names from Around the World" books for that international
flavor. Another source is books of folklore, or folk tales, etc., since
these will have famous cultural figures listed (as the characters in the
stories).
I hope this helps.
Enjoy.
Mark