User blog comment:Matt-256/Overuse of American names/@comment-26685181-20101030183119

I've always used this site when looking for suitably foreign-sounding names.

Part of the problem I see here is the increasing globalisation of western society. Why do you assume those names are intrinsically "American"? I've known Johns, and Catherines, and they've never been to America much less had their name come from there. A New Zealand sporting hero has "Carter" as his last name. Names are losing the stigmas attached to them - "Michael" is no longer a Hebrew name, just as "Sky" doesn't just belond to hippy love children anymore. I can't say I've met a Jacob, but I doubt its impossible. Bungie go with names they're familiar with, and use the talent available to them.

Some of the problem is that the two most American characters, Keyes and Johnson, are actually American, from the pacific north-west and Chicago respectively. There's also the fact that Reach was heavily influenced canonically by the URNA, so you would expect it to produce people with stereotypically Americanised names and accents. That doesn't forgive people not from Reach, ie; Carter, but its readily apparent that in Bungie's canon America had a major part in colonising outside the solar system. Now I'd like so see some Chinese elements - perhaps a few "gorrams"'s thrown in there!