Names and birthplace

[Prince Yourwetdream Aeryn]

There are a lot of characters with unknown birthplace in the series. Could we identify their birthplace according to their names or GRRM chooses names randomly?

For example,  name Pycelle reminds Myrcella. It is quite possible that he was born in Westerlands since he supported Lannisters from the beginning.

Gared (ranger killed by Ned) reminds me Northern names: Rhaegar + Eddard = Gared.

[Kevin Brightflame]

4 hours ago, Brandon Baratheon said:

There are a lot of characters with unknown birthplace in the series. Could we identify their birthplace according to their names or GRRM chooses names randomly?

For example,  name Pycelle reminds Myrcella. It is quite possible that he was born in Westerlands since he supported Lannisters from the beginning.

Gared (ranger killed by Ned) reminds me Northern names: Rhaegar + Eddard = Gared.

Why does Rhaegar + Eddard = Gared if you think that Gared is a Northern name?  Are you saying that Rhaegar is a Northern name? Just a bit confused as to how the name Rhaegar fits into the name Gared reminding you of the North.

[Seams]

GRRM does not choose names randomly.

I doubt you will be able to identify birthplaces using given names. Myrcella, for instance, contains the syllable Myr. I think this symbolizes a connection to Myrish lace, but does not imply that she was born in Myr. Lysa contains the syllable Lys, which has been explored on the Puns and Wordplay thread as a possible allusion to telling lies as well as a reference to Lysa using poison (Tears of Lys) to kill her husband. There is also an Alyssa connection and possible further connections to Good Queen Alysanne and Alys Karstark. I believe all of these "lys" characters were born in different locations and none of them was born in Lys.

I believe birthplaces can be significant, though. Robb Stark was born at Riverrun, and Hoster Tully claimed that Robb had his eyes. Because of the pun on "eyes" and "Ice," I believe this is an important symbolic representation that Robb was not destined to be the King of Winter or King in the North.

[HouseFossoway]

Certain names sound Valyrian ("ae" somewhere in the first syllable, "ys" somewhere in the name, etc)

Ghiscari names tend to have a lot of zs and qs.

Dothraki names tend to be short, and end in a vowel

Westerosi names seems to be closer to european names than Essosi names.

Other than that, I can't think of any differences. I do think there are naming patterns in certain families:

Greyjoys like "-on" as a last syllable for men. Martells seem to like the "n" sound for the end of their men, and a vowel sound for the end of their women.

 

[Byfort of Corfe]

There are of course certain family trends, the Starks often have a "Brandon" around and the Lannisters do have Tyrion-Tywin-Tytos.  And certain names and variations on those names seem more common to various areas because of family connections.  But that can be stretched too far, for example Varys.  The namne may sound oddly Targaryen yet we know that Varys isn't, indeed he isn't Westerosi or in any way of noble birth. 

[Grover Bluejoy]

14 minutes ago, Byfort of Corfe said:

But that can be stretched too far, for example Varys.  The namne may sound oddly Targaryen yet we know that Varys isn't, indeed he isn't Westerosi or in any way of noble birth. 

I could be wrong, but with all of the disguises he has utilized thus far, Varys could be a play on "Varies".