Full Metal Alchemist Character Names

All information from this thread at FMA.com.


Ever wondered about the names in Fullmetal Alchemist? Wonder why Hiromu Arakawa picked them? Well, here are some explanations Arakawa has given in multiple interviews.

Edward Elric-- Named after the title character of the Tim Burton movie "Edward Scissorhands" (note how they both have "metal appendages")
Hohenheim-- Named after a real life alchemist named Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim (aka Paracelsus)
Roy Mustang-- Roy means king in French. A very fitting name since Roy wants to become the Fuhrer and the current one's name is King Bradley. For Mustang, see below.
Members of the Military-- All named after WW2 fighter planes; Mustang, Hawkeye, Havoc, Fury, Breda, Falman, etc. (Hughes is also a military air craft name: but it was heliocopter prototype, I believe)
Winry Rockbell-- Named after Winly, a tool manufacturing company in Taiwan
Pinako Rockbell-- Named after Pinaco, a tool manufacturing company in Vietnam
The Homunculi-- All named after the Seven Deadly Sins (well duh)
Barry the Chopper-- Name based on that of the famous serial killer Jack the Ripper

And not named by Arakawa, but still interesting...
Dante-- Named after the author of "the Divine Comedy", Dante Alighieri


I've yet to see explanations for Al, or Hughes' surname Maes (which, as it turns out, is not a real surname at all, but a family name. We're doing some speculating at FMA.com actually...) I believe someone brought up once tho that another alchemist, a friend of Hohenheim's, was named Alphonse, but I don't know for sure, Also, Elric is a german name I believe, and may've also been an alchemist's name.


So, did this interest anyone? Do you have any theories of your own about other characters names?

 

I always found stuff like this interesting.

I even do it in my writing some of the time. For example the planet Mirth with the countries of Panland and Mangia. Mirth is from "Men" "birth" on "Earth". Panland and Mangia is from Pangea (1st continent) (changing “gia”) and Man walks on land. Lately it has been just meanings on the names.

Millenium Earl from D. Gray Man is based on a legendary alchemist/preacher (most likely the Count of St Germaine) whose tale even claims he still may be alive somewhere.

So I like it loads.

I heard this for Alphonse. The name of Alphonse Elric in Japanese is a play of language regarding the nature of the character. In Japanese, his nickname is adapted into the katakana "Aru" to mimic the pronunciation of "Al," but the hiragana "aru" (pronounced exactly the same) is a verb meaning "to exist." The Japanese, however, have two verbs for "to exist;" one for animate objects (iru) and one for inanimate objects (aru). Since a major theme of the anime is whether or not Alphonse still exists as a person with his soul affixed to the normally-inanimate suit of armor, the choice of naming him takes on a deeper meaning with this background. This wordplay could in fact be only a coincidence and not an intentional decision, but it serves as an interesting look into the nature of the language nonetheless given the theme of Al's struggle to define what he has become.

I heard for Dante to be naturally, an appropriate name for one who deals with the seven deadly sins. However, Dante has a rival (both nominally, and as competition for Hoenheim's attentions) in Trisha Elric. Trisha (or Trish) can be a shortened form of the name Beatrice. In the Divine Comedy, Beatrice was the ideal woman and symbol of purity. It was she who guided Dante on the latter part of his journey through the underworld and into paradise.

Maes is a Belgium Dutch surname name. Doubt that helps.

 

I think I heard that about Al once too but had forgotten about it. It's very possible, but still the same effect could've been done with Albert or Allan. So one wonders why she chose Alphonse in particular. While I can't see him as an Allan, Albert - if said the French way Al-bear - could work (although the Japanese would surely say it Aruberto. XD) So once again, I think Alphonse as a whole may have a meaning of sorts. Once again, I swear there was an alchemist by that name.


As for Maes, the speculating we were doing over at FMA.com is that sthere's this painter, Nicholaes Maes, and his favorite thing to paint was domestic women and children. Also, a photographer is like a modern painter, and Hughes loved to show everyone pictures of his daughter. We're unsure if this was Maes' possible name inspiration tho, but I don't think it's that big a stretch: manga-ka often admire and study fine art, so it's possible Arakawa knew of this guy's work and admired it.


....Maes also could mean corn. XDDDDDDD

 

I think it is more of the person....then corn. Heh

 

Corn would be funneh tho XDDD

 

Yeah it would.

But the person would fit more.