I Dub Thee | A Warriors Naming Guide

Suffixes

The suffix in the Warriors world is the second part of a cat's warrior name, given to them by their leader at their warrior ceremony. The suffix is used to denote a particular quality that the new warrior exhibited throughout their apprenticeship that makes them stand out or helps them contribute to the Clan.

These suffixes can be divided into four main groups: physical, personality, skill and correlation. Each of these categories will be explained in detail below; information for each individual suffix will be provided in the next part of this guide.

Note: I do not consider name changes a category as name changes are few and far between. A warrior can, however, be renamed for an injury they sustained during battle (Tatteredear, Tornclaw, Halfleg, etc.) Name change prefixes can be found in the alphabetical prefix listing.

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PHYSICAL:
A suffix relating to the physical appearance of the warrior is given when there is something noteworthy about their appearance or when they are not eligible for a correlation suffix, do not excel in any particular skill and do not have any particularly notable personality traits.

Physical suffixes are meant to further highlight the appearance of the warrior. Some markings and patterns can be used a prefixes (Mottled- or Brindled-, for example), but these markings and patterns can also be described with suffixes (such as -dapple or -stripe). In fact, almost anything notable about the warrior can be brought attention to, with the exceptions of -fur and -pelt.

These suffixes are sadly underused in the Warriors fanfiction community, as they are perceived to mean a bland, boring, cat - your average Joe. But, keep in mind that not every cat can excel in hunting or fighting and that mediators are important too. That's where the -fur and -pelt cats come in. Though they do not excel in any particular skill, they must at least be average in all of them in order to survive in the Warriors world. They balance out the 'more important' cats and, as a result, are very important to each Clan.

A list of suffixes related to physical appearance:
- belly
- cloud
- dapple
- ear
- face
- feather
- fur
- jaw
- pelt
- stripe
- tail
- tuft

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PERSONALITY:

A warrior's personality is instrumental to how both their Clan members and other Clans perceive them. In order for a warrior to be named for a particular personality trait, that trait must somehow help them contribute to the Clan or describe them in a way that is common in everyone's minds.

Before giving a new warrior a personality suffix, think of how they are perceived by their Clanmates. If these cats were asked ot describe this character in one word, what would they say? If the answer is 'striped', 'beautiful', or 'great hunter', then you're in the wrong category. However, if the answer is 'optimistic', 'loyal', or 'energetic', then you've got yourself a strong personality!

A list of personality suffixes:
- bee
- chaser
- cloud
- fern
- feather
- fire
- frost
- hawk
- heart
- light
- path
- pool
- runner
- shade
- shine
- song
- splash
- storm
- thorn
- throat
- watcher
- willow
- wish

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SKILL:
Some apprentices exhibit extraordinary skills during training, earning them a name that highlights that skill. These names help the warriors become better known throughout the rest of the Clans, which might help provide a buffer between them when tensions are high. I mean, nothing scares away a rival Clan like a bunch of -claw and -blaze named cats, right?

Warrior apprentices are often named for their skills in fighting, hunting, tracking, climbing, or jumping, as well as above average speed or strength. Some she-cats can also be named for their kind and nurturing natures; these cats often go on to become queens.

Medicine apprentices may be named for their excellence in healing.

Suffixes used for excellence in skills:
- berry
- blaze
- blossom
- breeze
- chaser
- claw
- eye
- fall
- fang
- flight
- flower
- leaf
- leap*
- nose
- petal
- runner
- splash
- step*
- stream
- strike
- tail
- talon
- tooth
- watcher
- whisker
- wind
- wing

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CORRELATION:
Last but not least, the correlation suffixes. Though these suffixes can fall under both the physical and skill-related categories, they earn their own category in that they cannot be used with all prefixes.

Correlation suffixes are only used when the prefix is fauna-related, though bird prefixes may or may not work with most.

The suffixes found in this category are:
- foot
- leap
- step

Now, try putting these suffixes with a prefix. Because they refer to the way the cat moves, they are used to parallel the movement of another animal with the warriors'. For example, a cat that is good at jumping and moves like a hare when they do so might be named Hareleap. Similarly, a cat that moves in a heavy or clumsy way might be named Bearstep and a quick energetic cat could be named Squirrelfoot. Other things found in the natural world that the kit may have been named for do not have a gait and do not move in steps like animals do.

Note: Suffixes such as -chaser, -runner and -watcher might also fall into this category, though not always. These suffixes can be used both in conjunction with animal-related prefixes as well as others. (Mousechaser vs. Leafchaser, Foxrunner vs. Hillrunner, Beetlewatcher vs. Nightwatcher, etc.)