What name should I pick?
February 18, 2011 4:07 PM

I've joined a roller derby league, and the time has come for me to pick a name. Help me come up with something nerdy and awesome!

So, the time has come for me to pick my roller derby name. There's a previous question that addresses this, but a lot of names are plays on names of famous people and/or violence-related, neither of which I'm really into.

What I am is a big strategy/game theory nerd, an evolutionary ecologist, and a computer geek, so I've been thinking about names that relate to these things somehow. Obscure plays on words and clever double entendre are definitely welcome. Bonus points if you have to think about it for a minute to get it.

Example names I've come up with to date:
Zero Sum Game
Mutant Strategy
Selective Agent

I like these, but I know I can do better. Any help from the hivemind?
posted by zug to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (53 answers total) 10 users marked this as a favorite
Mutational Meltdown
posted by grouse at 4:15 PM on February 18, 2011


Blood Red Queen?

I'm trying to come up with a play on Hamilton, in reference to Hamilton's Rule, but my brain is tired. But I like the implications of self-sacrifice for the success of your derby kin that goes along with that one.
posted by amelioration at 4:19 PM on February 18, 2011


Darwin's (something? Bitch?)
posted by TishSnave at 4:20 PM on February 18, 2011


DarWinner?
Unnatural Selection?

I really like Zero Sum Game, though, and I think you should go with that.
posted by lollusc at 4:24 PM on February 18, 2011


Darwin's Bulldog would be an homage to Alfred Russel Wallace.

I suppose someone has already taken Ruby Onrails. And Jean Gnome.
posted by Sidhedevil at 4:25 PM on February 18, 2011


Math Owie!
posted by Ufez Jones at 4:25 PM on February 18, 2011


Natural Selector
posted by nooneyouknow at 4:26 PM on February 18, 2011


Or if that's *too* obscure how about Fay Go Psytosis
posted by Ufez Jones at 4:27 PM on February 18, 2011


Lamarck You Up?
Mini-Max (if you are smallish)?
von Neumangle?
Dame Theory?
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:27 PM on February 18, 2011


or Zero Sum Dame
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:28 PM on February 18, 2011


"Sport"
posted by contraption at 4:34 PM on February 18, 2011


I like Upton O'Goode, but that's probably better for a foppish drag king than a roller derby participant.
posted by southern_sky at 4:37 PM on February 18, 2011


Pulled out some fun sounding terms related to game theory:
Prisoner di Lemma
Super Rational
Bayesian Bomber or maybe just BazyAnn
posted by platinum at 4:39 PM on February 18, 2011


Vermicelli a la Darwin
Beagle's Bitch
The Falkland Islands Fox
Jean (Gene) Flow
Butterfly Hurricane
Kaye Server
Chicken Hawkdove

Oh, man, I'm awful.
posted by Diagonalize at 4:40 PM on February 18, 2011


If you have numbers on your unis, what about...

Ms. Anne Trophic (5)
posted by Balonious Assault at 4:42 PM on February 18, 2011


division by zero

...I'm sorry
posted by ultrabuff at 4:54 PM on February 18, 2011


Bash Equilibrium
posted by MadamM at 4:59 PM on February 18, 2011


Grim Trigger!
posted by milkrate at 4:59 PM on February 18, 2011


Punch-you-ated Equilibrium
posted by naoko at 5:02 PM on February 18, 2011


Tina Turing
posted by Dillonlikescookies at 5:05 PM on February 18, 2011


Aggravate Lovelace

Carla Darwin

H.M.S. Bloodbath
posted by 200burritos at 5:21 PM on February 18, 2011


Crash Override
posted by buzzkillington at 5:26 PM on February 18, 2011


slam'd coalition
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 5:30 PM on February 18, 2011


or, nixed strategy (these only work if you play blocker)
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 5:31 PM on February 18, 2011


Congratulations! Derby is so much fun.

Make sure to check your name against the International Registry. It'll help you pinpoint which names are too close to existing names and might be rejected.

Have fun!
posted by Constant Reader at 5:51 PM on February 18, 2011


Bitchard Dawkins

Cambrian Explosion
posted by JohntheContrarian at 5:59 PM on February 18, 2011


Integrrl
posted by MrMoonPie at 6:36 PM on February 18, 2011


Calcu Lass
posted by MrMoonPie at 6:37 PM on February 18, 2011


Lady Ada Bloodface
Rachel Scars 'em
Monty Brawl
posted by Alison at 6:37 PM on February 18, 2011


Rip Genes
posted by MrMoonPie at 6:38 PM on February 18, 2011


Beautiful Mindy
posted by MrMoonPie at 6:40 PM on February 18, 2011


Hitting Problem
Smash Equilibrium
Haldame's Dilemma
Selective Advantage
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 6:46 PM on February 18, 2011


Genetica L'Engineer
posted by felix at 6:48 PM on February 18, 2011


Elvira Loombop
posted by at the crossroads at 7:06 PM on February 18, 2011


Tons of awesome ideas here, so I feel compelled to add mine: The Golden Meanie
posted by missmobtown at 7:22 PM on February 18, 2011


Miss Information
Gene Jeanie
Annie Moe Meter
posted by KingEdRa at 8:03 PM on February 18, 2011


There is an Anthony bourdain no reservations where he visits a roller derby, wish I could find it. The girls had great names.
posted by saragoodman3 at 8:31 PM on February 18, 2011


killer bytes
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 9:09 PM on February 18, 2011


Ooh, a late breaking addition from the BF: Square Ruth!
posted by missmobtown at 9:30 PM on February 18, 2011


Or grab a partner and you can be Frick and Fractal!

(Sorry, we just live for puns here at chez Mobtown)
posted by missmobtown at 9:38 PM on February 18, 2011


Thanks for all the suggestions! There are some really good ones in here, keep 'em coming and I'll let you all know what I end up picking.
posted by zug at 9:40 PM on February 18, 2011


Angry Birdie.
posted by Gilbert at 10:09 PM on February 18, 2011


In order of personal preference:

Pavlov's Belle
Higgs Bosom
Volatile Memory
Radioactive Dating
Daemon Bitch
Data Model
Fly'N Amber (fly in amber)
Soil Creep
Petrified Wood
Paleozoic Ezra
Pissing Link
Compton Effect
Mass Extinction
Old Growth Forest
Control-Alt-Deborah
AmigaOS
Joan Nash
Rock Paper Switchblade
posted by damn dirty ape at 10:44 PM on February 18, 2011


Skid Meier
Nice Gamete-cha
Spinnaeus
Imperfectin' Formation
posted by mumkin at 11:07 PM on February 18, 2011


Zuggernaut.
posted by azpenguin at 11:10 PM on February 18, 2011


Yuri Ga-Gaggin
Rubix Boobs








I'm sorry for everything
posted by 200burritos at 12:27 AM on February 19, 2011


A-Star (gotta be efficient searching your decision tree)
something something r-strategist
Kinsey Lection
Gash Equilibrium
Metal Zoë


(and I really like the earlier suggestions of Hitting Problem and Cambrian Explosion)
posted by hattifattener at 1:25 AM on February 19, 2011


Permian Extinction
Dominant Replicator
Red in Tooth
Nasty Brutish Short
posted by lollusc at 3:49 AM on February 19, 2011


Zero Sum Dame is my favourite so far by a long way.

geeky derby girl here - my own name is not at all nerdy, to my occasional chagrin, but I skate with a Dot Slash and an Ada Loveless, and I love them to bits for it
posted by corvine at 4:50 AM on February 19, 2011


Polly Carbonate (or Dactyl or Dipsia or Morph or Mer or any number of things...)
posted by maryr at 10:22 AM on February 19, 2011


I was considering Moral Hazard, but ended up going another direction.

Also, something to consider in picking your name is your derby nickname. It will likely be a one or two syllable version of your official derby name that's easily yelled on the track.
posted by bubonicpeg at 4:56 AM on February 21, 2011


Super ANOVA? (that might be too obscure)
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 4:19 PM on February 21, 2011


Xóchitl Shwah
posted by at the crossroads at 6:28 PM on February 21, 2011


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