So you want to name your character(s).
A name can carry in it whatever you want. Some people choose names based on their character's personality/physical traits. This can be done by visiting a site such as babynamer.com or alfabette zoope and looking for names that have a meaning that suitably describes your character. Or, as in the case of my friend Amber's char Llyn Quennel, you can describe where they live (His name means "little oak by waterfall," and apparently took her two hours and a baby book to find).
There's also the option that few people use. I'd never heard of it, until Kit mentioned it to me. You can find suitable fantasy/exotic-sounding names simply by taking typos and moving a few letters around. It only works if the typo demon pays you frequent visits, but it can have some interesting results. Another variation on this is simply typing random letters than adding vowels/consonants or removing letters at your own discretion. I came up with the name Beneril using this method, and Deverin as well.
So far as last names go, you can always search the directories under Yahoo! dealing with geneology research. To find foreign surnames, try wandering around Yahoo! Deutschland/Switzerland/France with the aid of an online translator. It can be a little frustrating, and a very slow and confusing process, but when you reap the results you'll usually find it's worth it.
Another idea for names both first and last is to use a Latin-English Dictionary and search for the latin equivalents of common words. Miles Alio, for instance, means "another warrior," which manages to describe the poor guy fairly well.
