One of my favorite parts of writing is the process of naming characters. Names carry weight, history, and meaning—both in our world and in the world of The Remnant. They tell us something about the people who bear them, about their journeys, their struggles, and the roles they play in the grander narrative. Today, I want to take you behind the scenes of four key characters from The Remnant—Bashira (Basha), Sara, Chiko, and Dai—and explore how the meaning of their names shape not only their individual stories but the larger world they inhabit.
But personal names are only part of the story. In the Cross-Sea Lands, family and clan names matter just as much—perhaps even more. A name isn’t just about who you are; it’s about where you come from, what legacy you carry, and what expectations weigh on your shoulders. In The Remnant, the names Inaba, Nanuyo, and Akimona define entire lives.
Let’s dive in.
Inaba Bashira (Basha)
Origin: Arabic
Bashira: “bringer of good news” or “joyful, optimistic”
And yet, for much of The Remnant, Basha carries anything but joy. She is a survivor, a girl shaped by loss, duty, and the weight of a legacy she never asked for. Her journey is one of self-discovery, of piecing together an identity that isn’t solely defined by the burdens placed upon her.
She is also the last of something—the remnant of a family, of a culture, of a way of life. But in many ways, she is also the first: the first to challenge tradition, the first to carve a new path, the first to truly define what it means to be Inaba Bashira outside of the expectations of her lineage.
Her name, then, becomes a contradiction. Where is the joy in carrying so much grief? Where is the optimism when the world seems bent on breaking her? And yet, Basha endures. She finds a way forward, not despite the losses she’s faced, but because of them. She is, in the end, a bringer of hope—even if that hope must be fought for with tooth and blade.
Inaba Sara
Origin: Hebrew
Sara: “princess” or “noblewoman”
Sara is more than a name in The Remnant. She is a specter, a wound that never quite heals. Her name is one steeped in history, often symbolizing leadership, strength, and sacrifice. Sara’s presence in the story is paradoxical—she is both deeply influential and entirely absent.
Her choices, her sacrifices, and her death shape Basha’s path in profound ways. Even in death, she serves as a guiding force, a voice whispering in the shadows, a tether to a past that cannot be reclaimed. But here’s where it gets interesting: Sara was never meant to stay. Her role was always one of loss, of echoing through the lives of those she left behind. And yet, in many ways, she is more alive than the living—haunting Basha’s decisions, fueling her rage, and serving as the unspoken reason behind so many of her choices.
Her name, with all its nobility and weight, fits her perfectly. She was a princess of sorts—not in title, but in the way she carried herself, in the way her choices rippled outward, shaping destinies beyond her own.
Akimona Chiko
Origin: Japanese (although has various cultural origins)
Sara: “pledge” or “promise”
Chiko’s name isn’t just a name—it’s a lifeline. The meaning behind Chiko can vary depending on cultural origin, but one common interpretation is “pledge” or “promise.” And if that doesn’t sum up Chiko’s character in a single word, I don’t know what does.
Chiko is loyalty incarnate. He is the one who stays, the one who follows Basha through fire and flood, the one who holds a piece of her past even when she’s trying to outrun it. There’s a raw, unbreakable bond between them, one forged in childhood mischief and sharpened by shared hardship. But loyalty, as The Remnant reminds us, is a double-edged sword. What happens when devotion demands sacrifice? What happens when a promise binds too tightly, cutting off the possibility of a different future?
Chiko’s name is his fate, his burden, and his strength. He is a pledge made flesh, a promise that cannot be broken—even when it should be.
Nanuyo Dai
Origin: Japanese
Sara: “great” or “big”
Of all the names in The Remnant, Dai’s is perhaps the most layered. In Japanese, Dai (大) can mean “great” or “big,” often signifying importance, strength, or ambition. And isn’t that exactly what Dai represents?
Dai carries the weight of legacy on his shoulders. He moves through the world with the confidence of someone who has been told from birth that he is meant for greatness, and yet, that expectation is its own kind of cage. To be great is to be watched, to be manipulated, to be burdened with choices that aren’t entirely your own.
His relationship with Basha is tangled in politics, in duty, in the constant push and pull between power and personal freedom. He is a foil to Chiko in many ways—where Chiko’s loyalty is simple and steadfast, Dai’s is calculated and strategic. Where Chiko follows, Dai challenges. Where Chiko is a promise, Dai is an obligation.
And yet, Dai is not a villain. His name’s meaning reflects more than just status—it hints at the potential for true greatness, the kind that isn’t measured by political power or family prestige, but by the courage to choose a different path. Whether or not he takes it remains the question.
The Clans
Inaba: The Ruling Lineage
The name Inaba (因幡) has Japanese origins and translates to “leaves of the rice plant.”
For both Sara and Basha, the name Clan Inaba is more than just a name—it is a legacy. As the ruling clan of Arathet, the Inaba family is the foundation upon which the city-state stands. Their name is synonymous with stability, power, and expectation. To be Inaba is to bear the weight of an entire civilization on your back.
For Sara, this was a duty she embraced. For Basha, it is a chain she longs to break.
But what happens when the foundation starts to crack? When the Remnant—the one left behind—isn’t content to rule as expected? That is the question Basha must answer.
Nanuyo: The Merchant Kings
The name Nanuyo is a constructed name that draws from Japanese and Polynesian influences, evoking the ideas of wealth, movement, and control over the tides. It suggests a lineage tied to commerce, adaptability, and influence beyond mere political power.
Clan Nanuyo is one of the wealthiest merchant families in Arathet, controlling much of the trade routes that flow in and out of the city. Unlike the Inaba, their power is not inherited through blood alone—it is built through cunning, negotiation, and calculated risk.
For Dai, this means growing up in a world where every move is strategic, every word a negotiation. His name is both a privilege and a burden, shaping his future in ways even he may not fully understand. To be Nanuyo is to be a master of the game, to see opportunity where others see risk, to build empires out of silk and salt.
Dai’s family name grants him power, but it also demands something in return—loyalty, cunning, and an unwavering commitment to the clan’s ambitions.
Akimona: The Dockland Survivors
The name Akimona combines Japanese and Southeast Asian linguistic roots, evoking the image of resilience, salt, and survival. It represents those who toil in the shadows of great empires but without whom those empires would crumble.
The Akimona family does not come from a noble house, nor a merchant dynasty. They are dockworkers, sailors, smugglers—people who live and die by the tides. They are the lifeblood of Arathet’s economy, yet they receive none of the prestige.
But what the Akimona family lacks in prestige, they make up for in resilience. They are descended from survivors, fighters, people who build their own kind of power in the shadows of the great houses.
For Chiko, being Akimona means knowing how to survive in a world that will never see him as important. It means understanding that power doesn’t always come from titles or gold—but sometimes, from the people who know the streets, the tides, and the secrets that run beneath them in the City Beneath. It means knowing when to bow and when to bite. And it means carrying a name that, while not noble, is no less important.
In The Remnant, names are more than identifiers—they are stories in themselves. Basha, Sara, Chiko, and Dai each carry names that define them, shape them, and, at times, confine them. Their names tell us who they were meant to be, and The Remnant is, at its heart, the story of who they choose to become.
So tell me, dear reader, what’s in a name? What does your name say about you? Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear your stories!
And if you haven’t yet ventured into the world of The Remnant, now is the perfect time. Who knows? You might just find yourself in the echoes of their names.
✨ Until next time, happy reading! ✨
