Information has been taken from dictionaries, baby name books, and for what is in a name, kabalarians.com was the source, so if you wanted to look up a name that's not here, or find out a little more, that's the place to go!
Cities
The main cities in Pokemon are all named after colours, and each colour has significance for that city. In the game, also, the cities are coloured as they are meant to (everything in Cerulean has a blue tinge, for example).
Pallet - from the word 'palette', where an artist puts paints of all different colours...
Pewter - pewter is an alloy but also represents the colour grey. This fits in with the city's rocky image, and in Japanese, Pewter's badge was called the Greybadge.
Cerulean - a word meaning blue. Obvious, as Cerulean is famous for its water shows, and the Cascadebadge was called Bluebadge in Japanese.
Vermilion - also spelled 'vermillion', this is a bright orangey red. I'm not sure why orange is this city's colour, although electricity is sorta shown to look yellow-orange, I guess you could say (if you were desperate). The Japanese badge was called Orangebadge.
Celadon - means 'green'. Celadon is full of plants and living greenery. The Rainbowbadge, I don't understand quite how it came to be called that and look like that, but oh well...
Saffron - golden orange colour. Also a flower. I do not fully know why this city was called such, although the badge IS yellow, and yellow is said to be a colour representing energy (Saffron's a busy commercial place)... I think it should be purple, the colour associated with psy. Saffron's Japanese badge is the Goldbadge.
Fuchsia - a purplish-reddish-pink. Um... I don't know what colour poison should be represented by, so I suppose this does okay. The Japanese badge is called Pinkbadge.
Cinnabar - a red sulfide... obviously fits in with the red-firey theme of the island, and the fact that it's a hot place. Japanese badge is Crimsonbadge.
Viridian - means 'green'. The city is said to be green, and forests surround it. Green represents nature, and Giovanni does use ground/earth Pokemon. Japanese badge is Greenbadge.
Lavender - a pale purple colour, fits in with the psychic theme.
Indigo - a dark purple colour... not sure of its significance in the Indigo Plateau, except that it rhymes. ^_^.
Gym leaders/Elite
Brock - badger
A person called Brock would tend to be practical, logical, analytical and very patient. When working on something, it is given full attention. Serious, systematic and possibly fussy.
Misty - mist (duh)
A Misty is dynamic - and highly strung - as well as principled, willing to help out, and impulsive. Mistys are both perceptive and intuitive, being enthusiastic over things and willing to travel. A trusting nature which can become sarcastic, cynical, critical and cutting towards others...
Erika - ruler forever
The name Erika gives a good business/material sense, responsibility, practicality and deterimation. They are good leaders, capable and good at understanding. They can also be a little too strong and forceful.
(The summary for Erika seemed to imply that an Erika's feminine side was not very prominent... hah! Fairly accurate but she's not all that forceful.)
Sabrina - Latin term for Severn River
Sabrinas are friendly, sociable and charming, but can become forceful if pushed. Sabrinas like independence but not a lot of responsibility, and work well with people.
(Huh. Absolutely inaccurate. Then again, I've yet to find a name summary that says "your name of so-and-so gives you a cold, intimidating demeanor and psychotic tendencies...")
Blaine - flaming
A Blaine would have a quick, clever mind, studiousness and some impatience. Secretly sensitive, but outwardly reserved or intimidating, finding it hard to communicate verbally.
Giovanni - the Lord is gracious
Giovannis love nature, and 'products of the earth', with an appreciation for the finer things in life. Coming across as cool and aloof, they find it hard to communicate well and can be easily offended. Giovannis live within their thoughts, often feeling frustrated and angry.
Agatha - good
Agathas are easy going and good natured, kind, sociable and expressive. They do not like concentration or hard work, and prefer loose creativity, as well as being too emotional.
Lorelei - probably 'laurel', probably not anything...
A Lorelei would be quiet, practical, clever, analytical and studious. They like things to be well organised, take life seriously and when they feel something, feel it deeply. They come across as unfriendly, but do not intend to be.
Bruno - brown-skinned
The name Bruno could give one an idealistic nature, a tendency to be reserved and sensitive even while appearing confident. Generous to friends, but mostly secretive and cold, they also like nature.
Lance - servant
Strongly responsible, determined and a natural leader, a Lance has great understanding and intelligence, as well as strength.
Koga is not actually a name, to my knowledge. -_-; Although Eva (friend of mine) tells me it comes from the word for Crow.
Other main characters
Ash - a tree of the olive family... if it were short for anything, my fave name's meaning is Ashkenaz - fire that spreads, which is appropriate (Ashley, Ashford and Ashton all just relate to ash trees) Ashur means black
Gary - spear
Garies are serious, thoughtful, efficient and independent... not very ambitious, preferring a stable life. They tend not to have a terrific sense of humour, but are overall positive and sometimes a little too forceful.
(Note: It's interesting how Gary OAK and ASH are both named after trees.)
Jenny - 'white wave' or 'race of women'
Jennies are strongly independant, creative, ambitious, clever, capable and impulsive. However, they can also become frustrated with monotony or obstacles, and intolerant of others.
Joy - joy, also spelled 'joi'
Joys are restless, creative and independent, desiring versitility and having positive driving power. Joys are impatient, possibly intolerant, and irritable, finding it a little hard to get along with people.
(I do not think this is very accurate, but I think it's interesting that the names of both Jenny and Joy suggest people who would not want to be tied into the jobs they had to have...)
James - he who supplants
A James is interested in people, likes to help/serve others, is responsible, generous, disorganised and not terribly hard working. Jameses like contact with people, self-expression, and are good-natured/likeable. They're sincere, cheerful and optimistic,
also with a tendency to over-eat. ^_^;
Jessie - he beholds
See this page
Richie - mighty ruler
Extremely sensitive, artistic, creative and outdoorsey. Can be quiet, refined, not making friends easily except for those that understand them and their interests.
Tracey - the Thracian (Thrace is a place)...
Traceys are expressive, idealistic, inspirational, wanting to help others and can worry about them a lot. They're generous, loving and can be inattentive to details.
(Obviously Tracey's name, the trace part, relates to his artistic tendencies. And btw, Tracey IS a legit boy's name.)
Miscellaneous characters
Florinda - flourishing (obviously her name is meant to be associated with florae - plants)
Flint - rock
Susie - lily
Katrina - pure
Rebecca - beautiful, bound or faithful
May - wind
Damien - to tame
Dexter - right-handed
Butch - short for 'butcher'
Cassidy - clever
Cassandra - helper of people
Melanie - black, dark-skinned
Anthony - invaluable
Aya - bird
Stella - star
Joe - Jehovah increases
Giselle - pledge, hostage
Mikey - who is like the Lord
Victor - conqueror
Mandy (which IS a girl's name) - much loved
Overall, I think many of the names are quite appropriate, wouldn't you say? Like Mandy was a crowd favourite, Victor conquered the wave, Damien is a tamer, Stella was the star of the circus, Cassandra helped people, etc etc etc... Blaine's name meaning 'flaming' was pretty cool too.
