Question Need a name

Come October I'm going to have three projects on the go at a time, Whateley, Doom Valley Prep School, and a long term story about mutants.

The mutant story is set in the 1980's as mutants and their few supporters work at creating their own nation to avoid extreme discrimination, death squads, and enslavement, think something between the worst anti mutant stuff in Marvel with sentinels having a kill on sight order, and Whateley where officially the government and MCO aren't actively supposed to be killing mutants.

They're going to be on the aptly named Desolation islands, officially called Kerguelen Islands , which they buy from France.

My problem is I don't know what to name the new island. The super intelligent mutant who is funding it all won't want his name on it, and can't come up with any names I like.
The initial batch of mutant citizens will be French, Thai, and from various English speaking countries.
Sanctuary, Freedom, etc, all sound too cliche.
Any ideas?

Terra Nostra, latin for "Our Land."

Actually, I have just seen that the main island is called Grande Terre, which I think is a fine name -- it means "Big/Grand Land." Like Côte d'Ivoire, they could emphasize that the name of their nation -- "The Republic of Grande Terre" -- should not be translated.

Oh, I hadn't thought of that.
Me like.

Could also try if it hasn't been used: Island Zero

E M Pisek wrote: Could also try if it hasn't been used: Island Zero

Yes, but that translates so easily to 'Ground Zero'

Bek D Corbin wrote:

E M Pisek wrote: Could also try if it hasn't been used: Island Zero

Yes, but that translates so easily to 'Ground Zero'

Ahh.. Godzukie won't like that.

Thule was kind of a mythical island somewhere in the north sea. I think the Nazis used it as origin place for for their aryan madness but the name itself is way older. Might want to google it.

The celtic Avalon is the mythical place where King Arthur himself was haled from his injuries but I don't really know more than that. I just really like mythological references and I do love the names.

Those could be good, but since it's a French island, calling it after a story about a legendary English king, might not be so good. And anything connected to Nazis is right out, even though it's really appropriate.
I'm going with the Republic of Grande Terre, it has the right ring to it.

île non résistée...if my translator is to be believed. That would be "Unrestrained Island", which is one of my thesauruses synonyms for freedom.

Ah just call it Nome, be it Greek or Egyptian. Heck even AK.

There's no place like Nome, there's no place like Nome.

In keeping with great French military tradition, what about "nous nous rendons" or "reddition"?

elrodw wrote: In keeping with great French military tradition, what about "nous nous rendons" or "reddition"?

No.
These aren't cheese eating surrender monkeys. They're more highly skilled mercenary squads who will do whatever it takes to complete the mission and come home alive with the cash.

How about 'Sanctuaire'?

Good name, but again I like the Republic of Grande Terre. It just has a nice ring to it, not humble, not wistful, but since it's the original name of the island it isn't really boasting either. It fits the idea perfectly.
Thanks I may make that a name for the capital city.