I used to name my rival after my cousin, but recently I have been naming him after mael, or one of mael's various geek names
Ie. Soul, Orca, or his irl name
In BW2 I named Hugh, Soul because between the 4 choices that was the most fitting
Right now I am playing the Megaman Starforce Games and my AutoBrother's name is Mael.
And when I play JRPGs where you can change the names of mains I name characters I like to use after friends or family...
My main protagonist (whom I normally train to be very Martial artsy or Ninja/assassin-y) is normally Wolf, Godot, or my irl name
My brute/muscle is normally Mael, Orca, or Mael's irl name
Sometimes if I have a swordsman, a female Warrior, a Female Mage, or a male samurai, I named them Kaito, Sophie, Ame, or Edge
But I normally prioritize irl friends whom are normally a male gunner, a female sage, a male Paladin, and a Male Mage