For me, when I named Geidor and other similar ones which I haven't yet mapped, I was in the middle of creating backstory-esque details about a sci-fi universe, and kept trying to keep successive names somewhat consistent with existing names in the same language/culture/etc. The first couple were pretty much thrown on by feel, and I've mostly let the 'rules' (term used lightly here) create themselves, and just tried to pick up on and follow them as I made them.

I've never done much in-depth study of linguistics, though, so the 'rules' usually tend to create themselves, rather than being guided. I'm still indecisive as to whether that's more productive or destructive, though, heh. At the moment, I'm more or less 50/50.

-asp