TnT: Naming Characters

[pipisafoat]

I'm the kind of person who has to name the things around me, the things I use a lot. I also tend to use names that, um, aren't exactly normal. For example, my old computer was named Kaidon. I have various externals & the like named things like Jzaenya, Kalenye, and Evyenic (though this one is, apparently, spelled with Greek letters. Did I mention I don't speak Greek?). However, most of the time when I'm writing original characters, I give them pretty run-of-the-mill names. Sammy, Jessica, Jake, Brian....

How do you name your characters? Strange or common names, after someone you know, research into the meaning behind the names?

(Also, don't forget about submissions for the current challenge contest.)