Survivor has been on air for twenty years, and while the show has undergone various changes throughout the years, the core concept behind the competition remains the same. The game begins with two tribes, and the tribes compete against each other in reward and immunity challenges. Once the numbers have sufficiently dwindled, the two tribes merge into one and the gameplay radically shifts from team-based strategy to lone wolf conniving.
The merged tribemates have always been able to name their own tribe. The results have been mixed. Sometimes the tribemates go for names that are on the sillier side, while others are more personally meaningful to some or all of them.
Nobag
Nobag is either the greatest name...or the worst. It really depends on how someone views Survivor: Gabon. As the eagle-eyed may have already figured out, Nobag is simply Gabon spelled backward. It's a very silly name for a very silly season, but that's exactly why so many people love it.
Very little thought went into the tribe name, and it sounds goofy - just as very little thought went into the gameplay of Gabon and how the results were goofy. At least it's funny and unique.
Alinta
Alinta is the merged tribe of Survivor: Vanuatu and is composed of Lopevi and Yasur. The word "Alinta" means "people of fire". This is quite fitting, as Lopevi's color (red) and Yasur's color (yellow) combine to make orange (the color of Alinta).
There's a lot of good stuff behind this name. The meaning behind it is fitting, the whole color scheme thing is really neat, and the name itself sounds pretty cool. Vanuatu is a forgettable season of Survivor, but Alinta made for a very good tribe name,
Lavita
Ghost Island originally contained three tribes, a divergence from the typical two. These tribes were Malolo, Naviti, and Yanuya. Lavita serves as portmanteau of all three tribe names. While it doesn't mean anything in particular, Lavita is a beautiful-sounding name that is arguably the greatest portmanteau tribe name in Survivor history.
Coincidentally, Lavita is actually a Fijian word, and it means "to bring or take fire". While the tribe name has nothing to do with that, it is commendable nonetheless.
Enil Edam
Sometimes, tribe names don't come about through a group effort. Sometimes it only takes one good suggestion to find a name. Such was the case in Survivor: Caramoan, when Bikal and Gota merged into Enil Edam.
Enil Edam is actually Madeline spelled backward and split up into two words. Madeline is the mother of contestant Malcolm Freberg. It's a touching tribute, and Enil Edam actually sounds quite beautiful. This was the first tribe name since Nobag to be an existing word or name spelled backward.
Yin Yang
Yin Yang is quite a cliché name, but it's fitting for the Heroes vs. Villains season. Heroes vs. Villains broke from tradition and featured English tribe names - as people expected, the tribes were split into Heroes and Villains. They eventually merged into a black-colored tribe that they named Yin Yang.
The name comes from the ancient Chinese philosophy of dualism. In this case, it's the concept of good vs. evil, or heroes and villains, joining together to form one complementary body.
Rattana
Rattana is the very first merged tribe in Survivor history. Found in Borneo, Rattana is the merged force of tribes Pagong and Tagi. The tribe color was green, and the systemic elimination of the members of Pagong at the hands of the Tagi Alliance led to the Survivor term "Pagonging".
The name comes from Rattan, a type of climbing palm used extensively in the production of baskets and furniture. Rattan is found throughout Indonesia, including Borneo.
Dangrayne
Dangrayne sounds like a video game or something, and it's one of the coolest tribe names in Survivor history. While the name itself sounds cool and threatening, it actually serves as a funny pun. Survivor: Philippines was known for its relentless rain and storms, and Dangrayne was a pun on "dang rain".
Cool name aside, Dangrayne was also composed of numerous Survivor legends, including Jonathan Penner, Michael Skupin, Malcolm Freberg, and Denise Stapley (the eventual winner).
Balboa
The name Balboa instinctually draws connections with Rocky Balboa, the famous protagonist of the Rocky films. In reality, Balboa was named after Rupert Boneham's pet snake. Rupert found the snake near the camp and quickly formed a bond with the animal. Unfortunately, the snake died midway through the game, and Rupert decided to honor his memory with the tribe name.
The name has a great source, and like a snake, the name itself conveys toughness, resilience, and viciousness. Balboa is the first Survivor tribe to be colored black.
Barramundi
Serving as the merged tribe of The Australian Outback, Barramundi was a combination of Kucha and Ogakor. The name was taken by the barramundi, a type of fish native to the Indo-West Pacific. The fish is also known by the name Asian sea bass.
Barramundi is a great-sounding name, and it was composed of numerous Survivor fan favorites, including Amber Brkich, Colby Donaldson, Tina Wesson, and Jerri Manthey.
Koror
Koror is arguably the coolest-sounding tribe name in Survivor history, merged or otherwise. It is actually a pre-existing word, serving as the largest city in the Republic of Palau. It makes sense, considering this tribe name can be found in Survivor: Palau. Palau, and Koror, are quite distinctive within Survivor history.
The merged tribe actually continues the name of the original tribe, as it's composed of everyone in the original plus Ulong's Stephenie LaGrossa, who was simply absorbed into the existing Koror tribe. Stephenie was the only surviving member of her tribe, as Ulong failed to win a single immunity challenge.