The only issue I take with this post is the "and not a ton of work, really." comment.

Being a coder and MUD developer myself I have plenty of experience with this.

Let's assume this idea is accepted. I, for one, think it's a cool idea. So much so that in my personal endeavors have implemented such a system.

So, the Staff thinks it's cool... what is actually needed to accomplish it?

1) What mobs will have the privelege of this new name system?

2) How will the names be implemented? Is it a rotating kind of list, or is it one-death = taken-off-list-permanently-and-move-on-to-next-name kind of system?
]2a) In the case of a rotating list, was the idea sufficiently implemented? In many ways it's the same thing with the same issues. Sure, Farhoak might die, then Liveoak, then Oakson, but if the list just starts over again that doesn't make much sense. This also applies to just grabbing one randomly off the list, too.
2b) In the event of it being one-death and that's it they're taken out of the rotation... Well, an incredibly long list of names would need to be created for it to have any sort of impact. Imagine if Farhoak, Liveoak, Oakson, Nearoak, Peckerwood and Deadoak was the full extent of the list... it would be ridiculously short-lived.

You're correct in one way... the system itself is (probably) fairly easy to implement, depending on the CF code. The hardest part is the names and determining who gets them.

I agree that there should be some spice in it, and that if you kill the matron mother then shouldn't she quite simply be "dead"?

For game balance, fantasy and other issues the one-name-per-mob is still the best solution.

The only way (and I have taken my own advice on this) is that you give this kind of scheme to ridiculously hard mobs to kill. So hard that they might only be killed a few times a year (explore areas, etc.) If a hunting party of 8 goes and kills said mob, then maybe an echo stating "Blah will avenge me!" and "Blah" would be the one to repop next would occur.

All in all it's a tremendous amount of effort to implement this sort of thing.

I think I rambled enough.