I can see this working actually...
since it's F2P it won't require a sub to keep your name and therefore logging in at least once (just to the char sheet page) isn't much effort and if i wasn't playing but did intend to return to the game i'd be perfectly happy to do this in order to keep my names. If it required a subscription then I wouldn't.
It's fairly evident that population has declined and the majority of these are not on a break from the game but tried it and left, it does seem unfair that they get to tag names and keep them despite the account never being used again while active players (especially those subbed who support the game) have to manipulate names with accents or spelling to get what they want (which means they don't actually get what they wanted).
I really liked it when, with the second server merge, they gave character names to the character with the most /played etc because it felt fair, i didn't keep all my names in that move but i felt this was justified, why should my level 45 alt keep a name that a level 50 main doesn't get just because they moved to my server instead of me moving to theirs? I feel this is the same issue, even if i had been inactive for 3 months and didn't intend to play again well...it's completely fair that somebody should be able to use my names, if i cared enough or intended to return, i'd simply login taking 60 seconds of my time.
Of course this goes under the assumption that an email update would go out to all accounts letting people know of the change and give people who do intend to return a chance to keep theirs by logging in to character sheet on F2P.
Also...it might help population because any service that asks you to log in once in 3 months or so might make people either a) realise they care about their names or b) remember the game itself and they might encourage people to come back, I know i've started playing games again after logging in just to speak to somebody or some such and getting back into it.
TLDR: I think the OP had a good idea, i think it's fair (even if i was on an inactive account) snice it's F2P and might possibly help support population growth
