User blog comment:Hannadzor/Official Dub: Supporting characters announced!/@comment-1271618-20100707214113

Well, it wasn't so much fan pressure as it was a question from a fan back when Himaruya had more free time ('07). They asked what names characters would have if they were regular humans, and Himaruya came up with a listing. Apparently he based some names off of historical figures, others off of people he knew.

Canada and Belarus were the last to get their names in early '08, kind of towards the end of when he had so much free time and when the manga went into published mode. He also used some of the human names in Spain's April Fools (though being that type of event, of course it'd be iffy) and "Alfred" in one strip. And among Japanese fans, it's been said that he didn't give Germany a surname for a specific reason, and he told a fan they would find out some day. But I think that point is probably moot since he's abandoned usage of them. The most recent instance of any of the names is some far-back question on the current Bamboo blog where a fan asks him how you'd spell Wang Yao. I'm sure if these were the days when he had so much free time to answer requests and questions, he probably would come up with a few more names. But they definitely aren't a priority anymore.