Possible to free up name?

Q u o t e:
As the subject says, is it possible for a name to be freed up if the character with said name has been inactive for long enough?

I've heard of several GMs doing this for people, but I'm not entirely certain if it's really allowed.

You can petition and inquire on this, Prakrti. This is squarely in the 'it depends' column. Requests of this nature can sometimes be granted, but there are some pretty strict guidelines that all must be met before we can. If all the stars are aligned just so - we may be able to grant such a request. Cannot hurt to ask.