Panzer Dragoon was at one point called "Kiko-ryu"

http://www.1up.com/features/panzer-dragoon-zwei-retrospective?pager.offset=1

1UP: What made you guys decide on the German naming convention, using “Panzer” and “Zwei”?
YF: It was pretty simple, actually. When we first had the game concept in mind, it was called “Kiko-ryu,” meaning “armored dragon.” But “armored dragon” is boring, so we looked up what that would mean in German, which was “Panzer Dragoon.” I’m not a huge fan of German war equipment, but I liked the word “Panzer.”

Its good to have the official explanation. I always wondered why they used german ^^

I don’t think Dragoon is actually a German word, so I’m curious how they even ended up with that translation.

I think he just meant the “Panzer” part, which means armoured vehicle. A dragon is something armoured, like a tank since it fires at enemies.

Dragoons are heavily armed mounted troops in English. So together, “Panzer Dragoon” represents the dragon and the rider pair. That is my interpretation anyway. Dragoon sounds like dragon of course, so it has that double meaning. Like the game’s storyline, it’s probably supposed to have multiple intepretations.