Realm Names

Fantasy character names

Four generators for the people and monsters who need a name in a hurry. Each one blends an opening syllable with an ending from its own list, and adds clan names, bynames or titles from lists written for that people alone.

Dwarf name generator

Hard-sounding syllable blends with stone-and-craft clan names and bynames.

e.g. Odruna Orethumb / Old Thrumbar the Greybeard / Garbar

Elf name generator

Long-vowel syllable blends with nature family names, courts and homelands.

e.g. Venselian of the Twilight Court / Arilira of the Last Autumn / Opalleaf

Orc name generator

Blunt two-beat blends with deed names, bynames and clans.

e.g. Brogkul / Vargak the Boar-wrestler / Krugrak

Dragon name generator

Sharp syllable blends with x, z and y, plus titles and lairs.

e.g. The Emerald Wing / Kazazeth the Far-seeing / Quoruvorn the Burning Flame

How syllables make a people sound like a people

A fantasy people sounds distinct when its names share a small set of sounds. The dwarf list leans on hard stops and short vowels, the elf list on long vowels and soft endings, the orc list on blunt single beats, the dragon list on rare letters such as x and z. Nothing else is needed: keep to one list and every name seems to come from the same language.

The first name does the sounding and the second part does the telling. A clan name, a byname or a title says where the character stands: a craft, a deed, a home. When you need a non-player character in ten seconds, a blended first name plus one telling word is enough for players to remember them.

Short names survive play. A three-syllable name will be cut to one by the end of the session, so check what the short form is. The number-of-words filter gives single names for minor characters and full names for the ones who matter.

The syllable lists are original, but random blends can land on a name that already exists somewhere. Search for a name before you use it for a major character in something you publish.

A taste of each generator