Fantasy Name Generator

A fantasy name generator for writers and worldbuilders

This fantasy name generator builds original names for elves, dwarves, orcs, gnomes and four more kinds of people. It is made for writers, worldbuilders and anyone sketching a setting who needs names that sound like they belong together. Choose a kind, press Generate, and you get a list of first names with family names. It is free and works in your browser.

Each kind has its own set of syllables. A first name is an opening sound plus an ending, and a family name is two parts joined together. That is why an elf name comes out soft and long, like Aelrion Silversong, while an orc name lands short and hard, like Grakush Bonecrusher.

How to use it

1. Pick a kind in the “Kind of name” menu: Elf, Dwarf, Human, Halfling, Gnome, Orc, Dragonborn or Tiefling. Leave it on Any for a mix.
2. Set how many names you want, from 1 to 50. The default is 10.
3. Leave “Add a family name” on for full names, or turn it off for first names only.
4. Press Generate. Copy one name with its copy icon, or the whole list with Copy all.

With Any selected, the kind appears in brackets after each name, so you know which sound set it came from.

Keep your naming style consistent

Readers notice when names in one culture sound random. Use the kinds as sound palettes, not just as species.

• One culture, one kind. If your mountain clans are human, you can still give them Dwarf names so they share heavy consonants and family names like a smith’s trade.
• Generate in bulk. Ask for 50 names in one kind and paste them into your notes. Pull from that list whenever a new character from that culture appears.
• Edit freely. Swap one syllable, drop a letter, or merge two results. A generated name is a draft.
• Watch first letters. Avoid giving two main characters names that start with the same letter. Readers mix them up.

Use cases

Naming a cast

Fill out a whole royal court, a crew or a guild in a few minutes. Generate a batch per faction and keep each faction to its kind.

Towns and villages

Turn on family names in the Human kind and look at the surnames. Many read like place names, so they work for villages on your map.

Short fiction and prompts

Need a name for a one page story? Leave the menu on Any, take the first result, and let the kind in brackets suggest who the character is.

Game and mod projects

Hobby game makers can copy a full list into a spreadsheet for shopkeepers, guards and quest givers.

Fair and random

Every syllable is chosen with your browser’s cryptographic random generator. On Any, each of the eight kinds has an equal chance. A batch never contains the same name twice, and your choices are saved in local storage for next time.

Related tools

Running a tabletop game and need names by character race? The character name generator for tabletop sessions is tuned for table use. For modern names, try the random name generator.