Fantasy name generator
Every name comes with its lore.
NameLore doesn't just spit out a list of names. Each one is built from real Old Norse word-roots and arrives with its meaning and etymology — so you know exactly what it says.
Choose a generator
Norse-rooted name sets, each one free and instant.
Elf Name Generator
Fantasy elf names in elegant, woodland, mystic, and dark styles — each shown with its real meaning.
e.g. Hugbani — mind of bane
Dwarf Name Generator
Hard-edged dwarf names of stone, iron, and the forge — each with the lore behind it.
e.g. Jarndin — iron of assembly
Dragon Name Generator
Dark, serpentine dragon names of fire and frost — each with the lore that names it.
e.g. Thorhogg — thunder of striker
City Name Generator
Grand Norse-style city and stronghold names from real place-roots — each with the lore behind it.
e.g. Holmfors — islet of waterfall
Kingdom Name Generator
Grand realm and kingdom names from Old Norse roots — each with the lore that built it.
e.g. Glaesiberg — gleaming mountain
Warrior Name Generator
Battle-hard Norse warrior names — each shown with the meaning that earned it.
e.g. Megingaut — main strength of Geat
Ship Name Generator
Viking, pirate, and fantasy ship names that actually mean something — each built from real Old Norse roots with the lore behind it.
e.g. Linnbyr — serpent of fair wind
Pirate Name Generator
Sea-raider pirate names of salt, plunder, and the black flag — each built from real Old Norse and shown with its meaning.
e.g. Brandorm — sword of serpent
Hero Name Generator
Saga-hero names of fame, light, and lineage — each shown with the meaning that earns the song.
e.g. Ragnrik — gods of ruler
Town Name Generator
Small Norse-style town and village names from real settlement-roots — each with the lore behind it.
e.g. Klettvatn — rock of lake
Norse God Name Generator
God and deity names of thunder, light, and the old powers — each built from real Old Norse and shown with its meaning.
e.g. Arndis — eagle of lady
Frost Giant Name Generator
Frost-giant names of rime, stone, and the old cold — each built from real Old Norse and shown with its meaning.
e.g. Vetrisi — winter of giant
Ogre Name Generator
Brutish ogre names of iron, stone, and gaping maws — each built from real Old Norse and shown with its meaning.
e.g. Myrkrisi — dark giant
Demon Name Generator
Malevolent demon names of hellfire, venom, and shadow — each built from real Old Norse and shown with its meaning.
e.g. Draugrim — undead of mask
Lord Name Generator
Lordly names of rule, renown, and old lineage — each built from real Old Norse and shown with its meaning.
e.g. Radvar — vigilant counsel
Orc Name Generator
War-band orc names of battle-fury, axes, and blood — each built from real Old Norse and shown with its meaning.
e.g. Grimox — mask of axe
Country Name Generator
Names for whole lands and nations — north-marches, wide-realms, settled countries — each built from real Old Norse and shown with its meaning.
e.g. Vestmark — west borderland
Wizard Name Generator
Wizard names drawn from the actual Old Norse words for magic — each one you can translate.
e.g. Vegald — sacred place of incantation
Tavern Name Generator
Roaring, ale-soaked tavern names in the old Norse mead-hall style — a bold word joined to a beast, a horn, or a god, each with the lore behind it.
e.g. The Silver Barrel — silver barrel
Inn Name Generator
Warm, road-worn inn names in the old Norse style — a quiet word joined to a hearth, a lantern, or a resting beast, each with the lore behind it.
e.g. The Sail & Hall — sail & hall
Real roots, real meaning
Names are assembled from genuine Old Norse elements — never random gibberish.
The lore, every time
Each result shows its parts, their meanings, and the sense they combine into.
Free & instant
Generated in your browser. No sign-up, no waiting, no limits.
Where these names come from
The generator does not shuffle a list of fantasy names. It combines elements from a root lexicon that is built by hand from two public-domain Old Norse dictionaries, so each part of a name has a meaning you can look up yourself. No element is invented to make a name sound better, and no name is taken from an existing book, game or film.
- An Icelandic-English Dictionary
Richard Cleasby & Gudbrand Vigfusson (1874) — The standard historical dictionary of Old Norse; the primary source for root meanings.
- A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic
Geir T. Zoëga (1910) — Used as a cross-check on glosses and on which forms are actually attested.
Compiled and edited by Thomas Duan
Thomas Duan holds a BA in Germanic Languages and Literature from Beijing Foreign Studies University. He builds and edits NameLore's Old Norse root lexicon. Read the full method.