Naming fantasy characters: elves, dwarves, orcs and dragons

Sound tells the reader who a character is

Elvish names often flow with soft consonants and long vowels (l, r, th, ae). Dwarvish names are short and hard (k, d, g, r). Orc names lean on harsh clusters (gr, zg, uk), while dragon names tend to be long and grand. The Fantasy characters category in NamesYouLove follows these patterns.

Layer themes and filters

Combine the category with a theme such as Mythology, Medieval or Gothic / witchy, then open More filters to pick an era (Ancient works well), a meaning such as strength or wisdom, or the With title format for names like "Captain" or "Lady".

• ✦ Use alliteration for memorable villains.
• ✦ Give related characters the same starting letter to hint at family ties.
• ✦ Read names aloud to avoid accidental real words.