Human Name Generator

Human names: Origin, structure, and meaning

Swift, wise, noble, flawed, greedy, violent, peaceful—humans in fantasy literature run the gamut, reflecting our real-life experience of never meeting two people who are exactly alike. In literature like The Lord of the Rings or in tabletop games like Forgotten Realms, however, human names have specific forms and connotations.

Humans in fantasy media may lack the ancient wisdom of elves or the powers of the gods, but they often make up for this lack of supernatural power through cunning, charisma, and brave deeds.

Human naming conventions in fantasy worlds

In a fantasy world, human naming conventions typically follow a predictable pattern: a specific name followed by a family surname. Sometimes, you might see a nickname pop up (as in Aragorn becoming “Strider”) when less is known about a specific character.

Human name inspiration

Human names in fantasy literature typically lean heavily on symbolism, often reflecting religious names from our own world history. Family names are common, as are compound words derived from deeds or country-specific cultures.

Use our fantasy human name generator to ground your character in a magical world!

List of Human Names

Hey, we humans might be complex, but we’re still a fantasy race that includes Aragorn, Son of Arathorn—we can’t all be bad! But let’s look at some of the most popular human names in fantasy literature to get a sense of how humans should sound in video games, tabletop adventures, or spinning a fantasy yarn of your own.