Human Name Generator
Plain English human names built from the real Old English elements: Ead-, Wil-, Aelf-, -bert, -ric and -mund, each with its meaning.
168,960 combinations in this form
- Thegndun Barber
Thegn retainer + dun hill
retainer hill
Barber hair cutter
hair cutter
- Beornmild Palmer
Beorn warrior + mild mercy
warrior mercy
Palmer returned pilgrim
returned pilgrim
- Baldlac Weaver
Bald bold + lac play
bold play
Weaver cloth weaver
cloth weaver
- Ordgytha Archer
Ord spear point + gytha strife
spear point strife
Archer bowman
bowman
- Beornceol Tanner
Beorn warrior + ceol ship
warrior ship
Tanner hide tanner
hide tanner
- Swithgyth Glover
Swith strong + gyth battle
strong battle
Glover glove maker
glove maker
- Stanbeorn Cooper
Stan stone + beorn warrior
stone warrior
Cooper barrel maker
barrel maker
- Hamthryth Squire
Ham home + thryth strength
home strength
Squire shield bearer
shield bearer
- Hygewela Falconer
Hyge mind + wela riches
mind riches
Falconer hawk keeper
hawk keeper
- Hardgith Turner
Hard hardy + gith war
hardy war
Turner lathe worker
lathe worker
- Ceolsige Fletcher
Ceol ship + sige victory
ship victory
Fletcher arrow maker
arrow maker
- Cengard Mercer
Cen keen + gard enclosure
keen enclosure
Mercer silk merchant
silk merchant
- Eadwela Potter
Ead wealth + wela riches
wealth riches
Potter pot maker
pot maker
- Sigegytha Bailey
Sige victory + gytha strife
victory strife
Bailey bailiff
bailiff
- Freoweard Bailey
Freo free + weard guardian
free guardian
Bailey bailiff
bailiff
- Dunhilde Wainwright
Dun hill + hilde conflict
hill conflict
Wainwright wagon maker
wagon maker
- Theodfolc Hayward
Theod people + folc folk
people folk
Hayward hedge warden
hedge warden
- Stanburga Forester
Stan stone + burga citadel
stone citadel
Forester wood warden
wood warden
- Godwig Archer
God good + wig warrior
good warrior
Archer bowman
bowman
- Hereburh Wright
Here army + burh stronghold
army stronghold
Wright craftsman
craftsman
- Brandlind Hunter
Brand sword + lind shield
sword shield
Hunter game hunter
game hunter
- Hrothtrude Smith
Hroth fame + trude steadfastness
fame steadfastness
Smith metalworker
metalworker
- Cuthheard Potter
Cuth famous + heard hardy
famous hardy
Potter pot maker
pot maker
- Tilwynn Chandler
Til useful + wynn joy
useful joy
Chandler candle maker
candle maker
How English human names are built
¶Before the Norman Conquest an English name was two words bolted together, and the pair did not have to make sense as a phrase. Wulfstan is wolf plus stone. Aethelraed is noble plus counsel. Eadmund is wealth plus protection, Wilhelm will plus helmet, Aelfric elf plus ruler. The first element carried the family's prestige and the second marked the person, which is why the same handful of finals, -bert, -ric, -mund, -weard and -wine, turn up again and again.
Families reused elements deliberately. King Aethelwulf named his sons Aethelbald, Aethelberht, Aethelred and Aelfred, so four brothers share either the first element or the alliteration. Women's names worked the same way but from a much shorter list of second elements: -burg a fortress, -gyth battle, -hild battle, -gifu a gift, -wynn joy, -thryth strength, -swith strong. Aethelthryth, Eadgifu, Wulfrun and Mildburg are all built on that pattern.
The stock collapsed after 1066. Within three generations the English were calling their sons William, Robert, Richard and Henry, and the old names survived mainly in the ones the Normans could pronounce: Edward, Edmund, Edgar, Alfred, Audrey out of Aethelthryth, and Mildred out of Mildthryth. Surnames arrived later still, from the fourteenth century, and most say what a man did: Smith, Fletcher, Cooper, Thatcher, Reeve.
Questions
What are good human names for D&D?
Names that sound weighty without sounding elvish. The Old English stock does that job: Eadric, Wulfstan, Aelfwine, Beorhthelm, Godwine for men, Eadgifu, Mildburg, Wulfrun, Aethelgyth for women. Pair one with a trade surname such as Fletcher, Cooper or Reeve and the character reads as an ordinary person from a real place.
What does -ric mean at the end of a name?
Ric means ruler or power, from the same root as German Reich and Latin rex. Eadric is wealth-ruler, Aelfric elf-ruler, Cyneric royal-ruler. It survives in the modern names Eric, Derek, Roderick and Cedric, and in the surname Rickard. The parallel ending -weald or -wald means much the same, as in Oswald, god-power.
Are these real English names?
The elements are, and many combinations are documented in charters and chronicles: Eadmund, Aelfred, Wulfstan, Godwine, Eadgyth. Old English generated names by free combination of these elements, so a pairing that happens not to be attested was still legal in the language and would have been read without a blink.
What are good human surnames?
English surnames come from four sources: trade, such as Smith, Baker and Fletcher; place, such as Ashford or Milton; a father, such as Johnson or Wilkins; and a nickname, such as Long, Brown or Whitehead. Trade names give the most useful character shorthand, because the surname says what the family was doing two centuries ago.
How do you pronounce Old English names?
Sound every letter. Ae is the a of cat, c before a back vowel is k, cg is the dg of edge, sc is sh, and h at the start is breathed. Aelfric is AL-fritch, Cynewulf is KIN-e-wulf, Aethelred is ATH-el-red with a hard th. The spellings here drop the old letters thorn and eth for readability.