Dragon Name Generator

Are you trying to name a dragon character, either in something you’re writing, an RPG you’re running, or for some other creative purpose? The good news is, you have a lot of creative freedom. There are really no definitive rules or standards for dragon names—but there are definitely trends across different fictional works that you can draw from when putting together a dragon name of your own.

Dragons typically have one name, not two. Don’t expect to follow the traditional “first name, last name” conventions when naming a dragon (unless you have a specific idea and want to, of course). In most works of fiction and folktales, any named dragons go by a single name rather than a first and last name.

Dragon names tend to have uncommon or exotic consonants. Many dragon names in fictional works like Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings have X’s, Z’s, and other less-common consonants in them (like “Vermithrax” or “Caraxes” from A Song of Ice and Fire ). They may also have harsh-sounding pronunciations (like the hard “G” in The Hobbit ’s “Smaug,” and “Drogon,” “Viserion,” and “Rhaegal” from Game of Thrones ).

Some dragon names are simple, while others are multisyllabic. Most dragon names, regardless of how long they are, are designed to evoke fear or awe in both characters and readers alike! There are dragons with shorter (but no less fierce) names (like “Smaug” once again, or “Klauth” from Dungeons & Dragons ), and dragons with longer names. For example, in Dungeons & Dragons’ Forgotten Realms setting, a dragon’s name is a status symbol; the longer a name, the greater the dragon’s age and power. That’s why the game has ancient dragons with names like “Arauthator” and “Claugiyliamatar.”

Dragons may have descriptive titles in their names. While dragons typically only have one name, they may also use a descriptor to add some extra power and gravitas to their title (and reputation). Consider whether you want to add a title to your dragon name—and if so, what sort of qualities the dragon in question might be known for. For example, “Ancalagon the Black” is a terrible, ruthless dragon in The Silmarillion (a collection of lore from Midde-Earth, the setting of The Lord of the Rings ), and Alduin (the dragon antagonist in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ) also goes by the fearsome title “Alduin the World-Eater.”

Still need a little more inspiration? Here’s a collection of dragon names, pulled from both worldwide mythology and pop culture.

Dragon Names in Mythology

• Agathodaemon - An ancient Greek lesser deity in the form of a dragon-like serpent.
• Apep - A giant snake or serpent of chaos, originating from Egyptian mythology.
• Bahamut - An Arabian-winged sea serpent and later dragon.
• Beithir - A snakelike creature or dragon depicted with many limbs and lightning breath in Scottish mythology.
• Damballa - A West African loa (or spirit, often depicted with a draconic or serpentine appearance).
• Gaasyendietha - A lake dragon living in the Great Lakes, originating from Seneca Native American tribe mythology.
• Grootslang - A gigantic serpent or dragon said to live in a South African cave, according to folklore.
• Kuraokami - A Japanese dragon deity with dominion over rain and snow.
• Leviathan - A draconic sea monster created from a combination of Levantine mythology and Jewish beliefs.
• Ouroboros - The Egyptian “tail-eater” serpent, sometimes depicted as a dragon.
• Tatsu - Another Japanese dragon and the master of the waters.
• Tiamat - A draconic figure from Babylonian mythology, also believed to be the primordial sea.
  
  

Dragon Names in Fiction & Pop Culture

• A Song of Ice and Fire : Meleys, Meraxes, Balerion, Caraxes, Sunfyre, Syrax, Viserion, and Vhagar
• The Hobbit & The Silmarillion : Smaug, Glaurung, and Ancalagon the Black
• Eragon Trilogy: Saphira, Glaedr, Thorn, and Firnen
• Dragonriders of Pern : Mnementh, Faranth, and Ramoth
• How to Train Your Dragon : Toothless, Meatlug, Light Fury, Hookfang, and Stormfly
• The Legend of Vox Machina : Thordak the Cinder King, Raishan, Vorugal, Umbrasyl, and Brimscythe
• Merlin (TV Series): Aithusa and Kilgharrah
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim : Alduin, Paarthurnax, Durnehviir, Mirmulnir, Sahloknir, Odahviing, and Numinex
• Warcraft : Malygos the Spellweaver, Nozdormu the Timeless One, and Ysera the Dreamer