How To Name Your Fantasy World

So you decided to write a fantasy novel—you have a planet to create, a society to build, and maybe even a language to invent. And you’ve come to the best and worst part of world-building: you need to name your fantasy world!

The key element to keep in mind when naming everything in your fantasy world is to be consistent. If you’ve decided that names are gendered and male names end with -kov then every male name should with -kov. Additionally, if inanimate objects end with -kov, then expect some conversation/debate as to why you made the table male and not female or gender neutral.

Consistency in naming is one of the hardest parts of fantastical naming challenges; however, it is also something to truly keep in mind for the second draft/first round of edits. For example, in my upcoming fantasy novel, saying the Greek names for the Olympians has the power to alert them and call them to you—if they so choose. This meant I couldn’t name any character Hermes, Athena, or even the lesser known Immortals like Themis or Thetis, because that name held power in my fantasy world. Did I name a character Thetis because it was an Ancient Greek name and consistent with the world-building? Yes. Did I have to change her name because it wasn’t consistent with the magical world-building I was also creating? Also yes.

There is a way around the problem I created for myself, and that would be to create a giant list of names for characters, things, and places that is consistent with the world I’m building. However, that’s not usually how this goes. I create names as they are needed (for better and for worse!).

Below, I’ve listed five different ways to create names for your fantasy novel! There is the classic example of online generators all the way to inventing your own language! Whichever method you choose, I believe the best way to stay consistent is to stick to one method for your story!

1. Online Generators

There are thousands of online Name Generators to help you come up with names for your characters! Different generators can be used for elvish characters or wizards or vampires or more.

The downside of using online generators, however, is that it is much more difficult to stay consistent with your naming AND they often use the words from other famous novels (read: the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter). I believe online generators are a great starting point but not the ultimate source for naming.

Here are a few online name generators to start you off!

2. Root Words

Root words has been the classic go to for every fantasy author. I find it a tried and true method but it has becoming a rather tried method as well. Using Latin words to create magical places, objects, and spells has been taken to the limit, especially with Harry Potter. However, there is a way to revive this method and that’s by using the root words of other languages (Russian, Hindi, Arabic, Chinese, etc.) 

Choosing one language over the other will set the tone of your novel. For example, with my fantasy novel about Greek Gods—I wouldn’t chose Arabic root words. Consider the culture you are creating and the culture are you mimicking.

One of my favorite ways in using root words is to use it as a starting point. I usually get the direct translation (English to Greek, for example) and then use the Acronym Method below to create my own, new word for it!

3. Historical/Mythical Words

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. If you are writing about Merlin, you don’t need to rename Avalon or Camelot. Don’t be afraid to use the same words that have been used for all of time—you will create an instant connection to your readers by using familiar terms to them. And your story will still be its own if your plot and characters are unique and fresh!   

4. Conlangs

“Conlang” short for “constructed language.” It is a language that was created for a purpose, typically for a work of fiction/fantasy. Sindarin, Klingon, and Valyrian are examples of conlangs. (There are also real world conlangs, in which people have developed languages in hope of creating an universal language—I won’t be discussing that though!)

The benefits of a conlang are especially clear when naming things! You already are starting a new language, which will be so hard that creating a new name for something will be easy!

Again, I, personally, cannot advise on how to create a conlang…YET. It is on my to-do list for my sci-fi series—but I won’t be starting that until 2023. I have started some research off for you though!

5. The Acronym Method

The Acronym Method was popularized (by my limited knowledge) by the Dragon Age. Admittedly, I know nothing about the game except that the Dragon Age setting is called, Thedas. You might already see how the acronym method works. THE Dragon Age Setting: The D A S: Thedas.

Personally, I love this method. I think it’s simple and ingenious. I also think this is the most adaptable method to remain consistent with your story. If you’ve invented a conlang, you can use the words of your conlang to create an acronym. If you want to avoid using root words or historical words, you can simply create your own word with this method without creating a brand new language. 

Finally, this method is QUICK. Here are a few examples I just created in less than ten minutes (for all of them!).

This method obviously requires some playing around a bit as well as a careful overview to maintain consistency. Taym’slar and T’waeth sound like they are in the same world but Aplincoff is on a different planet.

Which is your favorite method for naming things? Let me know in the comments below!