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.

316,416 combinations

Thegndun Barber
Thegn retainer + dun hill
Barber hair cutter
Beornmild Palmer
Beorn warrior + mild mercy
Palmer returned pilgrim
Baldlac Weaver
Bald bold + lac play
Weaver cloth weaver
Ordgytha Archer
Ord spear point + gytha strife
Archer bowman
Beornceol Tanner
Beorn warrior + ceol ship
Tanner hide tanner
Swithgyth Glover
Swith strong + gyth battle
Glover glove maker
Stanbeorn Cooper
Stan stone + beorn warrior
Cooper barrel maker
Hamthryth Squire
Ham home + thryth strength
Squire shield bearer
Hygewela Falconer
Hyge mind + wela riches
Falconer hawk keeper
Hardgith Turner
Hard hardy + gith war
Turner lathe worker
Ceolsige Fletcher
Ceol ship + sige victory
Fletcher arrow maker
Cengard Mercer
Cen keen + gard enclosure
Mercer silk merchant
Eadwela Potter
Ead wealth + wela riches
Potter pot maker
Sigegytha Bailey
Sige victory + gytha strife
Bailey bailiff
Freoweard Bailey
Freo free + weard guardian
Bailey bailiff
Dunhilde Wainwright
Dun hill + hilde conflict
Wainwright wagon maker
Theodfolc Hayward
Theod people + folc folk
Hayward hedge warden
Stanburga Forester
Stan stone + burga citadel
Forester wood warden
Godwig Archer
God good + wig warrior
Archer bowman
Hereburh Wright
Here army + burh stronghold
Wright craftsman
Brandlind Hunter
Brand sword + lind shield
Hunter game hunter
Hrothtrude Smith
Hroth fame + trude steadfastness
Smith metalworker
Cuthheard Potter
Cuth famous + heard hardy
Potter pot maker
Tilwynn Chandler
Til useful + wynn joy
Chandler candle maker

Need a name that means something in particular? Build one from its meaning.

How English human names are built

Etymology

¶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.

More human names

Male human names

Beorhtweard Barber bright guardian
Swithmund Butler strong protection
Frithgrim Draper peace mask
Blaecceol Shepherd black ship
Oslind Cutler god shield
Thegnswith Tanner retainer strong
Beornhyge Falconer warrior mind
Cuthsith Mercer famous journey
Ecgrun Clark blade edge secret
Herewald Hunter army rule
Godwynn Thatcher good joy
Blaecgar Cooper black spear
Standun Draper stone hill
Hrothwig Palmer fame warrior
Modos Chapman courage god
Mildgar Salter gentle spear
Selesige Shepherd hall victory
Modlaf Archer courage heirloom

Female human names

Folcwen Hayward folk hope
Modgytha Archer courage strife
Saegunda Forester sea struggle
Eorltryth Collier nobleman vigour
Hrothwaru Slater fame protection
Raedleofe Draper counsel dear one
Sunnwen Parker sun hope
Dunmilde Carter hill mildness
Eorlsib Archer nobleman kinship
Ordwenne Collier spear point expectation
Raedsibb Bailey counsel concord
Centrude Tanner keen steadfastness
Oswenne Skinner god expectation
Cynegytha Archer royal strife
Aelflufu Turner elf love
Goldwynne Cutler golden delight
Deortrude Slater brave steadfastness
Deormild Potter brave mercy

Questions

FAQ

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.