In the realm of tabletop role-playing games, Game Masters often find themselves in a familiar predicament. They meticulously introduce player characters to a scene, deeply describing the main, plot-relevant NPC who awaits their interaction. Yet, much to the GM’s chagrin, the players frequently veer off course, completely drawn to some seemingly insignificant background character—the one hastily added as an afterthought.
And, as if scripted, they immediately insist on knowing the exact name, profession, and life story of this inconspicuous figure. Fear not, dear GMs, for we can easily solve the immediate hurdle: the art of naming on the fly.
Building a Persona Catalog In my day-to-day work, I regularly encounter individuals from diverse corners of the globe. Because of this, I maintain a running, real-world catalog of unique and unconventional names. Keeping a list like this within arm’s reach during game sessions is perfect for swift deployment whenever a player catches you off guard.
However, even with a trusty personal roster, sometimes a campaign demands specific regional flavor. Picture a quaint village nestled in the folds of your world map where names need to resonate with shared cultural or ethnic origins—perhaps an enclave where names carry distinct archaic, regional, or historical roots to make the settlement feel alive. For those scenarios, I turn to these invaluable naming resources:
Essential Naming Reference Books
Author: Erik James Olsrud
Details: Available on DriveThruRPG. An excellent tool for pulling authentic names from a massive variety of real-world cultures.
Treasury of Archaic Names (ToAN)
Author: Bill Owen
Details: Fantastic for finding old-world, historical naming conventions that give fantasy settings an ancient, grounded feel.
Extraordinary Book of Names (EBoN)
Author: Malcolm Bowers (Part of the Gary Gygax World Builder Series)
Details: Back in print via Troll Lord Games. A massive, comprehensive staple for deep-dive campaign building and world design.
Story Games Names Project (SGNP)
Author: Various community contributors
Details: Available for free online. A massive, collaborative compilation explicitly organized to help game masters assign quick, thematic names based on genre.
Due to the ever-changing nature of the Internet, and quickly changing link addresses, I'm just pointing out these resources instead of directly linking to anything.
Digital Tools & Generators
If you are running a session away from your physical books or need an instant result in a pinch, keeping a few reliable digital tools bookmarked on your phone or laptop is a lifesaver. These stable, classic platforms remain incredibly reliable resources for generating names instantly behind the screen:
Donjon - Donjon Fantasy Name Generator: Perfect for sorting by specific fantasy races, cultures, or classic d20 themes.
Fantasy Name Generators - Fantasy Name Generators: A massive index covering everything from realistic historical cultures to specific pop-culture and fantasy archetypes.
RPG Names dot com - RPG Names: A direct, no-nonsense generator built specifically to keep tabletop games moving forward without a hitch.
