How to use the dragonborn name generator
- Pick a draconic ancestry, or leave it on Any. The ancestry shapes the clan name: a red or gold clan's name speaks of fire, a white or silver clan's of frost.
- Choose what to show: full names (clan first), given names only, clan names only, or hatchling names.
- Pick a style. Honoured adds a title earned by service to the clan; Fierce adds a battle name that fits your element.
- Keep the best ones. Star names, copy or download the list, or share a link with your group.
How dragonborn names work
A dragonborn's clan is the centre of their life. In our generator, and at many game tables, a dragonborn introduces themself with the clan name first: Ignarodran Ishtemetu is a member of the Ignarodran clan first, and a person second. Failing the clan brings shame on every member, so a dragonborn's name is a promise as much as a label.
Our given names use old, proud sounds, with strong K, R, TH and SH and open vowels, built from roots that each mean something. That is where the meaning under every name comes from. About a third of the given names use a harder, rockier sound for dragonborn raised far from the old clan halls.
The free D&D rules (SRD 5.1 and 5.2) give every dragonborn a draconic ancestry: one of ten kinds of dragon, each with its own damage type. Black and copper dragons breathe acid, blue and bronze lightning, brass, gold and red fire, green poison, and silver and white cold. Our clan names carry that element. A blue clan might be "line of the thunder", a green clan "blood of the green shadow". The ancestry also colours the portrait next to each name.
The three names of a dragonborn
- The clan name comes first, and it is the most important. It joins an element root (ember, frost, storm, rust, thorn…) to a word for family: line, house, dynasty, blood, hearth, wing-kin or egg-line.
- The given name is chosen by the parents and used by friends and strangers alike, such as Daganet or Nabur.
- The hatchling name is a nickname from clutchmates, about something the young dragonborn did or looked like: Loudcrest, Stubbornclaw, Pebblescale. Some keep it for life, as a term of affection among close friends.
Dragonborn names for every ancestry
| Ancestry | Element | Example names (clan first) |
|---|---|---|
| Black | acid | Dravethis Grunmund · Molozen Khemete · Dravumar Benem |
| Blue | lightning | Valdumar Maaten · Ossethis Benu · Torekhet Hepos |
| Brass | fire | Keshekhet Maatar · Zerraodran Daganu · Zerrankar Ishtete |
| Bronze | lightning | Kraozen Marrah · Torekhet Sekos · Kraresh Ninuis |
| Copper | acid | Dravankar Ulfar · Velithar Svarulfar · Qesekhet Hepis |
| Gold | fire | Ashkozen Raen · Zerraozen Gorur · Vorozen Maatara |
| Green | poison | Kaelumar Atumah · Vexekhet Benen · Thissodran Hepur |
| Red | fire | Ignarodran Ishtemetu · Ashkithar Stakek · Keshethis Setishken |
| Silver | cold | Kaldekhet Renet · Kaldodran Sekur · Naalithar Urnebete |
| White | cold | Bremekhet Maris · Skaethis Durrin · Sirrumar Balrik |
What a clan name says about a family
The second half of every clan name is a word for family. Each one hints at a different kind of clan, which is handy when you build a backstory:
| Ending | Means | Suggests |
|---|---|---|
| -ankar | line | an ordinary, proud family that can name every ancestor |
| -ethis | house | a family with a great hall, and servants or apprentices |
| -umar | dynasty | an old ruling clan, used to giving orders |
| -ekhet | clan | a large clan spread over many villages |
| -aresh | blood | a warrior clan that values strength and sacrifice |
| -ozen | hearth | a close, warm family that keeps its old traditions |
| -ithar | wing-kin | a clan that claims a dragon as a real ancestor |
| -odran | egg-line | a clan that counts its hatchings with great care |
Female and male dragonborn names
Dragonborn names don't change much between women and men; the endings do most of the work. Set Gender to get given names with female, male or neutral endings.
- Female: Daganet, Atumis, Atumah, Osirah, Gundgrid, Thruneth, Gunddis, Sabis.
- Male: Nabur, Khemem, Kordar, Urek, Bjornur, Ashurar, Kerem, Urem.
- Hatchling names: Loudcrest, Stubbornclaw, Pebblescale, Quickscale, Sunspine, Quicknose, Boldspine, Embertail.
Name a whole clutch
Dragonborn eggs often hatch together, so a family can gain five children in a single day. Name a whole clutch gives five hatchlings of one clan, each with a given name and the nickname their clutchmates use. It's handy for a dragonborn's siblings in a backstory, or a family of NPCs in a dragonborn village.
Tips for naming your dragonborn
- Let the clan carry the story. A clan name meaning "line of the forge heat" suggests smiths; "egg-line of the storm" suggests sailors or sky-watchers.
- Use the hatchling name at the table. Long clan names are a mouthful. Your party can call you by your hatchling name once they've earned it.
- A lost clan is a hook. A dragonborn who won't say their clan name, or uses another clan's, has a story the DM will love.
- Match the ancestry to the class. A cold-blooded silver paladin or a hot-headed red barbarian: the name can tell the table which before you roll a single die.
- Say it out loud. Use the respelling and the 🔊 button. A name you can say clearly is a name your group will remember.
Frequently asked questions
How do dragonborn names work in D&D?
In our generator a dragonborn has a clan name, a given name and often a childhood nickname. The clan name comes first because the clan matters more than the person. The free rules give dragonborn a draconic ancestry; the naming customs here are our own, written for this site.
Do dragonborn put their clan name first?
It's a common custom at many tables and our default: "Dravethis Grunmund" rather than the other way round. If you prefer, choose Given names and add a clan name after it.
What is a dragonborn hatchling name?
A nickname from clutchmates, about something the young dragonborn did, such as tumbling everywhere or being the loudest. Choose Hatchling names to get a list of them.
Can I get names for a specific dragon colour?
Yes. Pick an ancestry, such as Red or Silver, and the clan names will carry that dragon's element. The portrait next to each name takes the colour too.
Are these names from the Player's Handbook?
No. Every name is built by our own generator from roots written for this site, and we block the example names printed in the rulebooks and famous names from books and games. Search a name before you publish it, just in case.
Can I share a list with my group?
Yes. Share list copies a link that opens the same names with their meanings, so your table can vote. Favourites stay in this browser.
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