Guide on finding Lore-Conform Names

[BunjiKugashira.9754]

Since a "free existing names, I can't find a good name" thread pops up about once a week, I decided to make a guide on how to find a good name with only a few tries. The idea is to create names that fit the world of Tyria and could even be NPC names. Keep in mind that different Races actually have different difficulty-levels when generating a name. It's more difficult to find names for Sylvari and Asura (who only use 1 name most of the time) than it is to find names for the other races. The easiest by far are norn.

 

**Norn**

First Name + Last Name.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Norn#Names

Most Norn names are based on [old Norse names](https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Category:Old_Norse_Names "https://nordicnames.de/wiki/Category:Old_Norse_Names"). Just pick 2 names either from the linked list or from existing GW1 or GW2 Norn names. One of these is your First Name. To the other name you add "sson" if your character is male, "sdottir" if she's female. That's your Last Name. You can also pick some kind of title as a Last Name.

 

**Human**

First Name + Last Name.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Human#Names

Human culture in Tyria resembles late medieval culture. Therefore it seems fitting to pick a nice [medieval name](http://www.mithrilandmages.com/utilities/MedievalBrowse.php?letter=A&fms=F "mithrilandmages.com/utilities/MedievalBrowse.php?letter=A&fms=F"). Just pick a First Name and a Last Name and you're usually good to go.

If you want to play as a noble you might want to replace the Last Name with "of" + human controlled area. Examples: "Jennah of Kryta" or "Rurik of Ascalon". You can also choose smaller areas like Beetletun or Shaemoor.

 

**Charr**

First Name + Warband.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Charr#Names

Charr names usually sound sharp or harsh. I can't really give tips or even a good list besides adding some 'R', 'B' and other consonants. Maybe taking a look at the [NPC names](https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Story_characters#Charr_storyline "https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Story_characters#Charr_storyline") helps. Just combine them with a different Last Name. Charr Last Names consist of two words put together. One of which usually is the name of their warband. Though exceptions exist where their name is based on the chosen profession or job within the warband.

 

**Sylvari**

First Name.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Sylvari#Names

Most Sylvari names have their origin in [celtic names](https://www.behindthename.com/names/origin/ancient-celtic "https://behindthename.com/names/origin/ancient-celtic"). Just pick a nice name, switch some letters around and you're good to go. Since Sylvari only have one name, you have a higher chance of picking a name that is already taken. You can add some kind of title or reference to your character's Wyld Hunt to get more options.

 

**Asura**

First Name.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Asura#Names

Asura only have one name. And it's a short name with only 1 or 2 syllables. This means Asura have the smallest name-pool among the 5 races. Asura names usually have double-letters (often consonants) somewhere in their name, which means they draw their names from a completely different pool than the other races. To create an Asura name make a random noise and write it down. Then switch out some letters, make a letter appear twice in a row and make it end on 'a' or 'i' for a female or a consonant for a male. For flavor (or when you can't find a unique name) you can add titles like "Professor" or "Genious" or you can add the name of your crew. Just remember: Asura don't have conventional Last Names except for a few who are generally seen as weird by other Asura.

[Tanner Blackfeather.6509]

Great guide!

One thing I can add is that many charr NPCs have first names with greek or latin roots.

[Danikat.8537]

This is a really good list!

 

A couple of other points to consider, especially if you're not so strict about following the lore but don't want to go totally against it:

 

**Charr** without last names are almost certainly gladium - meaning their warband kicked them out or they are the sole survivor (which is just as dishonourable). They are the absolute lowest rung of society in Ascalon unless and until they find a new warband (and if they're not actively looking for one it's even worse) and may also be treated with suspicion outside Ascalon by charr and others familiar with charr society.

 

Other possibilities are that they're hiding their warband name for some reason (like Ember Doomforge in Ghosts of Ascalon, although I can't remember why she didn't want to tell anyone now) or they were born and raised outside Ascalon and don't have a warband, but that doesn't fit with your characters story so you'd have to skip and/or ignore the personal story to make that work.

 

**Sylvari** don't strictly have one-word names. They just don't have family names because they don't have a family (or alternatively they're all one family). They could have two word names (like Scarlet Briar). I also seem to remember hearing some sylvari will form families in mimicry of the other races, but I can't remember if that's actually in the lore or something players made up.

 

> @"BunjiKugashira.9754" said:

> If you want to play as a noble you might want to replace the Last Name with "of" + human controlled area. Examples: "Jennah of Kryta" or "Rurik of Ascalon". You can also choose smaller areas like Beetletun or Shaemoor.

 

If Tyria mirrors real-life then nobles would actually be more likely to have a family name. Commoners generally didn't because their family wasn't notable enough to have a name. Most of the time they'd be known simply by their given name (and most communities would be small enough that you wouldn't have two kids with the same name, or if you did one would go by a nickname) and if they had to be identified further it was by their profession - like John the Smith (the origin of modern surnames like Smith or Baker), by association with their father - John son of Peter (which is the origin of names like Peterson, but also other formats like O'Brien - short for 'of Brien') or the place they lived. For example Leonardo da Vinci didn't have a surname - his name was just Leonardo. But in order to distinguish him from other Leonardo's he was known as Leonardo of Vinci (the village where he grew up). It was only if the family got rich or important enough to become well known that they'd choose a family name (or one would become associated with them over time).

 

People like Jennah and Rurik are at the other extreme - they're royalty and as such don't need family names because their family is _so_ well known that they don't need one. Especially since in formal situations where most people would use a family name they'd use their title which serves the same purpose. (Although in real-life many royals do have family names, they just don't typically use them in conjunction with their titles.)

[mercury ranique.2170]

@"Danikat.8537" https://wiki.guildwars2.com/index.php?title=Category:Sylvari&pageuntil=Culurin#mw-pages

If you look at these pages, sylvari with two names are rare and often it is ‘function + name’ like warden danikat.

Scarlet Briar here name was originally Ceara. She took the name Scarlet Briar when she was in Omad’s Machine. This short story is relevant https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/short-story-what-scarlet-saw/

It shows that in the machine she distanced herself from being sylvari and became a dragon champion (-ish). So she is imo a bad example for double names

 

If you want a lore correct sylvari name (and don’t want to be a scarlet), the best approach would be to use a title or function as a prefix. So Queen Danikat would be a perfect Sylvari name.

[Hellisa.7132]

Awesome guide and even though I've been playing GW2 off and on for years, still learning new things.. ❤

[Yumiko Ishida.3769]

Also take note of ancestry and ethnic background into account for humans. Humans fall under these ethnic groups (most common to least common): Krytan, Ascalonian, Elonian (Istani, Vabbian, and Kournan), Canthan (Imperial Shing Jea, Imperial Kaineng, Kurzick and Luxon) and Orrian. You can use many names that fit these analogues to real world cultures and ethnicity and have a lore appropriate name. I have my characters as mostly Canthan descent, but usually Kaineng Imperial and Kurzick, so I would use mostly Japanese or Korean and Germanic names as both a first or last name.

 

**Krytans** are more based on the Latin-based cultures of the French and Spanish, also in lore, Kryta was once an Orrian vassal state at one time, Hence true Krytans have darker olive skin like, Italians and Moors of Spain.

**Ascalonians** are more based on The English well most of Great Britain's cultures and naming schemes.

**Elonians** and the subsets in the region and continent are all Middle Eastern and of Africa with mostly African tribal name schemes (Istani and Kourna) or Islamic names (Vabbi and Istani).

**Canthans**, depending on the region, are Chinese for Shing jea, Japanese (and lesser of Korean) for Kaineng City Proper, German and Japanese for Kurzicks, and Japanese and Greek for Luxons.

**Orrians** are also very Arabic in naming like Vabbians and Istanis.