Goblin name generator

How goblin names are structured

A goblin given name is two or three clipped syllables built from a boastful prefix (Snik- 'sneak', Grik- 'grab', Skar- 'scratch'), a short root and an ending such as -nak or -ka. Many goblins add an epithet or gang name that does the real work: Ratbiter, Quickfingers, of the Rusty Knife.

Goblin naming conventions

Goblin names are short, sharp and a little rude in spirit: hard k and g sounds, buzzing z's and clipped vowels. Most goblins answer to whatever their gang calls them, and a name is something you defend — or upgrade — with a story about the last scrap you survived.

Examples of goblin names

Snikutnak, Zubazka and Griketle all sound right at a goblin cookfire. For a memorable NPC, pair a short given name with a deed-epithet: a goblin called Nubet Coinsnatcher tells the party exactly what to keep an eye on.

Goblin names for players and for DMs

A goblin player character usually wants a name with some swagger, because the rest of the world will underestimate them. Pick a three-syllable name from the list above and keep the epithet for later: it is more satisfying to earn Quickfingers in play than to start with it.

A DM running a goblin warband needs the opposite: names short enough to say mid-combat and different enough to track. Give the minions two-syllable names, give the boss three syllables and a gang title, and the table will remember who mattered after the fight.