Humans are the most varied people in D&D, and in the Forgotten Realms their names depend on where they come from. The fifth-edition Player's Handbook lists nine human ethnic groups of Faerûn, each with its own naming style. This D&D human name generator covers three of the most common in Sword Coast adventures: Chondathan (also used by Tethyrians), Illuskan and Damaran.
Human names in the Forgotten Realms
The Player's Handbook (2014) names nine human groups in Faerûn: Calishite, Chondathan, Damaran, Illuskan, Mulan, Rashemi, Shou, Tethyrian and Turami. Each has its own names, many loosely inspired by real-world languages.
This generator covers three:
- Chondathan and Tethyrian: the most common names along the Sword Coast, in cities like Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep. They sound like English and Western European names, slightly altered.
- Illuskan: the seafaring people of the cold northern Sword Coast, around Luskan. Their names have a Norse feel and their surnames often come from the sea.
- Damaran: from Damara, in the Bloodstone Lands of north-eastern Faerûn. Their names have a Slavic sound.
All the names here are new, so you won't share one with an example from the book.
Choosing a name for your human
- Start with where they grew up. A fisherman from Luskan and a noble from Waterdeep shouldn't sound alike.
- Use the surname for backstory. Illuskan sea names (Saltbeard, Tidebreaker) say "sailor family" at once.
- Mix for travellers. A human raised in a port city might have a Chondathan first name and an Illuskan surname.
For the other peoples of the Realms, see the D&D name generators, or try the Baldur's Gate 3 Name Generator.