Dragonborn put their clan before themselves, and their names show it. In D&D a dragonborn has a personal name given at birth, but puts the clan name first as a mark of honour, so a dragonborn introduces themselves by family before self. This dragonborn name generator builds full names in that order, or gives you a personal name, a clan name or a childhood nickname on its own.
How dragonborn names work
The fifth-edition Player's Handbook (2014) gives dragonborn three kinds of name:
- A clan name, said first. Dragonborn society is built around clans, and a dragonborn's standing depends on the clan's honour, so putting it first is a statement of loyalty.
- A personal name, given at birth.
- A childhood name, a nickname used among clutchmates, either describing them or said with affection. Some stick for life.
So where a human would say "Aldric Thorne", a dragonborn says the equivalent of "Thorne Aldric". The generator's full names follow that order: Morrikathul Kerrak is Kerrak of clan Morrikathul.
What the names sound like
- Clan names are long, often four or five syllables, with rolling and hissing sounds: -thul, -andor, -iax, -esk. They sound old, because they are.
- Personal names are short and hard, usually two syllables built on rr, zh, kh and sh: Rhazkar, Torvash, Jhessa.
- Female names tend to end in a vowel (Kalira, Rhiza, Uzhara); male names in a consonant (Ghazrin, Zorvash).
- Childhood names are plain words, often in Common: Quickclaw, Bookworm, Runt. They describe a habit or a moment from the egg-clutch years.
All the names here are new, built from those patterns, rather than copied from the Player's Handbook.
Using the clan in your story
The clan name is the most useful part of a dragonborn's name for roleplay. A dragonborn who has dishonoured their clan, or been cast out of it, has a decision to make every time they introduce themselves: say the clan name, hide it or drop it.
- Proud: uses the full name every time, and expects others to know the clan.
- Exiled: goes by the personal name or childhood name alone, and changes the subject when asked.
- Clanless: some dragonborn, raised away from other dragonborn, never learned a clan name at all. Use "Personal name only" and let the party wonder.
Draconic ancestry (red, gold, silver and so on) doesn't change how the name is built, but it's a good guide to sound: a red-blooded clan might favour harsher names than a silver one.