A half-elf's name says a lot about who raised them. In D&D, half-elves use either human or elven naming customs, and, as the Player's Handbook puts it, those raised among humans are often given elven names in honour of their heritage, and the other way round. This half-elf name generator builds names for all four cases, from an elven first name with a human surname to a fully elven name.
How half-elf names work
The fifth-edition Player's Handbook (2014) gives half-elves no naming system of their own. Instead they take the customs of whichever people raised them, with a twist: parents often reach for the other side of the family, so a half-elf raised by humans may be given an elven name, and one raised by elves a human one.
The Raised by choice covers the four results:
- Raised by humans, elven first name: Haelan Ashford. The most common half-elf name, a nod to the elven parent.
- Raised by elves, human first name: Tobias Silvaren. The human parent remembered in an elven household.
- Fully elven or fully human: for half-elves who fit in, or who'd like to.
Half-elves you may know
- Elrond in Tolkien's legendarium, one of the Peredhil, the "Half-elven". Tolkien's half-elves had to choose which kind to be; Elrond chose the elves. His name means "star-dome".
- Tanis Half-Elven in the Dragonlance novels, who wears his heritage as his surname.
- Jaheira, the half-elf druid of the Baldur's Gate games, from the first game through to Baldur's Gate 3.
All three show the same idea: a half-elf's name is often where their divided background shows first.
Choosing the right mix
- Decide who raised them first. It's the most important choice, and it gives you a backstory for free.
- Use the clash. An elven first name with a plain human surname (Ilaria Underwood) tells people at once that this character sits between two worlds.
- Consider a chosen name. Some half-elves drop the name they were given. A half-elf who goes by a human nickname among elves is making a point.
For more elven names, with Tolkien's real Sindarin and Quenya names and their meanings, try the Elf Name Generator.