A wizard's name usually comes in two parts: an old-fashioned first name, and something people call them behind their back. This wizard name generator gives you both: a grand first name for a wizard of any gender, with an epithet to suit their school of magic, a place they're known for, a surname, or a title.
Where wizard names come from
- The word wizard started out meaning simply a wise man: it's Middle English wys, wise, with the ending -ard.
- Merlin began as the Welsh Myrddin. Geoffrey of Monmouth turned him into Merlinus in the 1130s, and the Latin name stuck.
- Gandalf comes from the same Norse list of dwarves as Thorin and Bombur. Gandálfr probably means "wand-elf", which is why Tolkien gave it to his wizard instead.
- Real magicians liked grand Latin names too. The Swiss physician known as Paracelsus is usually said to have taken a name meaning "beyond Celsus", the famous Roman writer on medicine.
Four ways to name a wizard
- Name and epithet: the Tolkien way. Gandalf the Grey, Saruman the White, Radagast the Brown: one word that says what they are.
- Name of a place: the Forgotten Realms way. Elminster of Shadowdale is known by where he lives. Choose a tower, a fen, a city.
- First name and surname: the Hogwarts way. Albus Dumbledore is a person with a family, not a legend. Good for a wizard who teaches, or one who's still at school.
- With a title: Archmage, Magister, Loremaster. For a wizard with an office, a council seat or an opinion of themselves.
Epithets by school of magic
D&D sorts magic into eight schools, and the epithet suits the one you choose:
- Abjuration, protective magic: the Warded, the Unbroken.
- Conjuration, summoning: the Many-Handed, the Door-Maker.
- Divination, seeing what's hidden: the Far-Seeing, the Blind (the blind seer is a very old idea).
- Enchantment, charm and command: the Silver-Tongued, the Smiling.
- Evocation, fire, lightning and force: the Red, the Storm-Handed.
- Illusion: the Many-Faced, the Mirror-Eyed.
- Necromancy: the Pale, the Deathless.
- Transmutation, changing one thing into another: the Quicksilver, the Stone-Turner.
Leave it on Any for the classic colours and characters: the Grey, the Wanderer, the Unready.
A name with a story
- True names. In Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea, knowing something's true name gives you power over it, so wizards hide their own: Ged goes by Sparrowhawk. A wizard with a use-name and a secret name is a plot in two words.
- Name the spells. D&D's Bigby's Hand and Mordenkainen's Sword are named after characters from Gary Gygax's own games. If your wizard invents a spell, it should carry their name.
- Spell it badly. Terry Pratchett's Rincewind has WIZZARD stitched on his hat, which tells you everything about him. For more of that, try the Funny Wizard Name Generator.
Rest of the party need names too? There are generators for every D&D class: barbarian, bard, cleric, druid, monk, paladin, ranger, rogue, sorcerer, warlock. A wizard who specialises in death magic might want the Necromancer Name Generator.
Every wizard needs a staff: try the Staff Name Generator.
Got a name but no story? Try the Story Prompt Generator for a plot, a setting or a twist.