Drow Naming Conventions
Drow names are typically based on the drow language. They’re designed to be flowing, smooth, and pleasant to the ear—sometimes with double letters as well. Canonically in the Forgotten Realms, last names and house names rarely start with “L” for fear of sounding too much like “Lolth,” the evil spider goddess revered by some drow. Furthermore, low-born drow rarely have surnames at all—but, if your drow character isn’t born into a Lolth-sworn settlement, they may have a surname regardless of their social status. Don’t worry too much about making your drow character’s name sound “authentic.” Many existing naming conventions are based on Lolth-sworn society from older editions, but there are now other canonical drow settlements—like the hidden enclave of Callidae. So, you can come up with your own naming conventions, too.
Female Drow Names
Most of these names come from combining a prefix and suffix in the drow language; you may notice some similarities between names with common roots. Others are unique names found throughout Dungeons & Dragons drow lore. They don’t have a specific meaning in the drow language, but some do in real-world languages (like Welsh). Take a look at the following female drow names: Akordia - Means “beloved rogue” or “best rogue” Alaunirra - Means “powerful herald” Alysaaria - Means “legendary” or “song” Alystin - Means “legendary clan” or “singing clan” Amalica - Means “blessed lady” Angaste - Means “savage keeper” Anluryn - Full meaning unclear, but associated with death, blood, or “elder” Aunrae - Means “deadly seeker” (or “deadly secret”) Balaena - Means “Flame, dancer, spirit” Bhintha - Means “crafty (or sly)” Belarbreena - Means “arrow matriarch” Brigantyna - Meaning unclear Briza - Means “graceful” or “water” Chalithra - Means “earth dragon” or “solid dragon” Chandara - Meaning unclear Chessintra - Means “noble prophet (or messenger)” Dhaunae - Means “plague dancer” Drisinil - Means “ash” or “dawn” Eclavdra - Means “chaos lover” Elerra - Associated with “game,” “prey” and “quarry” Elvanshalee - Means “elf wanderer” Elvraema - Means “drow (or mage) crafter” Ereldra - Means “moon lover” Faeryl - Means “drow oath” Felyndiira - Means “pale (or weak) sibling” G’eldriia - Means “spider teacher” Ghilanna - Full meaning unclear, but associated with “advisor” or “counselor” Guliira - Means “ghost herald” Haelra - Means “marked quarry” Ilivarra - Means “warrior queen” Imrae - Means “devoted seeker” Jaelryn (or Jhaelryna) - Means “ambitious (or kin) elder” Jhanass - Means “shield savant (or scholar)” Kiaran - Meaning unclear Laele - Means “iron vassal” Larynda - Means “lawful captain” Lledrith - Drow meaning unclear, but means “enchantment” in Welsh Lythrana - Meaning unclear Maya - Means “beautiful destruction” Nathrae - Means “doomed seeker (or quest)” Nathyrra - Means “doomed protector” Nedylene - Means “cunning maiden” Nilara - Means “weeping queen” Olorae - Means “seeker’s tattoo” Phyrra - Means “blessed fool” (or “blessed destruction” when spelled “Phyra”) Quarra - Means “eternal fool” (or “eternal destruction” when spelled “Quara”) Rauva - Means “stone breaker” Sabal - Means “amber” or “yellow” Sabrae - Means “void seeker” Saradreza - Meaning unclear Schezalle - Meaning unclear Sindyrrith - Means “joy protector” T’risstree - Means “blade (or sharp) exile” Talice - Means “pain-taker” Thraele - Meaning unclear Ulitree - Means “golden exile” Umrae - Means “faithful” Vhondryl - Means “bold” or “hero” Vornalla - Meaning associated with “healer” and “priestess” Xune - Means “fiendish vassal” Xyra - Means “sage,” “teller” Yasrena - Means “web haven” Z’ress - Meaning unclear Zarra - Means “shadow quarry” Zeerith - Meaning unclear Zendalure - Means “ancient” Zilvra - Means “forgotten fool”
Male Drow Names
Like the previous list, this collection of male drow names contains unique names from D&D lore without a specific meaning as well as names created from prefixes and suffixes in the drow language (so they have a meaning written). Although plenty of drow names can be unisex, here are some more masculine drow names in Dungeons & Dragons: Alton - Means "lightning" Balok - Means “burning” or “flame” Baragh - Means “fate (or luck) breaker” Belaern - Means “burning blood” Belgos - Means “burning beast” Bhinril - Means “sly outlaw” Berg’inyon - Means “graceful runner (or feet)” Bhintel - Means “sly loner (or exile)” Bruherd - Means “arrow giver (or god)” Caelkoth - Meaning unclear Callimar - Means “noble maker (or creator)” Chaszmyr - Means “earth bones (or necromancer)” Coranzen - Meaning unclear Dresmorlin - Meaning unclear Duagloth - Meaning unclear Durdyn - Means “cold flight (or wings)” Elamshin - Meaning unclear Elendar - Meaning associated with “breath” or “voice” Elkantar - Means “chaos patriarch” Filraen - Means “pale disciple” Ghaundan - Means “cursed (or unlucky) strider” Guldor - Means “pale fingers (or artisan)” Gwylyss - Drow meaning unclear, but means “twilight” or “gloaming” in Welsh Houndaer - Means “magic trickster” Istorvir - Means “immortal overseer” Iymril - Means “immortal outlaw” Jalynfein - Means “ambitious minstrel (or singer)” Jevan - Drow meaning unclear, but means “beloved” in Welsh Lesaonar - Means “bound guardian” Llaulmyn - Meaning unclear Malaggar - Meaning associated with “mystery” or “secret” Micarlin - Means “lost (or poison) commander” Molvayas - Means “storm (or blue) hammer (or smith)” Morennel - Meaning unclear Nadal - Means “cunning maniac” Nalfein - Means “horrible (or fear) song” Narissorin - Meaning unclear Nimruil - Meaning unclear Nyloth - Meaning unclear Nym - Means “lost,” “skeleton” or “skull” Omareth - Means “tattoo (or skin) taker” Pharaun - Means “honored dancer” Quave - Means “charmed vassal” Qualndar - Means “mighty voice” Quevven - Means “charmed comrade” Ranaghar - Means “minor death (or end)” Relonor - Means “wind fool” Rinnill - Meaning unclear Ristel - Means “ash exile” Ryld - Means “branded” Seldszar - Means “sworn match” Szordrin - Means “amber rogue” Tarlyn - Means “wounded assassin (or agent)” Tazennin - Means “winged rider (or lord)” Tebelin - Means “sharp commander” Tsabrak - Means “abyssal storm” Valas - Means “dark scholar (or wizard)” Vhurdaer - Meaning is associated with “illusionist” or “trickster” Vorn - Means “honored” or “honor” Welverin - Means “stone advisor” Yuimmar - Meaning unclear Zeerith - Meaning unclear Zyn - Possibly means “finder” or “hunter”
Drow Surnames & House Names
In the world of D&D, drow surnames are typically called “house names” since drow families from the Underdark call themselves “houses.” Of course, you can always deviate from that lore and come up with any surname for your drow character that you like—but if you’re looking for a more classic house name, here are a few canonical houses in the Forgotten Realms: Auvryndar - A minor house in Menzoberranzan. Baenre - The first house of Menzoberranzan. Barrison Del’Armigo - The second house of Menzoberranzan. Claddath - The seventh house in the city of Ched Nassad. Despana - A minor noble house in various cities, including Ust Natha and Menzoberranzan. DeVir - A drow noble house destroyed by House Do’Urden. Do’Urden - A former house destroyed in 1357 DR, then reformed by House Baenre. Faen Tlabbar - The third house of Menzoberranzan. Fey-Branche - The fifth house of Menzoberranzan. Hun’ett - A drow house destroyed in the Sable Years (1338 DR). Melarn - The sixth house of Menzoberranzan. Millithor - The twenty-fifth house of Menzoberranzan. Mizzrym - The fourth house of Menzoberranzan. Oblodra - A formerly powerful drow noble house destroyed in 1358 DR. Shobalar - A reclusive drow house destroyed during the War of the Spider Queen. Vandree - The seventh noble house in Menzoberranzan. Xorlarrin - A drow house famous for its wizardry that relocated to Gauntlgrym. Yauntyrr - A drow noble house in Eryndlyn until it was destroyed in 1362 DR.
How to Make Your Own Drow Name
Choose a prefix Instead of picking a premade drow name, you can make your own using this collection of prefixes and suffixes, each with a meaning in the drow language. Scan the prefixes for one you like—or make a list to compare with the suffixes below! These come from an old issue of Dragon Magazine (#267) from January 2000 and an article titled “By Any Other Name: The Drow” by Owen K.C. Stephens. Akor/Alak - Means “beloved, best, first” Alaun/Alton - Means “lightning, powerful” Aly/Kel - Means “legendary, singing, song” Ang/Adin - Means “beast, monstrous, savage” Ardul/Amal - Means “blessed, divine, godly” Aun/Ant - Means “crypt, dead, deadly, death” Bae/Bar - Means “fate, fated, luck, lucky” Bal/Bel - Means ‘burned, burning, fire, flame” Belar/Bruh - Means “arrow, lance, pierced” Briz/Berg - Means “graceful, fluid, water, wet” Bur/Bhin - Means “craft, crafty, sly” Chal/Chasz - Means “earth, stable” Char/Kron - Means “sick, venom” Chess/Cal - Means “noble, lady or lord” Dhaun - Means “infested, plague” Dil/Dur - Means “cold, ice, still” Dirz/Div - Means “dream, dreaming, fantasy” Dris/Riz - Means “ash, dawn, east, eastern” Eclave/Elk - Means “chaos, mad, madness” Elvan/Kalan - Means “elf, elven, far, lost” Elv/Elaug - Means “drow, mage, power” Erel/Rhyl - Means “eye, moon, spy” Ethe/Erth - Means “mithril, resolute” Faer/Selds - Means “oath, sworn, vow” Felyn/Fil - Means “pale, thin, weak, white” Filf/Phar - Means “dwarf, Dwarven, treacherous” Gauss/Orgoll - Means “dread, fear, feared, vile” G’eld - Means “friend, spider” Ghaun - Means “accursed, curse, unlucky” Gin/Din - Means “berserk, berserker, orc, wild” Grey/Gul - Means “ghost, pale, unloving” Hael/Hatch - Means “marked, trail, way” Hal/Sol - Means “deft, nimble, spider” Houn/Rik - Means “magic, trail, way” Iliv/Dip - Means “liege, war, warrior” Ilm - Means “life, living, spirit, soul” Illiam/Im - Means “devoted, heart, love” In/Sorn - Means “enchanted, spell” Ilph - Means “emerald, green, lush, tree” Irae/Ilzt - Means “arcane, mystic, wizard” Irr/Izz - Means “hidden, mask, masked” Iym/Ist - Means “endless, immortal” Jhan/Duag - Means ‘shield, warded” Jhael/Gel - Means “ambitious, clan, kin, family” Jhul/Jar - Means “charmed, rune, symbol” Jys/Driz - Means “hard, steel, unyielding” Lael - Menas “iron, west, western” Lar/Les - Means “binding, bound, law, lawful” Mourn - Means “legend, legendary, mythical” Lird/Ryld - Means “brand, branded” Lua/Lyme - Means “bright, crystal, light” Mal/Malag - Means “mystery, secret” May/Mas - Means “beautiful, beauty, silver” Micar - Means “lost, poison, widow” Min/Ran - Means “lesser, minor, second” Mol/Go - Means “blue, storm, thunder, wind” Myr/Nym - Means “lost, skeleton, skull” Nath/Mer - Menas “doom, doomed, fate” Ned/Nad - Means “cunning, genius, mind, thought” Nhil/Nal - Means “fear, horrible, horror, outraged” Neer - Means “core, root, strong” Null/Nil - Means “sad, tear, weeping” Olor/Omar - Means “skin, tattoo, tattooed” Pellan/Relon - Means “north, platinum, wind” Phaer/Vorn - Means “honor, honored” Phyr/Phyx - Means “bless, blessed, blessing” Qualn/Quil - Means “mighty, ocean, sea” Quar - Means “aged, eternal, time” Quav/Quev - Means “charmed, docile, friend” Qil/Quil - Means “foe, goblin” Rauv/Welv - Means “cave, rock, stone” Ril/Ryl - Means “foretold, omen” Sabal/Szor - Means “amber, yellow” Sab/Tsab - Means “abyss, empty, void” Shin/Kren - Means “fool, foolish, young” Shri/Ssz - Means “silk, silent” Shur/Shar - Means “dagger, edge, stiletto” Shynt - Means “invisible, skilled, unseen” Sin/Szin - Means “festival, joy, pleasure” Ssap/That - Means “blue, midnight, night” Susp/Spir - Means “learned, skilled, wise” Talab/Tluth - Means “burn, burning, fire” Tal/Tar - Menas “love, pain, wound, wounded” Triel/Taz - Means “bat, winged” T’riss/Teb - Means “blade, sharp, sword” Ulviir/Uhls - Means “gold, golden, treasure” Umrae/Hurz - Means “faith, faithful, true” Vas/Vesz - Means “blood, body, flesh” Vic - Means “abyss, deep, profound” Vier/Val - Means “black, dark, darkness” Vlon/Wod - Means “bold, hero, heroic” Waer/Wehl - Means “deep, hidden, south, southern” Wuyon/Wruz - Means “humble, third, trivial” Xull/Url - Means “blooded, crimson, ruby” Xun - Means “demon, fiend, fiendish” Yas/Yaz - Means “riddle, spinning, thread, web” Zar/Zakn - Means “dusk, haunted, shadow” Zebey/Zek - Means “dragon, lithe, rage, wyrm” Zes/Zez - Means “ancient, elder, respected” Zilv/Vuz - Means “forgotten, old, unknown”
Select a suffix Now, take a look at the suffixes here. Make a list of your favorites, then see if you can match any prefixes with one of those suffixes. It’s simple: a prefix + a suffix = your new drow character name! You can also add multiple suffixes to a prefix if there’s a combination you like. -a/-agh - Means “breaker, destruction, end, omega” -ace/-as - Means “savant, scholar, wizard” -ae/-aun - Means “dance, dancer, life, player” -aere/-d - Means “blood, blood of, heir” -afae/-afein - Means “bane, executioner, slayer” -afay/-aufein - Means “eyes, eyes of, seer” -ala/-launim - Means “healer, priestess or priest” -anna/-erin - Means “advisor, counselor to” -arra/-atar - Means “queen, prince (or queen of, prince of)” -aste - Means “bearer, keeper” -avin/-aonar - Means “guardian, guard, shield” -ayne/-al - Means “lunatic, maniac, manic, rage” -breena/-antar - Means “matriarch, patriarch, ruler” -baste/-gloth - Means “path, walker” -bryn/-lyn - Means “agent, assassin, killer” -cice/-roos - Means “born of, child, young” -cyrl/-axle - Means “ally, companion, friend” -da/-daer - Means “illusionist, trickster” -dia/-drin - Means “rogue, stealer” -diira/-diirn - Means “initiate, sister or brother” -dra/-zar - Means “lover, match, mate” -driira/-driirn - Means “mother or father, teacher” -dril/-dorl - Means “knight, sword, warrior” -e - Means “servant, vassal” -eari/-erd - Means “giver, god, patron” -eyl - Means “archer, arrow, flight, flyer” -ffyn/-fein - Means “minstrel, singer, song” -fryn - Means “champion, victor, weapon, the weapon of” -iara/-ica - Means “baron, duke, lady or lord” -ice/-eth - Means “obsession, taker, taken” -idil/-imar - Means “alpha, beginning, creator of, maker” -iira/-inid - Means “harbinger, herald” -inidia - Means “secret, wall, warder” -inil/-in - Means “rider, steed” -intra - Means “envoy, messenger, prophet” -isstra/-atlab - Means “acolyte, apprentice, student” -ithra/-irahc - Means “dragon, serpent, wyrm” -jra/-gos - Means “beast, biter, stinger” -jss - Means “scout, stalker” -kacha/-kah - Means “beauty, hair, style” -kiira/-raen - Means “apostle, disciple” -lay/-dyn - Means “flight, flyer, wing, wings” -lara/-aghar - Means “cynic, death, end, victim” -lin - Means “arm, armour, commander” -lochar - Means “messenger, spider” -mice/-myr - Means “bone, bones, necromancer, witch” -mur’ss - Means “shadow, spy, witness” -na/-nar - Means “adept, ghost, spirit” -nilee/-olil - Means “corpse, disease, ravager” -niss/-nozz - Means “chance, gambler, game” -nitra/-net - Means “kicker, returned, risen” -nolu - Means “art, artist, expert, treasure” -olin - Means “ascension, love, lover, lust” -onia/-onim - Means “rod, staff, token, wand” -oyss/-omph - Means “binder, judge, law, prison” -qualyn - Means “ally, caller, kin” -quarra/-net - Means “horde, host, legion” -quiri/-oj - Means “aura, cloak, hide, skin” -ra/-or - Means “fool, game, prey, quarry” -rae/-rar - Means “secret, seeker, quest” -raema/-orvir - Means “crafter, fist, hand” -raena/-olvir - Means “center, haven, home” -riia/-rak - Means “chaos, storm, tempest” -ril - Means “bandit, enemy, raider, outlaw” -riina/-ree - Means “enchanter, mage, spellcaster” -ryna/-oyn - Means “follower, hired, mercenary” -ryne/-ryn - Means “blooded, elder, experienced” -shalee/-ral - Means “abjurer, gaze, watch, watcher” -ssysn/-rysn - Means “artifact, sorcerer, spell” -stin/-trin - Means “clan, house, merchant, of the house” -stra/-tran - Means “spider, spinner, weaver” -tana/-ton - Means “darkness, lurker, prowler” -thara/-tar - Means “glyph, marker, rune” -thrae/-olg - Means “charmer, leader, seducer” -tree/-tel - Means “exile, loner, outcast, pariah” -tyrr - Means “dagger, poison, poisoner, scorpion” -ual/-dan - Means “speed, strider” -ue/-dor - Means “arm, artisan, fingers” -uit/-dar - Means “breath, voice, word” -une/-dinn - Means “diviner, fate, future, oracle” -uque - Means “cavern, digger, mole, tunnel” -urra/-dax - Means “nomad, renegade, wanderer” -va/-ven - Means “comrade, honor, honored” -vayas - Means “forge, forger, hammer, smith” -vyll - Means “punishment, scourge, whip, zealot” -vrae/-vyr - Means “mistress/master, overseer” -wae/-hrae - Means “heir, inheritor, princess” -wiira/-hriir - Means “seneschal of steward” -wyss/-hrys - Means “best, creator, starter” -xae/-zaer - Means “orb, rank, ruler, scepter” -xena/-zen - Means “cutter, gem, jewel, jeweler” -xyra/-zyr - Means “sage, teller” -yl - Means “drow, woman or man” -ylene/-yln - Means “handmaiden or squire, maiden or youth” -ymma/-inyon - Means “drider, feet, foot, runner” -ynda/-yrd - Means “captain, custodian, marshal, ranger” -ynrae/-yraen - Means “heretic, rebel, riot, void” -vrae - Means “architect, founder, mason” -yrr - Means “protector, rival, wielder” -zyne/-zt - Means “finder, hunter”
Come up with a meaningful prefix + suffix combination. Of course, there are no concrete rules on making up a drow name; you can string together prefixes and suffixes that sound cool—or you can try and tailor the name to your character. Think about your drow character’s traits, background, class, or any other details about them. Is there a name that’s particularly fitting? For example, if you’re playing a drow wizard, you might pick a name like “Phaeras” (“Phaer” (honored) + “as” (wizard)). And, if your drow character is known for being a seer or fortune-teller, you could name them “Valintra” (“Val” (dark) + “intra” (messenger, prophet)). Experiment and see what you can create! You might find a name you really love this way.
Put together a surname (house name) as well. There are plenty of existing drow house names in Forgotten Realms and D&D lore—but if you’d rather make your own, that’s definitely an option too. Take a look at the prefixes and suffixes below, each with a specific meaning in the drow language, and put a pair of them together to make a unique surname. Prefixes: Alean - Means “the noble line of…” Arab - Means “daughters of…” Arken - Means “mages of…” Auvry - Means “blood of the…” Baen - Means “blessed by…” Barri - Means “spawn of…” Cladd - Means “warriors from…” Desp - Means “victors of…” De - Means “champions of…” Do’ - Means “walkers in…” Eils - Means “lands of…” Everh - Means “the cavern of…” Fre - Means “friends to…” Gode - Means “clan of…” Helvi - Means “those above…” Hla - Means “seers of…” Hun - Means “the sisterhood of…” Ken - Means “sworn to…” Kil - Means “people of…” Mae - Means “raiders from…” Mel - Means “mothers of…” My - Means “honored of…” Noqu - Means “sacred to…” Orly - Means “guild of…” Ouss - Means “heirs to…” Rilyn - Means “house of…” Teken' - Means “delvers in…” Tor - Means “mistresses of…” Zau - Means “children of…” Suffixes: -afin - Means “the web” -ana - Means “the night” -ani - Means “the widow” -ar - Means “poison” -arn - Means “fire” -ate - Means “the way” -ath - Means “the dragons” -duis - Means “the whip” -ervs - Means “the depths” -ep - Means “the Underdark” -ett - Means “magic” -ghym - Means “the forgotten ways” -iryn - Means “history” -lyl - Means “the blade” -mtor - Means “the abyss” -ndar - Means “black hearts” -neld - Means “the arcane” -rae - Means “fell powers” -rahel - Means “the gods” -rret - Means “the void” -sek - Means “adamantite” -th - Means “challenges” -tlar - Means “mysteries” -t’tar - Means “victory” -tyl - Means “the pits” -und - Means “the spider’s kiss” -urden - Means “the darkness” -val - Means “silken weaver” -virr - Means “dominance” -zynge - Means “the ruins”
Famous Drow Names
You can also draw inspiration from drow characters found throughout Forgotten Realms lore—from D&D 5e adventures set in drow territory to video games like Baldur’s Gate 3. Here’s a collection of names from famous (or infamous) drow characters: Araj Oblodra - An alchemist specializing in the sanguineous arts in Baldur’s Gate 3. Ardulace Despana - The Matron Mother of House Despana in Baldur’s Gate 2. Danifae Yauntyrr - A cleric and chosen of Lolth. Drizzt Do’Urden - A famous drow adventurer and hero. Halisstra Melarn - A priestess of Lolth turned into a demon called the Lady Penitent. Jaezred Chaulssin - The name of an assassins’ guild in the city of Chaulssin. Jeggred Baenre - The draegloth offspring of Triel Baenre. K’yorl Odran - The former Matron Mother of House Oblodra. Malice Do’Urden - The former Matron Mother of House Do'Urden. Menzoberra - The founder of Menzoberranzan. Minolin Fey-Branche - A mistress of Arach-Tinilith in Menzoberranzan. Minthara Baenre - A companion and paladin (formerly of the Absolute) in Baldur’s Gate 3. Miz’ri Mizzrym - The Matron Mother of House Mizzrym. Phaere Despana - The treacherous daughter of Ardulace Despana in Baldur’s Gate 2. Qilue Veladorn - The drow daughter of Mystra and champion of Eilistraee. Quenthel Baenre - The Matron Mother of House Baenre. Solaufein - A drow commander and secret worshipper of Eilistraee in Baldur’s Gate 2. Triel Baenre - The former Matron Mother of House Baenre. Viconia DeVir - A priestess of Shar and a recurring character in the Baldur’s Gate series. Vierna Do’Urden - A priestess of Lolth who raised her younger brother, Drizzt Do’Urden. Yvonnel Baenre - Another former Matron of House Baenre. Zaknafein Do’Urden - A renowned weapons master and the father of Drizzt Do’Urden.
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