Orc Name Generator

Orc names are short, guttural and earned. Get a given name with a meaning, then an epithet the character has to have done something to deserve.

Generate orc names

Gamesh One-Tusk
Grongak the Twice-Dead
Rugula Wolf-Eater
Kresha the Red-Handed
Ginka One-Tusk
Krogha Stonefist
Zegak Ironjaw
Goga the Red-Handed
Kuna the Scarred
Bagug Widowmaker
Gurdrogh Bonecrusher
Ghathok the Black

How these orc names are built

Orcish, as the genre hears it, is built low in the mouth: back vowels (u, o, a), voiced stops and clusters (g, gr, kr, dr), and codas that stop hard (-g, -k, -gh, -rk). This generator builds two syllables from that inventory and permits heavy clusters at the seams, which is exactly what an elvish grammar forbids.

Endings carry meaning: -ug (strong), -ak (axe), -gar (spear), -nak (killer) and -thok (breaker) read masculine; -a (fierce), -ka (blade), -ula (mother of many), -ish (quick) and -esh (fang) read feminine. The gloss under each name is the ending it took.

Epithets are earned titles, not surnames: the Skull-Splitter, One-Tusk, the Twice-Dead, the Patient. Each hints at a deed, so a name like Gruk Ashwalker arrives with a story already attached. Turn epithets off for a young orc who has not earned one yet.

Orc clans and tribes are named separately; use the Clan name generator for those.

Example orc names

A fixed sample from the generator above, so you can see the range before you press the button. Every list you generate is different; every link you copy reproduces its list exactly.

Dragish the Unbroken
Shazka Gorehowl
Koshnak the Scarred
Grura the Twice-Dead
Bukak Skinner
Grezrugh the Howler
Gugka Nightstalker
Ruznak Ashwalker
Gukak the Skull-Splitter
Oshnak Ashwalker
Kroshbag Skinner
Thukula the Patient
Mugka the Patient
Nagha the Twice-Dead
Kughka Ashwalker
Munerk the Howler
Miza Gorehowl
Gukug the Scarred
Gagrag Ironjaw
Kogish the Twice-Dead
Noshesh the Black

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers to what players and writers ask us most

Do orcs have surnames?

In most settings, no. They carry a given name and, once they have done something worth remembering, an epithet. Clan or tribe names are used when introducing themselves to outsiders.

Are these Warcraft or Tolkien orc names?

Neither. The generator uses an original grammar tuned to the sound both traditions share, and the famous names from each are blocked so they cannot appear.

How do I get a softer name for a half-orc?

Use the Half-orc generator, which blends this grammar with human naming, or set Length to Short here for one-syllable names that read less harsh.

Can I use them in my own work?

Yes, freely.

Unofficial fan tool. Dungeons & Dragons is a trademark of its owner; NameForge is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by it. Names here are generated from original data in the style of the setting and are free to use in your own games and stories.