“PEOPLE NAMES” IN THE REALMS (Patreon)

I have LOTS of name-lore for the Realms, scattered down fifty-plus years of worldbuilding.

So here just a few notes, starting with humans…

Cormyrean and Dalesfolk
Many Cormyreans have portmanteau surnames (Breakwood, Ironwinter, Summergate) and one or two syllable ‘plain’ given names. They can and should blur into Dalesfolk, who have very similar names. One exception: many Dalesfolk don’t use surnames, but rather descriptors: Brace the Miller, Brace of North Farm, Brace Longshanks. Those who’ve traveled have often adopted a short form of their dale’s name (Feather, Mistle, Shadow) as a surname.

Male given names: 

• Belgor
• Brace
• Bran
• Corl
• Daern
• Dorn
• Engor
• Farl
• Foreth
• Garth
• Harl
• Ivarn
• Jeth
• Joran
• Landryn
• Lorn
• Maerand
• Marl
• Narn
• Noke
• Owyn
• Randal
• Randral
• Robrorn
• Rorn
• Tal
• Tanth
• Taran
• Vran
• Wend

Female given names:

• Alys
• Bondra (usually “Bonnie”)
• Bryndra
• Cathnae
• Darthra
• Dove
• Eveene
• Filfarra
• Genice
• Imdue
• Jansra
• Joyra
• Kathyl
• Korva
• Marra
• Nansyl
• Pipra (“Pip”)
• Sarue
• Soora
• Tana
• Tala
• Tansy
• Vae
• Zora

The Moonsea North
The cities around the Moonsea have very different settlement origins, and so, a lot of different-from-each-other human names can be found among their residents, and they also have chaotic histories wherein nobility have’t fared (survived) too well. In the two most recent centuries in particular, the mineral wealth and trade in smelted metals has brought a stream of outlanders into the Moonsea North, from all over Faerûn, so names from a lot of places have poured in. And all of the warfare (Zhentil Keep’s forces conquering or trying to, mainly, but also recruiting for the Zhentilar) have resulted in a lot of intermingling, from city to city, among laborers and shopkeepers and traveling merchants.

Among city nobility, who’s “in” and who’s not, right now (1490s DR), I leave to individual DMs for their campaigns, but here are some upper-crust, land-owning, wealthy families from whose ranks nobility may well be drawn (and although rulers are always suspicious of nobles whose family members are spread throughout several cities, under different rulers, that’s the rule more than the exception, in the Moonsea):

• Aelcrown
• Blayfeather
• Corfalcon
• Dunwyvern
• Elhalond
• Falask
• Gonthan
• Ironhand
• Juspaer
• Murnarpar
• Narglade
• Sabrast
• Tanthmuir
• Urpresper
• Veldusk
• Yunthaer

Popular upper-crust female given names:

• Adanthe, Adanthae
• Cantaere
• Duandaera, Duandeira
• Filfaera
• Imbra
• Joysarra
• Mabranta, Marbrantara
• Melarra
• Olone
• Pelarbele
• Velvaele
• Waencza

Popular upper-crust male given names:

• Adelnar (Adeln)
• Chalance
• Farandar
• Helchess
• Imdargar
• Jarth
• Kelrath
• Perendarl
• Storn, Stornadar
• Torbe, Torbruth
• Undevver
• Yanthar

Popular commoner surnames:

• Alantaer, Uluntaer
• Arlbar, Arnbar
• Blaeth
• Bukkard
• Caelcandle
• Daranth
• Enthard
• Feldreth
• Gaskyn
• Halfblade
• Holaunth
• Jesalanth
• Kontor
• Lhandred
• Maerohed
• Mreskorn
• Nanth
• Novaunth
• Orbusk
• Paerend
• Relvrath
• Stonespear
• Summerweather
• Tanthael
• Telgast
• Ulshield
• Varshulder

Popular commoner female given names:

• Alys, Alyse (pronounced “El-EEE-ss”)
• Baerindra
• Cauntha, Caunthra
• Darra
• Evene (pronounced “Ee-VEEN”)
• Feene
• Haevarra
• Ilsharra
• Joene (pronounced “JOE-enn”)
• Larlyra
• Qara, Qarra (pronounced “CAR-ah”)
• Shonda
• Taldra, Teldra
• Tanthe
• Teltora (“Tora”)
• Uma (pronounced “OOM-ah”)
• Valanthae
• Yanthae
• Yelandra

Popular commoner male given names (short form given in parentheses when it so overshadows the original as to be given by itself as a proper first name as often, or more often, than the original [see also Teltora in female names]:

• Branth
• Cordar, Cordyr
• Denneth (“Den”)
• Elrar, Elreth
• Farl
• Fyndrel, Fyndrul
• Garth
• Halark
• Hethyn (“Heth”)
• Jesevin
• Keldred
• Lundar
• Mereth
• Murnaen
• Ossan, Ossant
• Pelarn, Pelarran (“Pel”)
• Sandan
• Tarth
• Vorosk
• Wendarl (“Wend”)

Netherese
Netherese rarely use surnames. Given names use double-a constructions, end in ‘ol’ more than any of the other peoples you list, often begin with M or include ‘oun’ or ‘aun.’

Male examples:

• Eirol
• Mlaarol
• Naraeyn
• Orthol
• Yulvaun

Female examples:

• Althyroun
• Aelroune
• Cathaele, Ethree
• Haele
• Jounraele
• Kalathe
• Maeraele
• Nyrindral
• Noeene
• Olone
• Ryndra
• Saaraunra
• Tylue
• Uele (pronounced “Oo-ell”)
• Vyruil
• Woave
• Yakla
• Yariil
• Zoale
• Zoare
• Zorele

Sembian
Sembia has soared in wealth and pride over the last few centuries, and many of its folk have adopted new and grander surnames and given names, trying to make themselves sound dashingly important. Some use two surnames (usually hyphenated).

Sample newly-invented Sembian surnames:

• Alavondor
• Barontor
• Clarandal
• Dauncrown
• Dragonhumbler
• Galashen
• Goldcloak
• Kordrivvar
• Maerimmon
• Ondravar
• Sardar
• Tarlroyal
• Tazrilysk
• Tulcont
• Vorauth
• Wyndarr
• Zunderzorn

Sembian male given names:

• Aldan
• Alvaerus
• Andor
• Andarl
• Andorl
• Avrel
• Boldyn
• Cathal
• Corandor
• Dalandar
• Elbastion
• Farntrond
• Galagar
• Halvond
• Indrus
• Jathar
• Ontar
• Prendryk
• Roakyn
• Saldvur
• Toroke
• Torvil
• Varandor

Sembian female given names:

• Barantra
• Coeluthmra
• Darla
• Emsharandra
• Filfidelra
• Galiyra (pronounced “Gal-LIE-rah”)
• Haelra
• Letrythria
• Lornra
• Maura
• Norone
• Raedurla
• Telshara
• Vorovelarra
• Warundra
• Yalauntra
• Zalorla

Bugbear, Goblin, and Hobgoblin Names
Different tribes and communities of goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears vary widely in how they choose names and what they use in daily life. (A lesser-known feature of all three races, in the Realms, is that their societies are essentially matriarchal. War chiefs may be large males, but female elders decide things, and lineage is traced through the females.) Atop that, some tribes place great importance on lineage and therefore clan membership and therefore use of surnames—and others don’t.

Which is a long-winded way of saying names vary from place to place in the Realms, among the same race.

However, MOST goblins an adventurer may encounter will have short, one-syllable first names, followed by a middle name that’s a family surname, and a surname that’s a clan name, like this: Darg Huum Sarsar. (In daily life, only the first names are used, as goblins work and go on war and foraging forays in family or clan groups; everyone knows everyone else, so therefore knows the bloodlines, so only given names are used.)

Hobgoblins tend to drop the clan name, and may have longer names.

Both races tend to have ‘proper names’ for their clans, that they use among themselves, rather than the versions they offer humans (Broken Fang, Tuskjaw, and so on), that emphasize fierce agression and brutish simplicity (the image they want to project to humans, to sew fear and encourage retreat and avoidance).

Bugbears may live in their own tribes, especially in the remote Sword Coast North, but are more often loners, or live in pairs and trios, and may adventure with hobgoblins; in any case, they tend to have little use for surnames or even tribal names.

So here are some typical goblin female given names:

• Arryka
• Bela
• Carra
• Duika
• Flarra
• Guldra
• Hornra
• Jarakra
• Klorra
• Maara
• Nurra
• Oloa
• Pulgra
• Qlara
• Ruusra
• Surra

And here are some typical goblin male given names:

• Buirak
• Claeth
• Darg
• Flark
• Goruk
• Gurk
• Hurk
• Ithyk
• Juk
• Lurg
• Morlg
• Nurruk
• Surk
• Thulk
• Ulgut
• Varruk

Here are some typical hobgoblin female given names:

• Aiijra
• Brukarra
• Durrarra
• Falora
• Galrakka
• Horlgurla
• Ieirysk
• Jlakka
• Kalathka
• Moragh
• Nurkarra
• Orlurkra
• Peirkeir
• Rakra
• Tsarakra
• Vururka

Here are some typical hobgoblin male given names: 

• Burruk
• Dulluk
• Helgrak
• Karrag
• Luug
• Murakh
• Orruk
• Rurkurl
• Skult
• Sorrakh
• Turrusk (“Tusk”)
• Urgram
• Vorog/Vorogh
• Vulk
• Yuthuk
• Zuruk

Here are some typical bugbear female given names:

• Arrelkra
• Coruzkra
• Draylkuu
• Eirendruu
• Felrulkra
• Gouruskk
• Halavrakra
• Jussurra
• Kelvurra
• Mauroekuu
• Narlgramra
• Orolkuu
• Paerykk
• Qulruu
• Rulstra
• Surulka

Here are some typical bugbear male given names:

• Bulruglak
• Calaglorm (“Calag”)
• Elgkryn
• Forogg
• Gorunkh
• Gurrek
• Hurrvulkh
• Karlrankh
• Korrak
• Kulgor
• Irunn
• Jorrk
• Orulk
• Rulktur (“Rulk”)
• Sagrakh
• Yurturlg

A Note On Pronunciations
Never worry about pronunciations. The Realms is a big place, with lots of local accents. One person’s “Sil-oon-ay” is the next one’s “Sell-oon,” and they both know who the other one is talking about.

So if you ‘mispronounce’ something, you’re just sounding like SOMEONE in the Realms.