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This list has more than 150 fantasy last names for novels, games and tabletop campaigns, sorted by feel: noble houses, heroes and knights, elves, dwarves, villains, nature, and witches and wizards. Each entry shows the words the name is built from, so you know what it says about the character before you use it.
How to build a fantasy last name
Most memorable fantasy surnames are two ordinary words joined together: a colour, a metal, a weather word or an animal, plus a landscape or an object. Blackwood, Stormwind and Ironforge all follow the pattern. Real English surnames were formed the same way (Ashford is a ford by ash trees), which is why these names feel old rather than invented.
Three rules help. Match the sound to the culture: soft l, n and r sounds for elves, hard k, g and r for dwarves, sibilants and v for villains. Keep it to two or three syllables so readers can say it. And check it against famous names in the genre, since a surname that echoes Lannister or Baggins will pull readers out of your world.
For names built to order, the Last Name Generator can take a feel like "dark noble house" and return surnames with the meaning attached. For full character names by race, try the D&D Name Generator.
Noble house last names
- Ashcombe — ash tree and valley
- Blackthorne — black and thorn bush
- Valcourt — valley and royal court
- Montclair — bright mountain, from French
- Ravenhall — raven and great hall
- Wintermere — winter and lake
- Hawthorne — hawthorn hedge
- Aldermoor — alder tree and moorland
- Greymantle — grey cloak, a mark of old office
- Silverton — silver and settlement
- Everhart — ever and heart, loyalty
- Dunmere — dark hill and lake
- Belcourt — beautiful court
- Harrowgate — harrow and gate
- Lyonesse — the lost kingdom of Arthurian legend
- Marchbanks — border and riverbank
- Castellane — of the castle, from Latin
- Vantrell — invented, with a Norman sound
- Aurelian — golden, from Latin aureus
- Delacroix — of the cross, from French
- Stormhaven — storm and harbour
- Highcastle — high castle
Heroic and knightly last names
- Brightblade — bright sword
- Lionheart — lion heart, Richard I’s epithet
- Shieldbrook — shield and stream
- Swiftarrow — quick arrow
- Truesword — true sword
- Oakenshield — oak shield, Tolkien’s Thorin; avoid if you want it original
- Dawnbringer — bringer of dawn
- Steelwind — steel and wind
- Goldcrest — gold crest, a helm or a bird
- Stoutheart — brave heart
- Kingsley — king’s meadow
- Fairwind — fair wind, good fortune
- Strongbow — strong bow, Strongbow was a Norman earl
- Sunstrider — one who walks in the sun
- Valeheart — valley and heart
- Wolfsbane — the poisonous plant, for a monster hunter
- Hollowell — holy well
- Battlebourne — battle and stream
Elven last names
Elven surnames tend to be longer and liquid, with l, n, r and th and open vowels.
- Aelthorin — invented, soft opening and hard close
- Silvaren — from silva, “forest”
- Elarion — invented, lyrical
- Moonwhisper — moon and whisper
- Starbloom — star and blossom
- Nightbreeze — night and breeze
- Lothiriel — invented, Tolkien-like
- Galanodel — D&D elven surname, “moonwhisper”
- Amakiir — D&D elven surname, “gemflower”
- Holimion — D&D elven surname, “diamonddew”
- Liadon — D&D elven surname, “silverfrond”
- Siannodel — D&D elven surname, “moonbrook”
- Xiloscient — D&D elven surname, “goldpetal”
- Ilphelkiir — D&D elven surname, “gemblossom”
- Meliamne — D&D elven surname, “oakenheel”
- Naïlo — D&D elven surname, “nightbreeze”
- Leafwhisper — leaf and whisper
- Dawnsong — dawn and song
- Thalorien — invented, with thal-, a common elvish opening
- Vaelindra — invented, liquid and long
- Sylvanis — of the forest
- Willowmere — willow and lake
- Faelar — invented, from fae
- Rivendel — echoes Tolkien’s Rivendell; use with care
Dwarven last names
Dwarven surnames lean on stone, metal, forges and beards, with hard consonants.
- Ironforge — iron and forge
- Stonehelm — stone helmet
- Deepdelver — one who digs deep
- Hammerfall — falling hammer
- Anvilborn — born at the anvil
- Coppervein — copper seam
- Battlehammer — battle hammer; Bruenor’s clan in the Forgotten Realms
- Fireforge — fire and forge
- Granitefist — granite fist
- Goldbeard — golden beard
- Blackanvil — black anvil
- Rockseeker — seeker of stone
- Brawnanvil — strong anvil
- Frostbeard — frost beard
- Ironfist — iron fist
- Mithrilmane — mithril mane
- Oakenfell — oak and fell
- Deepstone — deep stone
- Bronzebottom — bronze bottom, for a comic dwarf
- Holderhek — D&D dwarven clan name
- Rumnaheim — D&D dwarven clan name
- Dankil — D&D dwarven clan name
- Gorunn — D&D dwarven clan name
- Torunn — D&D dwarven clan name
Dark and villain last names
Villain surnames use sibilants, v and x sounds and words for death, night and poison.
- Blackwood — black forest
- Grimsbane — grim and bane
- Nightshade — the poisonous plant
- Vexmoor — vexing moor
- Ashgrave — ash and grave
- Mortane — from mors, “death”
- Shadowmere — shadow and lake
- Duskbane — dusk and bane
- Crowley — crow’s wood; Aleister Crowley gives it a sinister echo
- Hollowmoor — hollow moorland
- Ravenscar — raven’s cliff
- Blightwood — blighted wood
- Morrow — tomorrow, grim in context
- Sablethorn — black thorn
- Grimwald — grim forest
- Vorlane — invented, cold and hard
- Kaine — echoes the first murderer
- Mordain — invented, from mors, “death”
- Skarrow — invented, scar and harrow
- Gloomhallow — gloom and hallowed ground
- Bleakmoor — bleak moorland
- Carrowmore — Irish, “great quarter”, a field of ancient tombs
- Venomcrest — venom and crest
Nature last names
- Ashford — ford by the ash trees
- Brightwater — bright water
- Fernsby — fern farm
- Thornfield — field of thorns
- Wildrose — wild rose
- Rivershade — shade by the river
- Mossglen — mossy valley
- Heathcliff — heath cliff
- Rainmere — rain lake
- Oakhollow — hollow among oaks
- Stormbrook — storm stream
- Wyndham — windy homestead
- Frostvale — frosty valley
- Hollybrook — holly stream
- Larkspur — the flower
- Summerlin — summer lake
- Birchwood — birch forest
- Sparrowhawk — the hawk
- Wrenfield — field of wrens
- Tidewater — tidal water
- Cedarbrook — cedar stream
- Foxhollow — fox’s hollow
Witch and wizard last names
- Ravenscroft — raven’s croft
- Hexley — hex and meadow
- Moonfell — moon and fell
- Starweaver — weaver of stars
- Nettlefold — nettles and fold
- Grimoire — a book of spells
- Candlewick — candle wick
- Blackmoor — black moorland
- Wyrmwood — dragon wood
- Hollowbrook — hollow stream
- Emberly — ember meadow
- Thistlewood — thistle wood
- Mandrake — the root said to scream
- Spellman — spell man; also the Sabrina family, so check the echo
- Quillfeather — quill and feather
- Nightwhistle — night whistle
- Belladonna — deadly nightshade, “beautiful lady”
- Wormwood — the bitter herb
Frequently asked questions
What is a good fantasy last name?
Two plain words that match the character: Ironforge for a dwarf smith, Moonwhisper for an elf, Blackthorne for a noble house, Nightshade for a villain. Short compounds are easier to remember than invented strings of syllables.
How do I make up a fantasy surname?
Pick one word from a colour, metal, weather or animal and join it to a landscape or object: Silver + brook, Storm + haven, Raven + hall. Check that the result is easy to say and does not echo a famous character.
What are some elven last names from D&D?
The Player’s Handbook lists Amakiir (gemflower), Galanodel (moonwhisper), Holimion (diamonddew), Ilphelkiir (gemblossom), Liadon (silverfrond), Meliamne (oakenheel), Naïlo (nightbreeze), Siannodel (moonbrook) and Xiloscient (goldpetal). For drow, see our list of drow names.
Are fantasy last names real surnames?
Many are. Ashford, Blackwood, Hawthorne, Kingsley, Thornfield and Wyndham are real English surnames formed the same way. For real surnames with rare sounds, see unique last names.