Drow Name Generator (Dark Elf) – A DnD 5e Name Guide
Elves are considered to be the most elegant and graceful of all the races in the Material Plane in the world of Dungeons and Dragons. They thrive in forests beaming with eternal beauty, or spires where they embrace and become one with nature. Moreover, Elves are known for their finesse with both blades and bows. They have superior marksmanship compared to other races and they are, undoubtedly, feared by many in battle.
Elves rarely make contact with outsiders, especially with humans, but most of them make a good trade by selling their handicrafts to markets or trading fine metals which they cannot produce on their own.
Like most races, the Elves were also divided into different subraces, scarred by their indifference to their ancient beliefs and culture. These three subraces are the High Elves, the Wood Elves, and the Dark Elves, commonly known as Drow Elves.
In this name guide, we’ll discuss a specific subrace of the Elves; The Drow Elves. We’ll introduce you to a list of some Male and Female Drow Names Suggestions, and include some Drow City Name Ideas at the end of this guide.
Take note that you may always create your version of Drow names or Drow city names when starting your DnD adventure. But for some who find this tiring, a name generator might help. Our Random Drow Name Generator provides users hundreds of name ideas and suggestions that you could use as-is or as a reference in creating a Drow character.
Who are the Drow Elves?
Not all Elves are fond of the goodness of nature nor enjoy the illumination of the sun basking among their forests. Some of them detest the good and would rather dwell in evil and corruption.
The Dark Elves descended from an ancient subrace of dark-skinned elves. They were also called the Drow and were banished from the surface world for their worship of the evil goddess, Lolth. There are many known titles for the Drow such as Deep Elves, Night Elves, and sometimes The Ones Who Went Below the surface.
The Drow were feared and hated by most people for their cruel minds, although some say that there are very few existing Drows who were not born evil and aligns with the righteous.
The Dark elves built their civilization in the depths of the Underdark, fashioning this Drow city into the way and liking of Lolth.
Drow Elf Appearance
Drow Elves’ appearance is easily distinguished by their black skins that greatly resemble refined obsidian. They have whitish or pale yellowish hair and pale eyes. Their eyes are so pale, some mistake them as white. Other than that, few of them possess eye colors with shades of lilac, silver, pink, red, or blue.
Compared to their other elven cousins, Drow elves seem to be much smaller and thinner.
Similarities with Dark Elves of Skyrim
Dunmers are the Dark Elf version from The Elder Scrolls saga. They physically resemble the Drow elves from DnD but they are very different in terms of culture and origin.
Dunmers from The Elder Scrolls saga were originally called the Chimers and do not originally possess their dark skin tones. The Chimers were cursed by the daedric goddess Azura for their betrayal of the Dwemers (dwarves), and for murdering their king; turning their eyes red, and their skins ashen.
Drow Elf Racial Features and Traits
Below is a summary of Drow Elf’s racial features and ability traits.
Generic Elf Traits | Effect |
Ability Score Increase | Elves are nimble and deft, allowing them to move with grace and finesse. They have a bonus +2 to Dexterity score. |
Age | All Elves reach physical maturity as with humans, but Elves’ understanding of adulthood is beyond physical. They consider themselves adults at the age of 100 and can live up to 750 years old. |
Alignment | Elves, regardless of their subrace, loves freedom and self-expression. They linger to the gentler aspects of chaos than to the extremities. As much as they love freedom, they also tend to value and protect other’s freedom like their own and they are most likely to be good. |
Size | Medium-sized. Elves have slender body builds and can reach a height under 5 feet to over 6 feet. |
Speed | Elf’s base walking speed is 30 feet. |
Drow Elf Subrace Traits | Effect |
Ability Score Increase | Drow Elves has an additional +1 to Charisma score. |
Superior Darkvision | Drow Elves knows the Darkvision trait but with a farther radius of 120 feet instead of the standard 60 feet. |
Sunlight Sensitivity | Drow Elves are not used to the bright light of the sun. They have disadvantages on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when the Drow, the target of the attack, or whatever the Drow is perceiving is in direct sunlight. |
Drow Magic | Drow Elves have a variety of peculiar magic at their disposal. They know the Dancing Lights cantrip. Upon reaching 3rd level, they can cast the Faerie Fire spell once per day. When reaching the 5th level, they can cast the Darkness spell once per day. Charisma is the Drow’s spellcasting ability for all these spells. |
Drow Weapon Training | Drow Elves have proficiencies with rapiers, shortswords, and hand crossbows. |
Language | Elves, in general, can speak, read, and write in Common and Elvish. |
Drow Names Naming Conventions
Drow names follow the same naming convention as with common Elf names. However, their names have harsher tones, most probably because of the way they speak and say words in the Underdark.
Drow names are unique and reflect the personality of the elf with very little distinction between male and female names. Since Drow Elves who travel with Humans are very rare, they do not translate their names in the Common tongue and rather use original Elvish names instead.
Not in the mood in making your names? Try our Drow Name Generator for name recommendations and ideas—for free!
Drow Male Names Suggestions
Below are some of our suggested elven names Drow players can use, including a brief backstory and description for each.
Name | Pronunciation | Description |
Algradan | /al-gra-dan/ | A Drow renegade who terrorizes the southern hills with his band’s bandit raids. They often capture children and beast folks to sell as slaves in the Underdark. Algradan, also known as Il’Sharad or The Slaver, not only kidnap children and beast folks for trade, he is also a known extortionist, bartering rich individuals in exchange for precious metals and gold to wealthy families. |
Relgar | /rel-gar/ | One of the few Drow elves who left the Underdark in search of deeper purpose and meaning in life. Relgar the Freed was banished from the Underdark for his undying questioning about the atrocities of the Drow and their ways in how they treat outsiders. |
Felegrhan | /fe-leg-ran/ | Known by the title The Warlord, this name describes a warlike Drow who leads a small troop of Drow raiders in ravaging small settlements for entertainment purposes. Felegrhan is known as the cruelest of the many war officers of the Underdark. His Warlord title lives up to his name for he never rests without involving himself in wars. |
Varan | /va-ran/ | This male Drow name describes a barbarous mage who uses living slaves in making his experiments with magic and mana. Varan tests the potencies of his spells into his slaves. Most of them are destructive while few morphs the person into other shapes or forms. |
Xarazyg | /sa-ra-zig/ | Known for his bold nature, he was once a known slave driver. But upon meeting a slave Wood elf, whom he fell in love with, he started to see beyond what the culture of the Drow has to offer. Xarazyg escaped with his lover from the undermine prisons. To where they refuged is still unknown to the war officers. |
Female Drow Names Suggestions
Name | Pronunciation | Description |
Nifael | /ni-fa-el/ | A skilled female Drow who has a liking in casting the Darkness spell unto her enemies. She is also iconic for her fondness of venomous spiders as her familiar. Nifael dislikes any form of light. She mastered the arcane arts in casting darkness in various ways and methods. |
Bethyllan | /be-til-yan/ | Known for her title The Dark Lady, she is a renowned adventurer commonly hired for espionage and impossible missions. No quest is too hard for her skills—at the right price. Bethyllan is one of the many Drow elves who were banished from their homeland for their lust to explore the world and walk away from the sinister culture of their race. |
Nylfrandel | /nil-fran-del/ | This name is derived from the Drow term Nyl meaning Dire. This female Drow name describes a dreadful character who hates the surface dwellers and would prefer them exterminated. Nylfrandel roams the woodlands during the evenings in search of victims—this to satisfy her bloodlust against surface dwellers. |
Ilvarash | /il-va-rash/ | This Drow name describes one of the rare Drow adventurers known on the surface. She has proven himself honorable numerous times by doing noble quests and protecting the innocent. Ilvarash means Illustrious in the Common tongue. She earned this alias after killing a rampaging Ogre, saving numerous lives and farm crops. |
Nargalosk | /nar-ga-losk/ | Also known as Il’Krakhan or The Damned, Nargalsok is a ferocious Drow warrior who roams the wilderness in search of salvation. Nargalosk believed that their race was indeed cursed as stated from the legends. She seeks to undo this venturing out from his homeland to meet High Elves and Wood Elves and study their culture and secrets. |
More male and female name suggestions via our DnD 5e Drow Names Generator. Our name generators contain hundreds of name suggestions and ideas that players can freely use for their next DnD adventure!
Drow Cities and Settlements
Most Drow cities are typically similar with common elven architecture. The design, construction, means of building, and emphasis on beauty and artistry are all seen in Drow city’s structure, table, and pillar, and other furniture.
Since Drow elves do not prefer sunlight, Drow cities are located beneath great mountains, hollowed caves, or even underground. This makes their cities impenetrable especially for surface dwellers who do not have any maps or visual ideas on how Drow strongholds look like.
The Drow Elves are versed with carefully shaping stalactites, stalagmites, and cave columns. They build bridges made of stones instead of wood, and they create spiraling tunnel networks that expand throughout their underground city.
Drow structures do no only display utmost beauty, they can also withstand earthquakes and other perilous disasters that may occur underground. Despite displaying Elven beauty in their architecture, a common Drow city will tend to be chaotic and messy in look because of the lack of uniformity in their architectural style.
Magic plays a huge role in Drowcity constructions. They use their spells to carefully almost impossible building foundations to make it stronger and withstand natural disasters. These foundations, however, collapse when not enough magic is supplemented as these magical effects wore off in time.
Naming Drow Cities in Dungeons and Dragons
Drow cities are named using elven words. City names are commonly named after their founders’ last names, or to describe the greatness of the city itself. There is no official elven dictionary yet for D&D, only a set of compiled known elven words from playbooks and lore. Therefore, city names can also be provided and created by players; after all, D&D is about expanding your world and doing personalized adventures.
Some of the known Drow city names for D&D 5e are Eryndlyn, Lith My’athar, Cheth Rrhinn, Rilauven, and Menzoberranzan.
Drow City Names
In creating your own Drow city name, always remember that the name should sound melodic to denote its elven origin, and you may or may not use two words.
Also, apostrophes and dashes are acceptable in combining two different elven words to produce a city name. Oh, and don’t forget to put exaggerations in spelling and pronunciation to make your city name stylish and regal.
Below are some of our suggested Drow city names.
Thul’Drasshar (/tul-dra-shar/)
The great city Thul’Drasshar is known for its impenetrable underground defenses that keep outsiders lost within its tunnels. It is said that these tunnels are enchanted which makes it impossible for a non-Drow to traverse.
Elfrannaar (/el-fran-na-ar/)
The ancient city of Elfrannaar was once a High Elf stronghold until it fell to the hands of the Drow who pillaged the city to ruins. Despite the ruined look of the current city, the vast expansion and improvement beneath it is truly a majestic sight to those who haven’t seen Drow architecture.
Il’Loth-Lindran (/il-lot-lin-dran/)
Translates to The Heart of Lindran, is a great Drow city named after the fallen Drow hero Lindran the Tormented, who defeated the underground wyrm Kashdrim. It is said that the city was created in the very bones and ashes of the deceased wyrm.
Bonus: Funny Drow Names
Itching for some fun-to-use Drow names in your next DnD adventure? We got your back! Check out some funny Drow names we compiled just for you!
- Lolith – For players who want the name of their characters to be slightly near the name of the Drow deity, Lolth, well here it is. The name sounds cute, especially for a female drow.
- Black Mole – for Drow characters who has a… you know what it is.
- Shaa’dow – One of the many obvious names Drow elves use for their children.
- Drowger – His real name is Rogerdat.
- Burnt Elf – did we mentioned that Drow elves are dark-colored?
For more Drow names, whether for ideas or suggestions, you may visit our DnD 5e Drow Name Generator. Our name generator contains a variety of unique names that players can use for their next DnD adventure! What’s best about it is it’s absolutely free!
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