The Best Dragon Names Generator For Your Campaign

Dragons: The Most Common Mythical Creature Around the World

Dragons have different origins and identities depending on sources. Surprisingly, they exist throughout the world in different countries and cultures. The term “Dragon” was first coined in the early 13th century. It came from the Latin word draconem which was a derivative of the term draco—which in turn both define a “huge serpent” or “serpent-like” creature. The origin of draco in Latin was rooted in the Greek term drakontos (δράκοντος) which still means “serpent”. Although the Greek and Latin terms do not necessarily define a Dragon as a mythical creature, but rather a normal wild serpent.

The earliest records depicting Dragons as mythological creatures can be traced back to the old Mesopotamian literature. Examples are Apep in Egyptian literature, describing the Egyptian Demon of Chaos in a form of a serpent. Vritra in Indian literature, is described as a serpent-like demon of drought. The Hebrews also have a dragon in their literature called the Leviathan, which is a serpent-like sea monster. In the following years, different Dragon versions were also found in literature outside the civilization of Mesopotamia such as in Chinese Mythology (Long – also shared by Vietnamese literature); Japanese folklore (Yamata no Orochi or “8-headed snake”, Watatsumi or “sea serpent god”, Raiju, etc.); Philippine folklore (The Bakunawa); West African (Aido Wedo, Damballa, Bida); Arabic folklore (Bahamut, Falak, Al Tinnin); Babylonian literature (Tiamat); Korean legends (Imoogi); Incan mythology (Amaru), and many more.

Despite having different versions, Dragons have common characteristics across different cultures. This includes the common serpent-like body structure, sharp fangs, four legs and feet with sharp claws, and gigantic size. Dragon’s habitat may also differ depending on the source of literature. There are written works that describe them to be living in the mountains, some in the depths of the ocean, and some in the skies. Some literature describes Dragons with wings such as a wyvern (Germanic), and others that are flightless such as a lindworm. 

The Top 5 Most Iconic Dragon Names of All-Time

We are sure that you have encountered some of the mentioned Dragons above. In this section, we compiled some of the most iconic Dragon names that we’re sure you’ve already met in books or video games. Keep reading!

1. Smaug (The Hobbit)

Smaug is described as the “last of the great dragons of Middle Earth”. He is a fire-breathing drake who raided the great fortress of the Dwarves in the Lonely Mountain. He destroyed the City of Dale below the mountain, and dwelled in the now-destroyed Lonely Mountain fortress, basking his body on the enormous wealth hoarded by the Dwarves within. He stayed there for 171 years, claiming all the treasures of the dwarves for himself until he was killed by Bard the Bowman. 

2. Charizard (Pokemon)

Charizard is crowned as the “Most Popular Pokemon of All Time”, garnering an average of 240,000 monthly searches in Google relating to how it can be obtained, trained, and evolve, and its available moves and specific stats. Charizard also won 4th place in the Pokemon of The Year Award in 2020 and is considered the most popular Pokemon from Gen 1. Charizard design is based on European dragons, having wings, an elongated neck, and two horns. It can also breathe fire from its mouth similar to fire drakes.

3. Shenron (Dragon Ball Z)

Shenron is the magical Dragon from the anime series Dragon Ball Z. He is also called the “Dragon God” and can grant any three wishes from the people who can collect the seven Dragon Balls. Shenron is more similar to the Chinese Dragon version, being wingless, having two brown antlers, red eyes, green scaly skin, and a long serpentine body. Shenron is believed to dwell in the very core of the Earth. 

4. Ender Dragon (Minecraft)

The Ender Dragon is considered the end-game mob boss of Minecraft. It is a giant and flying hostile mob that appears when you enter The End dungeon. The Ender Dragon is one of the most difficult mobs to defeat in Minecraft. Regardless, defeating this mob is rewarding, giving players an explosive 12,000 experience points, and an appearance of a dragon egg. 

5. Alduin (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim)

Alduin the World Eater is also known as the “Twilight God” and the “First Dragon”. He is the main antagonist of the Dragonborn in Skyrim. During the Merethic Era, he ruled the entire northern plains of Tamriel (now called Skyrim) and was worshipped as a god in the continent of Atmora, far north of Tamriel.  During this era, Dragons were abundant and fly freely in the skies of Atmora and Skyrim. Eventually, Atmorans reached the northern shores of Tamriel, and their Dragon priests became cruel in colonizing the early Nords (Atmorans that dwell in Tamriel, descendants of Ysgramor). The Nords instigated a series of rebellions against the Atmorans, leading to the dawn of the Dragon War. However, some of Alduin’s Dragons became weary of the war and turned against him. The rebel Dragons taught the Nords the language of the Dragons (Thu’um), allowing them to have an edge in fighting Alduin. Alduin was defeated in the Throat of the World and was sent forward in time using an Elder Scroll.

Female Dragon Names

The majority of literary works and folklore mention female Dragons in them. Female Dragons are the great partners of the male Dragons such that they can breed and multiply in numbers. They are the ones who lay the Dragon Egg, and their youngsters are called Dragonlings. 

Tips for Creating Female Names for Dragons

In general, there is no definite Dragon naming convention. But we can draw inspiration from existing folklore and literary works on how Dragon names are made. Dragon names have rough sounds and unique pronunciations. They include syllables like ‘sh’, ‘th’, ‘x + a vowel’, and other rough-sounding syllables. Below are some examples of Female Dragon names that you may consider for your next campaign.