Find a name for your orc
- Vrashagash Grave-Talkervrash (fang) + gash (eater): “fang-eater”, an orc shaman
- Gorza the Greatgor (ash) + za (blade): “ash-blade”, an orc chieftain
- Grakza the Wallgrak (blood) + za (blade): “blood-blade”, an orc warrior
- Ugganak Quick-Knifeugg (tusk) + nak (breaker): “tusk-breaker”, an orc raider
- Rukrok the Wallruk (stone) + rok (smasher): “stone-smasher”, an orc warrior
- Graknak Who Took the Passgrak (blood) + nak (breaker): “blood-breaker”, an orc chieftain
- Murzabag Red-Handmurz (skull) + bag (belly): “skull-belly”, an orc warrior
- Thrakbag Horse-Thiefthrak (bone) + bag (belly): “bone-belly”, an orc raider
How these orc names are built
Each name is two guttural syllables from an invented war-tongue. The first is something the clan values or fears, such as grak (blood), murz (skull) or ugg (tusk). The second is what the orc does with it: nak (breaker), gash (eater), tar (hunter). So Murznak is “skull-breaker” and Uggtar is “tusk-hunter”.
The earned name is the one other orcs use. It depends on role: warriors are named for what they survived or smashed, shamans for what they see, raiders for how they strike, and chieftains for what they took.
First syllables
| Syllable | Meaning |
|---|---|
| grak | blood |
| murz | skull |
| ugg | tusk |
| zog | war |
| bol | iron |
| thrak | bone |
| gor | ash |
| skar | scar |
| naz | black |
| krug | fist |
| durz | rot |
| lug | big |
| vrash | fang |
| ruk | stone |
Second syllables
| Syllable | Meaning |
|---|---|
| nak | breaker |
| gash | eater |
| ul | chief |
| tar | hunter |
| mog | shouter |
| za | blade |
| dush | burner |
| rok | smasher |
| gul | shaman |
| ash | fire |
| bag | belly |
| thul | tamer |
Writing orcs who are more than a horde
Give them a culture, not only a war cry. Tolkien’s orcs were mostly an enemy army, but modern fantasy often treats orcs as a people with clans, honour and grievances of their own. A name with a meaning is a small sign that someone in your world speaks their language.
Let names show rank and story. A young orc might have only a birth name. A veteran has an earned name everyone knows. A chieftain might have several, from different victories. Tracking who uses which name is a quick way to show power.
Vary the sound. If every orc is Grukk or Gorg, readers lose track. Generate a list and choose names with different first letters and lengths.
Orcs in fantasy books
For orcs as protagonists, Stan Nicholls’ Orcs follows a warband in a world that has cast them as villains, and Mary Gentle’s Grunts! is a satire of fantasy’s habit of making them the enemy by default.
More names for your world
Name the realm your warband raids with the kingdom name generator, or the dragon that terrifies even orcs with the dragon name generator. For their old enemies, try the dwarf and elf name generators.