Gnome Name Generator
Gnome names bounce — quick, bright and faintly mechanical, with family names that sound like inventions (and usually are). A gnome collects nicknames the way dragons collect gold.
Sample gnome names
First names come from this page's lists; family names are combined from two parts, so these samples are a few of the possible workshops.
Male first names
Bimble · Cogsworth · Fizzwick · Gilben · Kipner · Nimbo · Tinkerton · Wizben · Zibwick
Female first names
Bimila · Cogella · Fizina · Gilanna · Kipla · Nimira · Tinkella · Wizara · Zibella
Family name parts
First part: Cog · Fizzle · Brass · Nimble · Spark · Tinker · Whistle · Gimmer
Second part: spinner · gear · bang · fingers · spring · bolt · whistle · ton
Examples: Cogspinner · Fizzlebang · Brassgear · Nimblefingers · Tinkerspring
How gnomes name their children
Gnome names start sensible and accumulate. A child gets a bright, bouncy first name from family tradition; the family name itself often began as the name of an ancestor's workshop or invention, and it stays slightly adjustable — a Cogspinner whose daughter revolutionises spring design may find the family quietly becoming Cogsprings within a generation. On top of that, gnomes collect nicknames from every stage of life, so a full formal introduction can run to four or five names. This generator gives you the respectable core — first name plus family name — and leaves the nicknames for your table to earn.
Complete the character with a class title: wizard, rogue, paladin or bard.
Frequently asked questions
Why do gnome names sound like inventions?
Because in gnome culture they often commemorate one. Family names here join a workshop word (Cog, Brass, Spark, Tinker) to a mechanical one (spinner, gear, spring, bolt), producing Cogspinner, Brassgear and Sparkbolt — names that sound like the family workshop's sign, which historically is what they were.
Do gnomes really collect nicknames?
In most settings, yes — gnomes pick up names the way other races pick up souvenirs: one from family, one from friends, one from a memorable incident they'd rather forget. A gnome introduced with only one name is either very young or being suspiciously formal. Roll a few names here and stack your favourites.
How do I name a forest gnome instead of a rock gnome?
Lean on the nature end of the lists — names built from Nimble, Whistle and Gimmer parts feel woodsier than the Cog and Brass workshop names — or pair a gnome first name with a halfling-style surname from the halfling page for a burrow-dwelling cousin.
All name lists on this page were written for this site. Dungeons & Dragons is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast; this is an unofficial fan tool.