Fantasy Dwarf Name Generator

Almost every fantasy dwarf name traces back to one source: the Dvergatal, the 'catalogue of dwarves' in the Old Norse Voluspa. Tolkien lifted Thorin, Dwalin, Balin, Fili, Kili, Bombur, Nori, Ori, Oin and Gloin straight from it, and even Gandalf's name is on that list. Because of Tolkien, the fantasy dwarf sound became fixed: one or two syllables, hard stops (k, g, d, t), rolled r's, and vowels like o, u and a rather than airy elvish e's and i's. D&D's Player's Handbook names (Adrik, Baern, Eberk, Rangrim, Tordek; Amber, Diesa, Gunnloda, Vistra) and Warhammer's Gotrek, Thorgrim and Belegar all follow the same rules.

The surname carries the story. Dwarves usually bear a clan name rather than a family one, and clan names describe a deed, a craft or a place: Ironfoot, Battlehammer, Oakenshield, Deepdelver, Grudgebearer. Tolkien's dwarves alternatively used patronymics (Gimli son of Gloin, Balin son of Fundin), and Norse-style names like Gotrek Gurnisson do the same with an -sson ending. A dwarf with a great deed may earn an epithet on top, such as Durin the Deathless or Kazador Dragonslayer.

Female dwarf names keep the same weight; they are not softened. Helja, Torbera, Kathra, Brynhild and Vigdis sound like they can lift an axe, which is the point.