Fictional Nation Name Generator

Fictional nations have a long pedigree in fiction, and the best ones follow the naming rules of a real region so closely that readers assume they exist. Anthony Hope's Ruritania (1894) spawned an entire genre of small Central European kingdoms; Hergé added Syldavia and Borduria, Marvel gave us Latveria, Sokovia, and Wakanda, and thrillers use a steady supply of -stan republics (Kyrzbekistan, Turgistan) and Latin American states (Val Verde, Costaguana, San Theodoros). The trick in every case is a real suffix on an invented root: -ia, -ova, -stan, -land, San or Nueva plus a saint or adjective.

A nation also has a formal long-form name, and that tells readers what kind of state it is before a single character speaks. Kingdom of Ostrova, People's Republic of Turgistan, Grand Duchy of Kravonia, Sultanate of Bahran, and Most Serene Republic of Dalmatica each imply a different government, history, and level of menace. Dystopias often skip the proper noun altogether: Panem, Gilead, Oceania, Airstrip One, the Directorate.

When inventing your own, decide the region first, borrow its phonology and suffix, then choose the government form. Keep the short name to two to four syllables and make sure the demonym (Ostrovan, Kravonian, Turgistani) rolls off the tongue, because you will use it more often than the country's name.