Herb Name Generator
Real culinary and medicinal herbs, plus fantasy healing plants
Tap a name to copy itPress Space for a new batch500 names in this generator
Browse real herb names from kitchen staples like tarragon and lovage to old apothecary plants like feverfew and betony, then invented herbs like Kingsfoil and Wolfsbane for fantasy healers, potion makers, and game worlds.
About herb names
Herb names are a small history lesson. Kitchen herbs mostly carry Latin or Greek names filtered through French: basil from basilikon ('kingly'), rosemary from ros marinus ('dew of the sea'), sage from salvia ('to heal'), and thyme from thymon. English folk herbs are far more literal. Old healers named plants for what they were thought to fix or what they resembled: feverfew, woundwort, knitbone (comfrey), eyebright, lungwort, pilewort, sneezewort. The suffix -wort simply means 'plant', which is why so many medieval remedies end in it.
Fantasy writers borrow that folk pattern because it sounds instantly authentic. Tolkien's kingsfoil (athelas), Skyrim's blue mountain flower, The Witcher's celandine, and Dragon Age's elfroot are all built from a plain descriptor plus a plant word: -foil, -root, -leaf, -bane, -cap, -wort. Poisons and dark herbs use bane, night, grave, and blood; healing herbs use heal, balm, king, saint, and bright.
The list here starts with correctly spelled real herbs (culinary, medicinal, and traditional European folk names) so gardeners, cooks, and herbalists can browse, then moves into invented herbs that follow the same conventions for potion crafting, alchemists, and RPG ingredient lists.
Tips for choosing a name
- For a fantasy healing herb, pair a hopeful word with -wort, -foil, -balm, or -root (Healer's Balm, Kingsfoil); for a poison, use -bane, night-, or grave-.
- Give invented herbs a habitat and a look in one sentence ("a grey moss that grows on old gravestones"); the name lands better when players can picture it.
- Real folk names like knitbone and eyebright are public-domain and already sound magical, so use them freely in fiction and games.
- If you're naming a product, tea blend, or shop, check that a real plant name doesn't imply a medical claim you can't back up.
- Keep spelling consistent: decide between cilantro/coriander and marjoram/oregano naming based on where your setting or audience is.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an herb and a spice?
Herbs are the leafy green parts of a plant (basil, parsley, thyme); spices come from seeds, bark, roots, or fruit (cumin, cinnamon, ginger). Some plants give both, like coriander (spice) and cilantro (herb).
Why do so many old herb names end in -wort?
Wort is Old English for plant. Healers named herbs for their supposed use, so woundwort treated wounds, lungwort lungs, and St. John's wort was gathered around St. John's Day.
How do I invent believable fantasy herbs?
Copy the folk pattern: one concrete descriptor (color, animal, effect, place) plus a plant word (-root, -leaf, -cap, -wort, -bane). Kingsfoil, elfroot, and wolfsbane all follow it. Two or three syllables is ideal.
Can I use these herb names for a business or a game?
Yes. Real herb names are generic, and the invented ones here are free for personal and commercial use. Avoid names already tied to a specific franchise if you're publishing commercially (athelas and elfroot, for example).
All 500 herb names
Browse the full list
- Basil
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Sage
- Oregano
- Marjoram
- Tarragon
- Chervil
- Dill
- Fennel
- Cilantro
- Parsley
- Chives
- Lovage
- Bay Laurel
- Lemon Balm
- Lemongrass
- Lemon Verbena
- Peppermint
- Spearmint
- Apple Mint
- Chocolate Mint
- Catnip
- Hyssop
- Savory
- Winter Savory
- Sorrel
- Borage
- Salad Burnet
- Sweet Cicely
- Angelica
- Anise Hyssop
- Bergamot
- Bee Balm
- Chamomile
- Calendula
- Lavender
- Yarrow
- Feverfew
- Tansy
- Costmary
- Rue
- Wormwood
- Mugwort
- Southernwood
- Horehound
- Pennyroyal
- Betony
- Vervain
- Sweet Woodruff
- Lady's Mantle
- Meadowsweet
- Agrimony
- Elecampane
- Comfrey
- Valerian
- Skullcap
- Motherwort
- Lemon Thyme
- Clary Sage
- White Sage
- Pineapple Sage
- Holy Basil
- Thai Basil
- Shiso
- Perilla
- Epazote
- Culantro
- Rau Ram
- Curry Leaf
- Fenugreek
- Nigella
- Caraway
- Cumin
- Coriander
- Anise
- Sweet Marjoram
- Za'atar Hyssop
- Mexican Oregano
- Cuban Oregano
- Stevia
- Sweet Grass
- St. John's Wort
- Echinacea
- Goldenseal
- Ginseng
- Ashwagandha
- Gotu Kola
- Tulsi
- Milk Thistle
- Burdock
- Dandelion
- Nettle
- Chickweed
- Cleavers
- Plantain
- Mullein
- Coltsfoot
- Lungwort
- Marshmallow
- Horsetail
- Shepherd's Purse
- Self-Heal
- Wood Betony
- Ground Ivy
- Wild Garlic
- Ramsons
- Garlic Mustard
- Chicory
- Blessed Thistle
- Boneset
- Wild Bergamot
- Sweet Annie
- Toothache Plant
- Kingsfoil
- Athelas
- Wolfsbane
- Moonwort
- Nightshade
- Mandrake
- Silverleaf
- Bloodroot
- Dragonwort
- Ghostcap
- Sunbloom
- Widow's Veil
- Frostmint
- Emberleaf
- Blightbane
- Sorrowroot
- Fairy Thimble
- Hag's Taper
- Witchgrass
- Duskweed
- Starflower
- Wyrmtongue
- Bishop's Wort
- Devil's Bit
- Adder's Tongue
- Sleepwort
- Feywort
- Ironleaf
- Goldenthread
- Corpseflower
- Ravensfoot
- Mistvine
- Healer's Balm
- Ashen Sage
- Winterbloom
- Serpent's Root
- Bright-eye
- Thundercress
- Nightbell
- Wraithmoss
- Sunthistle
- Grave Nettle
- Whisperleaf
- Bloodthorn
- Hollow Sage
- Kingscap
- Elfroot
- Deathcap Sage
- Dreamwort
- Saint's Thyme
- Bitterbloom
- Wolfmint
- Sky Sorrel
- Rimefern
- Cinderroot
- Angel's Trumpet
- Bearberry Leaf
- Vampire's Bane
- Griffon Grass
- Lionsfoot
- Bruisewort
- Woundwort
- Knitbone
- Heartsease
- All-Heal
- Boneknit
- Fleawort
- Sneezewort
- Bindweed
- Eyebright
- Loosestrife
- Pilewort
- Sanicle
- Herb Robert
- Herb Bennet
- Good King Henry
- Jack-by-the-Hedge
- Ladysmock
- Cudweed
- Summer Savory
- Sweet Basil
- Genovese Basil
- Lemon Basil
- Lime Basil
- Cinnamon Basil
- Purple Basil
- Dark Opal Basil
- Greek Basil
- Bush Basil
- African Blue Basil
- Water Mint
- Corsican Mint
- Ginger Mint
- Orange Mint
- Bergamot Mint
- Field Mint
- Horsemint
- Mountain Mint
- Curly Mint
- Moroccan Mint
- Grapefruit Mint
- Pineapple Mint
- Calamint
- Basil Thyme
- Wild Thyme
- Creeping Thyme
- Caraway Thyme
- Orange Thyme
- Woolly Thyme
- Mother of Thyme
- Conehead Thyme
- Greek Oregano
- Italian Oregano
- Golden Oregano
- Syrian Oregano
- Turkish Oregano
- Pot Marjoram
- Knotted Marjoram
- Dittany of Crete
- French Tarragon
- Russian Tarragon
- Mexican Tarragon
- Purple Sage
- Golden Sage
- Tricolor Sage
- Greek Sage
- Spanish Sage
- Berggarten Sage
- Blackcurrant Sage
- Fruit Sage
- English Lavender
- French Lavender
- Spike Lavender
- Cotton Lavender
- Curry Plant
- Bronze Fennel
- Florence Fennel
- Sweet Fennel
- Roman Chamomile
- German Chamomile
- Wild Chamomile
- Pineappleweed
- Dyer's Chamomile
- Garlic Chives
- Chinese Chives
- Society Garlic
- Welsh Onion
- Wild Leek
- Ramps
- Wild Onion
- Crow Garlic
- Nasturtium
- Arugula
- Wild Rocket
- Watercress
- Land Cress
- Garden Cress
- Purslane
- Orache
- Fat Hen
- Miner's Lettuce
- Lamb's Quarters
- Ground Elder
- Alexanders
- Samphire
- Sea Fennel
- Sweet Flag
- Calamus
- Bog Myrtle
- Myrtle
- Lemon Myrtle
- Citronella Grass
- French Sorrel
- Red-veined Sorrel
- Wood Sorrel
- Sheep's Sorrel
- Great Burnet
- Papalo
- Pipicha
- Hoja Santa
- Huacatay
- Chipilin
- Boldo
- Muña
- Yerba Buena
- Yerba Santa
- Yerba Mate
- Guayusa
- Damiana
- Osha
- Chaparral
- Mormon Tea
- Sagebrush
- Desert Sage
- Prairie Sage
- Wild Ginger
- Sweetfern
- Wintergreen
- Checkerberry
- Partridgeberry
- Pipsissewa
- Uva Ursi
- Kinnikinnick
- Sassafras
- Sarsaparilla
- Wild Yam
- Pleurisy Root
- Butterfly Weed
- Joe-Pye Weed
- Gravel Root
- Black Snakeroot
- White Snakeroot
- Rattlesnake Master
- Black Cohosh
- Blue Cohosh
- Blue Vervain
- Blue Flag
- Solomon's Seal
- Goldenrod
- Butterbur
- Fireweed
- Evening Primrose
- Toadflax
- Figwort
- Lady's Bedstraw
- Madder
- Sweet Vernal Grass
- Raspberry Leaf
- Blackberry Leaf
- Wild Strawberry Leaf
- Cinquefoil
- Tormentil
- Silverweed
- Water Avens
- Wood Avens
- Hemp Agrimony
- Bistort
- Knotgrass
- Yellow Dock
- Bitter Dock
- Bishop's Weed
- Khella
- Ajwain
- Asafoetida
- Scots Lovage
- Wild Angelica
- Cow Parsley
- Queen Anne's Lace
- Blue Fenugreek
- Woad
- Arnica
- Immortelle
- Helichrysum
- Lad's Love
- Maudlin
- Alecost
- Roman Wormwood
- Chinese Mugwort
- Moxa
- Sweet Gale
- Elderflower
- Linden Flower
- Hawthorn Leaf
- Rose Hip
- Hops
- Wild Lettuce
- Chaste Tree
- Monk's Pepper
- Vitex
- Passionflower
- Kava
- Blue Lotus
- Lobelia
- Indian Tobacco
- Ribwort Plantain
- Broadleaf Plantain
- Psyllium
- Red Clover
- Alfalfa
- Oat Straw
- Milky Oats
- Nettle Seed
- Oregon Grape
- Barberry
- Yellow Gentian
- Centaury
- Bogbean
- Licorice
- Musk Mallow
- Common Mallow
- Hollyhock
- Sweet Violet
- Primrose
- Cowslip
- Oxlip
- Foxglove
- Henbane
- Belladonna
- Hemlock
- Datura
- Thornapple
- Monkshood
- Aconite
- Hellebore
- Black Hellebore
- Opium Poppy
- Corn Poppy
- California Poppy
- Greater Celandine
- Lesser Celandine
- Fumitory
- Earth Smoke
- Setwall
- Germander
- Wall Germander
- Wood Sage
- Bugle
- Bugleweed
- Gypsywort
- Speedwell
- Brooklime
- Hedge Woundwort
- Marsh Woundwort
- Ground Pine
- Viper's Bugloss
- Alkanet
- Hound's Tongue
- Gromwell
- Catmint
- Korean Mint
- Giant Hyssop
- Rock Hyssop
- Oswego Tea
- Lemon Bergamot
- Mitsuba
- Shungiku
- Kinome
- Sansho Leaf
- Myoga
- Wasabi Leaf
- Chinese Celery
- Leaf Celery
- Cutting Celery
- Vietnamese Balm
- Fish Mint
- Rice Paddy Herb
- Pandan Leaf
- Makrut Lime Leaf
- Turmeric Leaf
- Indian Bay Leaf
- Salam Leaf
- West Indian Bay
- Fenugreek Leaf
- Methi
- Brahmi
- Bacopa
- Neem
- Moringa
- Shatavari
- Vasaka
- Guduchi
- Bhringraj
- Bael Leaf
- Astragalus
- Dong Quai
- Schisandra
- Siberian Ginseng
- Eleuthero
- Codonopsis
- Chrysanthemum Flower
- Honeysuckle
- Rehmannia
- Baikal Skullcap
- Bupleurum
- Fo-Ti
- Jiaogulan
- Andrographis
- Ginkgo Leaf
- Safflower
- Goji Leaf
- Rhodiola
- Gloamwort
- Hearthmint
- Tinker's Rue
- Marrowthistle
- Pilgrim's Sage
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