Insectoid Name Generator

Insectoid names in science fiction and fantasy almost always start from sound. Insects communicate with clicks, stridulation, and hisses, so writers build names from hard stops (k, t, ch), sibilants (s, z, x), and rolled or doubled consonants (rr, zz, kk, tk) with as few vowels as a human tongue can manage. Thri-kreen names in Dungeons & Dragons (Chak-tha, Klik-Chaka) and the Zerg brood names in StarCraft both follow this rule, and the result is a name that reads as chittered rather than spoken. Apostrophes usually mark a click or a pause: Tk'tk, Kh'zzik.

The second convention comes from hive biology. Many insectoid species are eusocial, so individuals may be identified by caste and role rather than by a personal name: Drone Tk-441, Worker Ikkith-Twelve, Third of the Kessith Brood. Queens, broodmothers, and hive lords carry personal names because they are singular; workers and soldiers often carry a designation because they are not. This split is a powerful storytelling tool, since a drone earning a true name can be a whole character arc.

Mix the two styles for a full society: a queen with a resonant multi-syllable name, warriors with a name and a caste suffix, and drones with alphanumeric tags. Add a hive or brood name (Zzorra Brood, Chitin Throne) so individuals can be placed in a lineage.