Name Generator Central

Plague Name Generator

Names for fictional plagues, poxes, and pandemics

Magic & Supernatural500 curated namesUpdated Free · no sign-up

Tap a name to copy it500 names in this generator

Generate plague names that sound like they were coined by terrified villagers, medieval chroniclers, or overwhelmed epidemiologists: folk names like the Sweating Sickness, place-based outbreaks, and clinical designations. Built for horror, dark fantasy, post-apocalyptic fiction, and pandemic scenarios.

About plague names

Real plague names were almost never invented by doctors. The Black Death, the Sweating Sickness, the Bloody Flux, St. Anthony's Fire, the Spanish Flu, the Great Mortality: these were coined by frightened people describing what they saw. That is why the most convincing fictional plagues follow the same folk logic, naming a disease after its most visible symptom (the Weeping Sickness), the color it turns the body (Greyscale, the Purpling), the people it strikes (the Tanner's Plague, the Cradle Fever), or the place it first appeared (the Grey Sweat of Ashcombe).

Structure matters. Medieval and early-modern names tend to be "The [Adjective] [Symptom]" or "[Trade]'s [Symptom]"; a chronicler writing a hundred years later will call it "the Second Mortality" or "the Pestilence of Vael"; a modern epidemiologist will reduce it to a compound word or a clinical label. Mixing registers inside a single story is a cheap way to signal history, since a plague known to peasants as "Wolfmouth" and to scholars as "the Third Pestilence" immediately feels real.

The names here range from short, brutal folk coinages to formal chronicle titles, so you can pick a plague for a grimdark fantasy setting, a post-apocalyptic novel, a horror campaign, or a worldbuilding timeline that needs a catastrophe with a name people would actually whisper.

Tips for choosing a name

  • Name the plague after a symptom the reader can picture: weeping sores, blue lips, a rattling cough. Abstract words like "doom" or "chaos" tell the reader nothing about what the disease does to a body.
  • Give the same disease two names, one folk and one formal, and let different characters use each. It instantly implies a class divide and a history of the outbreak.
  • Tie the plague to a place or trade (the Harbor Sweat, the Weaver's Cough) if you want to suggest how it spreads and who suffers first.
  • Avoid "Fever" or "Plague" on every name. Rotate through Sickness, Ague, Rot, Wasting, Flux, Pox, Sweat, Chill, and Blight to keep a setting's disease history varied.
  • For a truly ancient or apocalyptic plague, drop the article and adjectives entirely: a single word like Greyscale or Marrowfade sounds like something everyone already knows.

Frequently asked questions

How were real plagues named historically?

Almost always by observation. The Black Death referred to darkened buboes and gangrene, the Sweating Sickness to its defining symptom, the Bloody Flux to dysentery, and St. Anthony's Fire to the burning pain of ergotism. Place names (Spanish Flu, Marburg virus) came later and were often geographically inaccurate.

What are good plague names for a fantasy setting?

Folk-style names with a concrete symptom and a local flavor work best: the Weeping Sickness, the Tanner's Plague, the Grey Sweat of Ashcombe. Add a formal chronicle name (the Second Mortality) if your setting has scholars or a church that records history.

Can I use these plague names in a book, game, or film?

Yes. All names are free for personal and commercial use. Greyscale is included as a nod to A Song of Ice and Fire and belongs to that setting, so treat it as inspiration rather than something to publish.

Should a fictional plague have a scientific name too?

Only if your setting has modern medicine. A clinical designation alongside a folk name (like "the Blue Lip Fever" versus a virus code) is a nice worldbuilding touch for near-future or post-apocalyptic stories, but in medieval fantasy the folk name is all anyone would use.

All 500 plague names

Browse the full list
  • The Weeping Sickness
  • Greyscale
  • The Sweating Death
  • Bloodrust
  • The Hollow Cough
  • Marrowfade
  • The Cinder Pox
  • Saltlung
  • The Whistling Fever
  • The Ashen Wasting
  • Blackvein
  • The Miller's Rot
  • Widow's Fever
  • The Laughing Plague
  • Bonebrittle
  • The Crimson Sweat
  • Sleepwater Sickness
  • The Quiet Death
  • Redcap Fever
  • The Dancing Plague of Vell
  • Ghostlung
  • The Sallow Wasting
  • Ironjaw
  • The Blister Wind
  • Corpsebloom
  • The Blue Shivers
  • Wormfever
  • The Choking Damp
  • The Marsh Ague
  • Ratkin's Bane
  • The Bishop's Pox
  • Winterlung
  • The Glass Sickness
  • Sootblood
  • The Pale Rattle
  • The Harbor Sweat
  • Threadworm Fever
  • The Slow Grey
  • Cankerroot
  • The Sailor's Wither
  • The Bleeding Eye
  • Milkblight
  • The Long Sleep
  • Bellringer's Fever
  • The Yellow Cough
  • Ashmouth
  • The Shaking Palsy of Orrin
  • Frostbite Fever
  • The Black Tongue
  • Sorrowpox
  • The Fen Sickness
  • The Red Mask
  • Rotwater Flux
  • The Ninth Fever
  • Skinfall
  • The Bramble Itch
  • The Weaver's Cough
  • Candlewax Sickness
  • The Drowning Fever
  • Nightsweat Rot
  • The Wailing Sickness
  • Ashfall Lung
  • The Grave Chill
  • Boilbane
  • The Wet Rot
  • The Ferryman's Fever
  • Scarlet Wither
  • The Grinning Death
  • Bittermilk Fever
  • The Cracked Skin
  • The Third Winter Sickness
  • Hollowmarrow
  • The Whitening
  • Riverblind
  • The Tanner's Plague
  • The Slow Blue Death
  • Silverspot
  • The Kestrel Pox
  • Wailwind Sickness
  • The Cradle Fever
  • The Ninefold Chill
  • Wolfmouth
  • The Cobbler's Sweat
  • The Salt Sickness
  • Grave-Blossom
  • The Coughing Rot
  • Rusteye
  • The Trembling Death
  • Blightmark
  • The Weeping Pox of Marrowick
  • The Bone Ague
  • The Hollowing
  • The Purpling
  • The Grey Sweat of Ashcombe
  • The Sea-Rot
  • Kingsfall Fever
  • The Barrow Cough
  • Fleshfrost
  • The Bright Fever
  • Choke-Damp Plague
  • The Chapel Sickness
  • The Withering of Saint Ilse
  • Halloway Flux
  • The Long Cough
  • The Bleaching Sickness
  • The Iron Lung Fever
  • The Wasting of the Fens
  • The Sighing Death
  • The Sootfall Plague
  • The Winnowing
  • The Wet Cough of Dunmere
  • The Reaper's Chill
  • The Beggar's Blight
  • The Blister Plague of Kesh
  • The Sleeping Death
  • The Rattling Sickness
  • The Cold Sweat
  • The Blue Lip Fever
  • The Bramblewood Rot
  • The Widow's Blight
  • The Grey Wasting
  • The Bloody Flux
  • The Great Mortality
  • The Pestilence of Vael
  • The Weeping Rot
  • The Bonefire Sickness
  • The Falling Sickness
  • The Spotted Death
  • The Cinder Fever
  • The Whispering Sickness
  • The Blackwater Ague
  • The Hangman's Cough
  • The Sundering Fever
  • The Marrow Sweat
  • The Merchant's Pox
  • The Ash Rattle
  • The Rotting Cough
  • The Wailing Fever of Grey Harbor
  • The Frost Wasting
  • The Bellwether Sickness
  • The Red Ague
  • The Silent Fever
  • The Blister Rot
  • The Withering Sweat
  • The Nine-Day Fever
  • The Bloodsweat
  • The Salt Wasting
  • The Bramble Fever
  • The Boneshake
  • The Corpse Cough
  • The Second Mortality
  • The Sallow Fever
  • The Iron Ague
  • The Weeping Chill
  • The Grey Death of Ossary
  • The Ravenwood Pox
  • The Cracklung
  • The Bright Death
  • The Weeping of the Wells
  • The Sootblood Fever
  • The Coldwater Wither
  • The Bishop's Sweat
  • The Marsh Rot
  • The Ninefold Death
  • The Cinderlung
  • The Bramble Blight
  • The Rustwater Fever
  • The Wolfsbane Sickness
  • The Hollow Fever
  • The Wailing Cough
  • The Bittermarrow Rot
  • The Grave-Sweat
  • The Whitewater Ague
  • The Yellow Wither
  • The Bellringer's Blight
  • The Frostmarrow Fever
  • The Widow's Wasting
  • The Redwater Rot
  • The Third Pestilence
  • The Silvering Sickness
  • The Blackfen Cough
  • The Ash-Choke
  • The Long Wither
  • The Grey Rattle
  • The Sighing Cough
  • The Kesh Sweat
  • The Bone Blossom
  • The Ninth Pox
  • The Cradle Rot
  • The Ravening Fever
  • The Blister Sweat
  • The Corpseflower Sickness
  • The Salt-Eye
  • The Bramble Cough
  • The Wailing Wither
  • Ashlung
  • The Red Rattle
  • Cinderskin
  • The Blue Wasting
  • Bonewhite
  • Rustmouth
  • Marrowchill
  • Threadvein
  • The Purple Sweat
  • Duskfever
  • Saltmarrow
  • The Fishwife's Fever
  • Chalkskin
  • Grimebite
  • The Cooper's Cough
  • Emberpox
  • The Chandler's Sweat
  • Fogblood
  • The Ploughman's Fever
  • Wolfsweat
  • Bilelung
  • Rimefever
  • The Glassblower's Cough
  • Silvermouth
  • The Dyer's Blight
  • Blackspot
  • The Thatcher's Chill
  • Vinegar Sweat
  • The Chapman's Pox
  • Fenmouth
  • The Miner's Rattle
  • Peatlung
  • Kilnfever
  • The Falconer's Fever
  • Featherlung
  • The Reeve's Rot
  • Lantern Fever
  • The Almoner's Ague
  • Tallowskin
  • The Sexton's Sweat
  • Gravemouth
  • The Gaoler's Fever
  • Chainrot
  • The Nun's Wasting
  • Cloister Cough
  • The Pilgrim's Pox
  • Roadfever
  • The Drover's Rattle
  • Cattlebane
  • The Bargeman's Ague
  • Lockwater Fever
  • The Ropewalker's Cough
  • Hempfever
  • The Netmender's Wither
  • Brinepox
  • The Saltner's Sweat
  • Panblight
  • The Lamplighter's Cough
  • The Hatter's Shakes
  • The Limeburner's Cough
  • The Pewterer's Palsy
  • The Woolcomber's Wasting
  • The Foundling's Chill
  • The Midwife's Sweat
  • The Bride's Fever
  • The Mourner's Cough
  • The Scrivener's Rot
  • The Fool's Ague
  • The Sweat of Kellmoor
  • The Fever of Dunhallow
  • The Pox of Grimmarsh
  • The Chill of Wendmere
  • The Ague of Cold Harbor
  • The Cough of Saltmarsh
  • The Blight of Thornbury
  • The Sickness of Havelock
  • The Sweat of Merrow Bridge
  • The Fever of Longbarrow
  • The Rot of Sallowmere
  • The Death of Ravensgate
  • The Wither of Kettleburn
  • The Rattle of Ossmoor
  • The Weeping of Coldwell
  • The Bleeding of Harrowgate
  • The Yellowing of Fenwick
  • The Wasting of Saint Corwen
  • The Fever of Saint Aldric
  • The Sweat of Saint Merrin
  • The Rot of Saint Osric
  • The Dance of Saint Vitus
  • The Chill of Saint Brannock
  • The Cough of Saint Elowen
  • The Pox of Saint Marrow
  • The Weeping of Saint Ambrey
  • The First Mortality
  • The Little Mortality
  • The Great Sickness of the North
  • The Great Fever of the Marches
  • The Great Pestilence of the Coast
  • The Long Pestilence
  • The Winter Pestilence
  • The Summer Mortality
  • The Harvest Sickness
  • The Lenten Fever
  • The Michaelmas Rot
  • The Candlemas Chill
  • The Midsummer Sweat
  • The Advent Wasting
  • The Easter Pox
  • The Martinmas Cough
  • The Year of the Red Sweat
  • The Year of Sores
  • The Year of the Rattle
  • The Year of the Long Sleep
  • The Three-Day Fever
  • The Seven-Day Wasting
  • The Sundown Fever
  • The Midnight Rattle
  • Bloodcough
  • Whitelung
  • Glassbone
  • Bloodfire
  • Marrowblight
  • The Cold Fire
  • The Quick Death
  • The Creeping Rot
  • The Gasping Death
  • The Rasping Cough
  • The Barking Cough
  • The Singing Sickness
  • The Muttering Death
  • The Babbling Fever
  • The Staring Sickness
  • The Toad Pox
  • The Leech Fever
  • Wormwood Fever
  • Hemlock Sweat
  • Rye Madness
  • The Ergot Fire
  • Holy Fire
  • Hellfire Sweat
  • The Devil's Cough
  • The Devil's Pinch
  • The Penitent's Wasting
  • The Heretic's Fever
  • The Witch's Chill
  • The Coffin Cough
  • The Shroud Fever
  • The Winding-Sheet Sickness
  • The Lychgate Chill
  • The Churchyard Cough
  • The Ossuary Fever
  • The Catacomb Sweat
  • The Gutter Rot
  • The Sewer Sweat
  • The Mill Pond Sickness
  • The Rime Sickness
  • The Bog Sweat
  • The Mire Fever
  • The Mildew Sweat
  • The Furnace Fever
  • The Chalkpit Cough
  • The Threshing Sickness
  • The Gleaner's Cough
  • The Windfall Sickness
  • The Brewhouse Cough
  • The Rushlight Fever
  • The Debtor's Rot
  • The Tan-Pit Sickness
  • The Sweating Ague of Harrowfield
  • Blackmilk
  • The Tinker's Curse
  • The Rye Sleep
  • Wetlung
  • The Sallowing
  • The Bell-Rot
  • Grey Nettle Fever
  • The Cradle Sweat of Alder
  • Rustlung
  • The Miserere
  • Kingscough
  • The Beggar Sweat
  • Marrowsalt
  • The Nine Nights' Fever
  • The Ashen Ague
  • Bloodmoss
  • The Wormrot
  • The Blue Sleep
  • Fevermoor
  • The Withering Wind
  • Cinderpox of Vantry
  • The Sweat of Three Kings
  • Coldmarrow
  • The Speckled Death
  • Vellum Skin
  • The Cobweb Sickness
  • Bonecough
  • The Rattling Wind
  • Blackrime
  • The Whitening Fever of Sallow Cross
  • Twelve-Bell Fever
  • The Bleeding Sweat
  • Ironblood
  • The Ferry Fever
  • Sallowskin
  • The Sleeping Pox
  • Rotmarrow
  • The Yellow Rattle
  • Chalkeye
  • The Grave Sweat of Ilmar
  • Mudfever
  • The Sea-Sweat
  • Blightlung
  • The Priest's Rattle
  • Duskrot
  • The Great Coughing
  • Ashfever
  • The Cinder Wasting
  • Bramblemouth
  • The Winter Rattle of Corrin
  • Saltrot
  • The Groaning Sickness
  • Bloodblister Fever
  • The Sallow Ague of the Wold
  • Frostmouth
  • The Blue Cough of Wendham
  • Milkeye
  • The Long Fever
  • Emberlung
  • The Sighing Rot
  • The Salt Fever of Merrowhaven
  • Coalblood
  • The Trembling Sweat
  • Bittersweat
  • The Beast Sweat
  • Bonegrey
  • The Green Wither
  • Palefever
  • The Weeping Rattle
  • Marshlung
  • The Rat Sweat
  • Sootrot
  • The Salt-Marsh Death
  • Whitemarrow
  • The Bramble Sweat of Ossett
  • Cindereye
  • The Blue Ague
  • Nightlung
  • The Green Rot of Wickham
  • Wormblood
  • The Grinning Fever
  • Bloodrattle
  • The Cold Cough
  • Fenblood
  • The Grey Blister
  • Rustskin
  • The Wailing Wind
  • Sourblood
  • The Redwater Chill
  • The Miller's Daughter's Fever
  • Old Sallow's Curse
  • The Corpse-Candle Fever
  • The Sweat That Weeps
  • The Blue Bloat
  • The Ninefold Weeping
  • Marrow-Sleep
  • The Wailing Cough of Blackmere
  • The Sickness of the Bells
  • The Ashwind Death
  • The Winnowing Sweat
  • The Bruising Sickness
  • The Freckled Death
  • The Iron Rattle
  • Wormbelly
  • The Death-Sweat of Ilmore
  • The Bloodwind
  • The Little Death of Fenwold
  • The Rasping Rot
  • The Grey Bloom
  • The Bloody Weep
  • The Sallow Weep
  • The Ash-Weep
  • Boneash
  • The Nettle Rot
  • Ashrattle
  • The White Fever of Aldmere
  • Sweatpox
  • The Weeping Ague of Dunn
  • Frostrot
  • The Bloodmilk Fever
  • Marrowfrost
  • Chokefever
  • The Sea Wither
  • Ashsweat
  • The Yellow Ague of the Wolds
  • Riverlung
  • The Barrow Wasting
  • Greypox
  • The Cinder Rattle
  • Wetrot
  • Bloodgrey
  • The Bell Sweat
  • Marrowlung
  • The Slow Fire
  • Wolfblood

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