Rogue Name Generator

Rogue names work in layers. A thief or assassin usually has a birth name they'd rather you didn't know, a working name they use with the guild, and a street title whispered by the people they've robbed. Locke Lamora is 'the Thorn of Camorr'; Kaz Brekker is 'Dirtyhands'; the Grey Mouser earned his name from his color and his habits. Even D&D's most famous rogues (Vax'ildan, Artemis Entreri, Jarlaxle) are remembered as much for their reputations as their names.

Street aliases follow a few reliable patterns. Small, clever animals (Magpie, Ferret, Fox, Jackdaw) suggest a burglar; blades and lock parts (Stiletto, Needle, Latch, Tumbler) suggest a professional; and physical nicknames (Nine-Fingers, Half-Hand, Two-Knives, Smiles) suggest a life that has left marks. Definite-article titles like the Velvet Hand or the Left-Handed Bride are what the city watch calls a thief they can't catch.

For a full name, pair a short, ordinary first name with a surname that sounds faintly disreputable: Corvin Ashe, Nell Quicksilver, Jasper Quill. Then add the nickname in quotes the way guild rosters do, as in Jory 'Nine-Fingers' Blackthorn. That structure works for swashbucklers, arcane tricksters and assassins alike.