This elven city name generator makes names for elf cities on a fantasy map or in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Choose the kind of elf and it builds a name from sounds that suit them: Aelathir for high elves, Fenaloth for wood elves, Maralune for sea elves and Zaravyr for dark elves. A fifth style gives the name as outsiders would translate it, such as Silverbough.

Five Styles of Elven City Name

Style	Sound	Examples
High elf	Clear vowels, endings such as -thir, -rion and -wen	Aelathir, Silarion
Wood elf	Soft and leafy, endings such as -loth, -weth and -dael	Fenaloth, Tamareth
Sea elf	Open and flowing, endings such as -lune, -mere and -shae	Maralune, Velimere
Dark elf	The same shape with z, x and y	Zaravyr, Xilondyr
Translated name	Two plain words joined	Silverbough, Moonhollow

Why Elven Names Sound the Way They Do

The sound most readers hear as elven comes from J.R.R. Tolkien, who built two elvish languages before he wrote the stories. He modelled Quenya partly on Finnish and Sindarin on Welsh, which is why elven names are full of l, r, th and open vowels and have few hard stops. Later fantasy kept the sound without the languages. The generator follows the same rule: every invented name is a consonant, a vowel and a soft ending, and names with a repeated consonant are thrown away because they are hard to say.

Elvish Name or Translated Name

An elven city often has two names, one in its own language and one that other peoples use. Tolkien did this himself: Rivendell is the common-tongue form of the elvish name Imladris. Using both in a campaign is an easy way to show who is speaking. The elves say Fenaloth, and the human traders who visit call the same place Willowhollow. Generate one name in each style and pair them.

How to Choose an Elven City Name

Say it slowly. An elven name should have no syllable you trip over.
Keep one realm to one style. Cities of the same people share endings, so generate several in one style.
Match the place. A harbour suits a sea elf name even if high elves built it.
Name the people and the neighbours. See the Elf Name Generator and the Drow Name Generator for the inhabitants, and the Fantasy City Name Generator for human, dwarven and orc cities nearby.

How to Use the Elven City Name Generator

Choose the kind of elf: Pick high elf, wood elf, sea elf or dark elf, or choose a translated name.
Generate: Each press gives eight new city names.
Copy: Use the copy button beside the name you want.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are good high elf city names?

Names with clear vowels and soft endings, such as Aelathir, Silarion and Caelawen. High elf cities are old and proud, so the name should sound formal and be easy to say slowly. Choose the high elf style.

How are wood elf city names different?

They are softer and shorter in feel, with sounds such as -loth, -weth and -dael: Fenaloth, Tamareth, Linoweth. A wood elf settlement is part of a forest, and many are known to outsiders by a translated name, such as Willowhollow.

Do the names mean anything?

The invented names do not. They are built from syllables chosen to sound elven, and you are free to decide what one means in your world. The translated style gives names with a plain meaning, such as Silverbough.

What do dark elves call their cities?

Dark elf names keep the elven shape but use harder sounds, with z, x and y: Zaravyr, Xilondyr, Velethrae. The names here are invented and are not cities from any published setting.

How do I name the elves who live there?

Use the Elf Name Generator for high and wood elves and the Drow Name Generator for dark elves. Names from the same generator share sounds with their city.

Can I use these names in a published work?

Yes. They are invented syllables and common words. Search for a name before you rely on it, in case another book or game has arrived at the same one.