This fairy name generator makes names for fairies, pixies and fae in stories and games. Choose a flower fairy and it gives a name such as Tansy Dewdrop. Choose a pixie for something quicker, such as Pip Thistledown. Choose the fae court for the nobility of a Dungeons & Dragons Feywild, as in Lysiana of the Thorn Court.

Three Styles of Fairy Name

Style	How it is built	Examples
Flower fairy	A plant for the first name, a small natural thing for the surname	Tansy Dewdrop, Bracken Mothwing
Pixie or sprite	A short, quick first name with the same kind of surname	Pip Thistledown, Dot Honeybloom
Fae court	A formal invented name and the court the fae belongs to	Lysiana of the Thorn Court, Eldion of the Winter Court

Where Fairy Names Come From

The habit of naming fairies after small things is at least as old as Shakespeare. In A Midsummer Night's Dream, written in the 1590s, the fairies who wait on Titania are called Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth and Mustardseed. Children's books of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries carried the idea on with fairies named for garden flowers. The surnames in this generator follow the same rule: Dewdrop, Thistledown and Mothwing are all things a fairy could carry.

The Fae Courts

The older fairies of folklore were not small or kind. They were a hidden people with their own rulers, and a traveller who met them was in danger. Scottish tradition divided them into the Seelie Court and the Unseelie Court. Dungeons & Dragons builds on this with the Feywild, a bright and perilous mirror of the world ruled by powerful archfey. A fae of this kind is known by a court as much as by a name, which is why the court style gives both. In play, a fae may also refuse to give a true name at all. A title, such as the Lady of the Thorn Court, is a good substitute.

How to Choose a Fairy Name

Match the name to the size. A hand-sized fairy suits a flower or pixie name. A fae lord needs the court style.
Use the season. Primrose and Clover belong to spring. Bracken and Thorn belong to autumn.
Give a pixie one syllable. It will be said quickly and often.
Name the others in the wood. See the Elf Name Generator, the Gnome Name Generator for forest gnomes, the Druid Name Generator and the Witch Name Generator.

How to Use the Fairy Name Generator

Choose the format: Pick a full name or a first name alone.
Choose a style and gender: Flower fairy, pixie or fae court.
Generate and copy: Each press gives six new names. Use the copy button beside the one you want.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good fairy name?

A small one. Fairies in stories are named for flowers, seeds, insects and weather, things on their own scale: Tansy Dewdrop, Bracken Mothwing, Pip Thistledown. A name of that kind tells the listener the size of the creature before it is described.

What are good fae names for D&D?

For the lords and ladies of the Feywild, use the fae court style. It gives a formal invented name and a court, as in Lysiana of the Thorn Court or Eldion of the Winter Court. For a fairy player character, or for pixies and sprites, the flower and pixie styles are a better fit.

What is the difference between a fairy, a pixie and a fae?

Fairy is the general word. A pixie is a small, mischievous fairy from the folklore of south-west England. Fae, or fey, is an older word for the whole fairy people, and in modern fantasy it usually means the tall, dangerous kind who keep courts and make bargains.

What are the Seelie and Unseelie Courts?

They come from Scottish folklore. The Seelie Court are the fairies who may be kind to people, and the Unseelie Court are the ones who never are. Many fantasy settings have turned the two into rival kingdoms, often with summer and winter as their seasons.

Are there male fairy names?

Yes. Choose male for names such as Bracken, Rowan and Thorn in the flower style, Pip, Tuck and Quill in the pixie style, and Eldion or Valorin in the court style.

Can I use these names in a story or a game?

Yes. They are plant names, common words and invented names. The fairies from A Midsummer Night's Dream are left out of the generator.