This gnome name generator makes names for gnome characters in Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy games. A full name has three parts, a first name, a nickname and a family name, as in Bimwick "Fizzbang" Cogwhistle. You can also generate any one part alone, and choose family names for rock gnomes, forest gnomes or deep gnomes.

The Three Parts of a Gnome Name

Part	How it sounds	Examples
First name	Short and bouncy, two or three syllables	Bimwick, Tobret, Fenella, Nibwyn
Nickname	Two playful words joined, given by friends	Fizzbang, Wobblepot, Nimblefingers
Family name	Two plain words about the family's work or home	Cogwhistle, Mossbutton, Gemdelve

The gender you choose changes the first name only. Male names end in sounds such as -wick, -kin and -ble, and female names in -ella, -wyn and -li.

Gnome Family Names by Kind

Kind of gnome	Family names are about	Examples
Rock gnome	Workshops, clockwork and tools	Cogwhistle, Sprocketpin, Brassbutton, Tinkerbolt
Forest gnome	Plants, small animals and burrows	Mossbutton, Acornhop, Bramblefoot, Fernwhisker
Deep gnome (svirfneblin)	Gems, stone and tunnels	Gemdelve, Flintlamp, Quartzseeker, Slatewarden

First names and nicknames are shared by all three kinds, so a family can have members above and below ground.

Where Gnomes Come From

The word gnome was first used in the sixteenth century by the Swiss physician Paracelsus, for a spirit of the earth that could move through rock as a fish moves through water. Later folklore made gnomes small bearded guardians of mines and buried treasure, and the pottery garden gnome appeared in Germany in the nineteenth century. Fantasy games added the inventor and the trickster. A name can lean on any of these: Gemdelve for the miner of the old stories, Cogwhistle for the tinker of the new ones.

How to Choose a Gnome Name

Let the table use the nickname. It is the part other players will remember and say.
Match the family name to the background. An artificer is a Sprocketpin. A druid is a Fernwhisker.
Keep a spare. A gnome has many names, so a second first name used only by a grandmother is in character.
Name the companions. For the rest of the party, see the Halfling Name Generator and the Dwarf Name Generator, and for a gnome's rivals underground, the Goblin Name Generator.

How to Use the Gnome Name Generator

Choose what you need: Pick a full name, a first name, a family name or a nickname.
Choose the kind of gnome and a gender: The kind of gnome decides the family name. The gender decides the first name.
Generate and copy: Each press gives six new names. Use the copy button beside the one you want.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do gnome names work in D&D?

A gnome collects names. Parents, grandparents and other relatives each give one, and friends add nicknames. Among other peoples a gnome usually goes by three: a personal name, a clan name and a nickname. The generator's full names follow that pattern, as in Bimwick "Fizzbang" Cogwhistle.

What are good gnome family names?

Ones that join two plain words about what the family does or where it lives. Cogwhistle and Sprocketpin suit rock gnomes who build things, Mossbutton and Acornhop suit forest gnomes, and Gemdelve and Flintlamp suit deep gnomes who mine. Choose the family name option to get these alone.

What is the difference between rock, forest and deep gnomes?

Rock gnomes are the tinkers and inventors, and the kind most players choose. Forest gnomes are shy woodland dwellers with a gift for illusion and for talking to small animals. Deep gnomes, also called svirfneblin, live far underground and are more serious and guarded.

Why do gnomes have nicknames?

In the game's lore gnomes enjoy names and treat a nickname as a mark of affection. It usually comes from a habit or a single memorable accident, which makes it a quick way to give a character a history. Decide what your gnome did to be called Wobblepot.

Are these names for garden gnomes too?

They work for one. A garden gnome usually gets a short, friendly first name, so choose the first name option. The family names of forest gnomes, such as Mossbutton, suit a garden as well.

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

Yes. The first names are made from invented syllables and the other names from common words. Names printed in the D&D rulebooks are left out of the generator.