This goblin name generator makes male and female goblin names for D&D, Pathfinder and fantasy fiction. Goblin names are short and sharp, built from hard consonants, and the generator gives them alone or with a descriptive second name such as Rustnail or Bentnose. It also makes names for a goblin tribe or clan.

Three Kinds of Goblin Name

Format	Example	Use it for
Name and second name	Krazik Rustnail	A named character, a boss or a recurring nuisance
Single name	Snikit	Members of a warband, quick to say in a fight
Tribe or clan	Crooked Kettle Mob	The group the players are dealing with

The second names describe something small and specific. A goblin is rarely called Skullcrusher. It is called after the thing the others noticed first: a nail, a nose, a stolen pot.

Goblins in Folklore and Fantasy

Goblins were household and woodland spirits in European folklore before they were a fantasy people. George MacDonald's The Princess and the Goblin, published in 1872, gave them an underground kingdom, and Tolkien used the word for his Orcs in The Hobbit. Dungeons & Dragons made goblins the small, numerous, cowardly raiders most games now assume. Other settings changed the type again: World of Warcraft's goblins are traders and engineers, and Pathfinder's are gleeful arsonists. The names in this generator follow the common thread, which is brevity and a harsh sound.

Naming a Goblin Tribe

Goblin tribes are named like goblins: after an object, an injury or a boast. The tribe option gives names such as the Rustknife Clan and Three Spoon Mob. A slightly ridiculous name works in the game's favour, because it tells the players these are not noble enemies. For larger and fiercer neighbours, the Orc Name Generator has tribe and clan names of its own, and the Troll Name Generator covers the creature the tribe may be hiding behind.

How to Use the Goblin Name Generator

Choose what you need: Pick goblin names for a character, or tribe and clan names for a group.
Pick a name format: A name with a second name, such as Krazik Rustnail, or a single name.
Set male or female: The endings change. The second names suit either.
Generate and copy: Each press gives six new names. Use the copy button beside the one you want.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes a name sound like a goblin?

Short, sharp syllables. Goblin names lean on k, z, x and g with clipped vowels, and rarely run past two syllables: Snikit, Krazak, Grixa. A second name, when there is one, is a blunt description of a body part or a possession, such as Rustnail or Mudsnout.

What are good female goblin names?

The same hard consonants with a vowel ending: Grixa, Zotka, Friketta, Dibina. Choose Female in the generator for names of this kind. In most settings goblin women are named on the same pattern as the men, with no softer style.

How do goblin names work in D&D?

The rulebooks give goblins short, harsh names and leave the rest to the table. Goblins in D&D live in tribes under the strongest member and are often ruled in turn by hobgoblins or bugbears, so a tribe name matters as much as a personal one. Use the tribe option for that.

How are Pathfinder goblins named?

Pathfinder's goblins are chaotic, reckless and fond of fire and songs, and their names match: short, noisy and often funny to say aloud. A single name works well for them, and a descriptive second name suits one who has done something memorable.

What is the difference between a goblin and a hobgoblin?

In folklore a hobgoblin was a friendly household spirit, and Shakespeare's Puck is called one. Modern fantasy reversed it. Since Tolkien and D&D, hobgoblins are the larger, more disciplined cousins of goblins. Hobgoblin names in games are usually longer and more military.

Where does the word goblin come from?

From Old French gobelin, recorded in the Middle Ages as the name of a spirit haunting a town in Normandy. Its earlier origin is uncertain. In English folklore it covered any small, mischievous or malicious spirit long before fantasy made goblins a people.