This monster name generator names creatures for tabletop games and stories. It gives two kinds of name. The first is for a kind of creature that you have invented, such as Gloomhide or Tidefin Snapper. The second is for one particular monster that a district fears, such as Old Embermane or The Limping Watcher. Choose the sort of creature and the words change to suit it.

Five Sorts of Creature

Sort	Words the names draw on	A kind	One named monster
Beasts and predators	Fang, hide, tusk, mane	Thornfang Howler	Old Embermane
Undead	Grave, shroud, rattle, husk	Graveshade Shambler	Mother Bonerattle
Horrors and aberrations	Eye, mouth, limb, coil	Glassbloom Whisperer	Twitchskin of the Star Pit
Giants and brutes	Fist, brow, knuckle, heel	Cragjaw Strider	Old Slateheel
Swamp and water creatures	Maw, gill, fin, tail	Tidefin Snapper	Siltback of the Sunken Road

How the Names Are Built

Pattern	Example	Use it for
Two words joined	Brambletusk	A common animal of the region
Joined word and a role	Eelhide Strangler	A creature known for how it kills
An elder word and a joined word	Grandfather Murkbelly	One old animal the locals have named
The, a describing word and a role	The Sleepless Stomper	A monster known only by rumour
Joined word and a place	Briarmaw of the Black Pines	A monster that never leaves its ground

From a Name to a Monster

Make the body part matter. A Quaketooth should do something with its teeth that no other creature does.
Give the role a habit. A Lurker waits and a Charger does not. The role tells you how the first round of a fight goes.
Let the players hear the name first. A warning from a ferryman about Grandfather Murkbelly does more than the sight of the creature.

The place the monster lives can be named with the Dungeon Name Generator. There are separate generators for dragon names, demon names, troll names and goblin names, and the job of hunting the thing can be titled with the Quest Name Generator.

How to Use the Monster Name Generator

Choose a kind of creature or one named monster: Gloomhide is a kind of creature. Old Embermane is one particular animal.
Choose the sort of creature: Pick beasts, undead, horrors, giants or swamp creatures.
Generate and copy: Each press gives six new names.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I name a homebrew monster?

Name it the way the people who live near it would. They have not read a rulebook. They call it after what they saw: a jaw, a hide, a noise. Two short words joined, such as Gloomhide or Mirejaw, is the commonest pattern.

What is the difference between a kind of creature and a named monster?

A kind is a species: there are many Thornfang Howlers. A named monster is one animal the district knows, such as Old Embermane or Siltback of the Sunken Road. A named monster makes a good end to an adventure.

Are these monsters from the D&D Monster Manual?

No. The names are built from common words, and compounds that match well-known game monsters are blocked. Two-word compounds are a small space, so search a name before you publish with it.

Does the generator make stat blocks?

No, names only. The name is a starting point: decide what the jaw, hide or coil in it does, and build the abilities from that.

What makes a monster name frightening?

Plain words. Mother Bonerattle is worse than a long invented word because the reader understands every part of it. Words for age and family, such as Old, Mother and Grandfather, suggest the thing has been there a long time.

Can I use the names in an adventure I sell?

Yes. There is no fee and no credit is needed.