Half-orcs don't get the luxury of a simple name. Every half-orc's name is a statement — whether they know it or not — about where they came from, where they belong, and which world they're choosing to face. A half-orc named "Grakk Skull-Splitter" sends a very different message than one named "Marcus Greyfang," and both are telling the truth about who they are.
How Half-Orc Names Work in D&D
In D&D 5e, half-orcs typically fall into one of three naming camps. Those raised among orcs take orcish names — harsh, guttural, built from hard consonants like a fist wrapped in syllables. Those raised among humans take human names, sometimes with a surname that hints at their heritage (or hides it). And then there's the middle ground — names that don't fully belong to either tradition, which is fitting for characters who don't fully belong to either world.
The Player's Handbook gives examples like Dench, Feng, Holg, and Shump for orcish-leaning names, and notes that half-orcs raised among humans often take human names to better fit in. But those lists are thin, and your character deserves more thought than picking from a six-entry table.
The Heritage Split
The most important decision in naming a half-orc isn't "what sounds cool" — it's "which side of their ancestry shaped them more?" This single question determines the entire phonetic character of the name.
- Orcish-dominant names hit hard: Short syllables, guttural vowels, consonant clusters that sound like they could break furniture. Grath, Shukka, Brokk. These are half-orcs who grew up in orcish tribes or who embrace that side of their heritage. The human element might only show up as a slightly more pronounceable structure than a full-blooded orc's name.
- Human-dominant names pass easier: Marcus, Elena, Thomas — familiar names that let a half-orc move through human society with fewer double-takes. But the orcish ancestry bleeds through in surnames like Tuskborn, Greyfang, or Ironchin. You can't hide it entirely, and most half-orcs don't want to.
- Balanced names sit in the tension: Kara Drennash. Rogar Ashford. Names that aren't quite human, aren't quite orcish, and feel uniquely half-orc. These are often the most interesting to play because they don't lean on either culture as a crutch.
Building Blocks of Orcish Phonetics
Understanding orcish sound patterns helps you evaluate whether a half-orc name actually sounds right or just sounds like random fantasy noise.
Orcish names favor hard consonants — G, K, D, B, and combinations like GR, KR, SH, and TH. Vowels tend to be short and punchy: the 'u' in "Grukk," the 'o' in "Brog," the 'a' in "Shak." You won't find many orcish names with long 'ee' sounds or soft 'l' patterns. Those belong to elves, and orcs would rather eat their own shield than sound like one.
Clan names and epithets work differently from human surnames. Where a human might be "Smith" because their grandfather was a smith, an orc might be "Skull-Splitter" because they personally split a skull. Orcish names are earned, not inherited — which creates interesting dynamics for half-orcs who might carry an epithet from their orcish parent or earn one of their own.
Class Changes Everything
A half-orc barbarian and a half-orc paladin might share blood, but their names tell completely different stories. The barbarian leans into orcish tradition — Brakk, Ghor, Thokk — names that sound like battle cries. The paladin, sworn to a human deity, might go by something like Aldric Dawnsworn or Kethara Venger, names that carry weight in temple halls rather than war camps.
This isn't just flavor. It reflects a genuine character choice about identity. A half-orc warlock named Nethrak Duskblood chose darkness from both sides of their heritage. A half-orc bard named Rogar "Silvertongue" Ashworth chose to make their dual nature an asset rather than a burden. The name is the first signal to other players about who this character decided to become.
Tips for Getting It Right
- Say it out loud: You'll be saying this name for potentially hundreds of hours of gameplay. If it's a mouthful, simplify it. "Grathkor Ironfang" sounds great on paper but gets shortened to "Grath" by session three — which is fine, actually. Many half-orcs go by shortened names.
- Let the surname do the work: A simple given name paired with an evocative surname often works better than trying to make everything complex. "Kara Bloodhowl" is more memorable than "Kragatharra Dren'shul."
- Consider who named them: Was it their orc parent? Their human parent? Did they name themselves after leaving home? A self-chosen name carries different weight than one given at birth.
- Nicknames are canon: Half-orcs in human society often pick up nicknames — "Knuckles," "Grey," "Tusk" — that reference their appearance or reputation. These make great secondary names and add table flavor.
The best half-orc names don't try to be either fully orcish or fully human. They sit in that uncomfortable, compelling space between — just like the characters who carry them.
