The Sound of Power
Wizard names carry a weight that other fantasy names don't need to. A warrior's name can be short and brutal — Conan, Bronn, Khal. A rogue's name can be quick and clever. But a wizard's name needs to sound like it was earned over centuries of study, whispered in libraries at midnight, and feared by things that don't fear swords.
That's why "Gandalf" works and "Harold the Wizard" doesn't. Gandalf has Norse roots (gandr = staff/wand, álfr = elf), it rolls across three syllables with a strong opening and a decisive ending, and it sounds like something old enough to remember the world being made. Harold sounds like a guy who fixes copiers.
The Five Wizard Name Traditions
Not every wizard lives in a tower wearing a pointy hat (though that's a perfectly valid lifestyle choice). The tradition defines what kind of magic the name needs to evoke.
- Classic/Tolkien: The gold standard. Gandalf, Saruman, Radagast, Merlin. These names draw from Old Norse, Welsh, and Old English — real languages that already sound half-magical to modern ears. They're ancient, rolling, and dignified. Every syllable carries authority. This tradition gave us the template that everything else riffs on.
- D&D: Takes the classic template and adds complexity. Elminster, Mordenkainen, Tasha — these names are longer, more elaborate, and often tied to specific magical traditions. D&D wizards name spells after themselves (Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion, Bigby's Hand), so their names need to sound good as possessives. That's actually a useful test: if "[Name]'s Arcane Shield" sounds right, it's a good D&D wizard name.
- Whimsical: Harry Potter territory. Dumbledore (Old English for bumblebee), Snape, Grindelwald. These names are clever, often built from real words twisted just enough to feel magical. They're designed to be fun and memorable, not imposing. The humor is built into the naming — these wizards live in a world where magic is wonderful, not terrifying.
- Dark/Gothic: Necromancers and dark sorcerers need names that sound like a threat. Vecna, Nagash, Voldemort. Shorter, sharper, with hard consonants that cut. These names don't roll — they strike. There's often a Latin or Germanic edge to them that suggests old, forbidden knowledge.
- Historical: Real-world occultists had genuinely great names. Paracelsus, Agrippa, John Dee, Hermes Trismegistus. These are scholarly, Latinate, and carry the weight of actual history. If you're building a grounded magical setting where wizards are more like medieval scholars than superheros, this tradition is your foundation.
What Makes a Wizard Name Sound Magical
There's actual phonetic reasoning behind why some names sound arcane and others don't. Wizard names across all traditions share some common traits:
| Feature | What It Does | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Liquid consonants (L, R) | Creates a flowing, incantation-like rhythm | Elminster, Merlin, Allanon |
| Sibilants (S, Z, SH) | Adds a whispered, secretive quality | Saruman, Zeddicus, Rastlin |
| Multi-syllabic structure | Builds gravitas — more syllables = more power | Mor-den-kai-nen, El-min-ster |
| Strong final syllable | Creates a decisive, commanding ending | Gandalf, Raistlin, Vecna |
Notice what's rare in wizard names: short, punchy single-syllable names (those are for warriors), names starting with cute sounds like 'P' or 'B' (those skew whimsical), and names with lots of 'K' and 'G' sounds at the start (those lean orcish). The sounds of magic are sibilant, liquid, and sustained.
The Specialty Shapes the Sound
A necromancer and an enchanter need fundamentally different names, even within the same setting. The magical specialty acts like a filter on the naming conventions — it doesn't override the tradition, but it bends it.
Necromancer names tend to be hollow and dark: Nethkrin, Morthenval, Veskara. The vowels are deeper (O, U, E), the consonants are harder. These names sound like echoes in empty places. Enchanters go the opposite direction — Lysandre, Miravel, Velishar. Smooth, seductive, designed to sound appealing because that's what enchantment is.
Battlemages need names with percussive force — Thundrik, Strixar, Aegis-Kael. These names sound like spells being cast, and that's not accidental. A battlemage's name should make you flinch slightly when you hear it. Diviners, on the other hand, get ancient, patient names — Cassandros, Sibylla, Oraclen — because seers exist outside of time, and their names should feel that way.
Using the Generator
Start with the tradition — it's the biggest lever. A classic wizard and a whimsical wizard are different characters entirely, and the name needs to match. Then let the specialty add texture. A classic necromancer and a classic healer will sound different even within the same tradition, because the magic shapes the name.
If you're naming a major NPC or a novel character, try the serious or elegant tone with the classic or D&D tradition — you'll get names with gravitas. For a lighter campaign or a side character, whimsical tradition with playful tone gives you names that are memorable and fun without being ridiculous. And if you need a villain? Dark tradition, necromancer or archmage specialty, edgy tone. Those names will make your players nervous, which is exactly the point.
