What makes a name sound dark
Dark elves, often called drow in tabletop games, usually live underground or in exile, and their names are built to sound like it. They keep the elvish flow but drop in harder letters: z, x, v and a hissing double s. Nyx means night, Ilz ice, Vex spite and Ghau caves. Endings include -rak (fang), -ssra (spider), -zza (venom) and -yss (abyss).
The result is a name like Zilvrae, “queen of whispers”, which still sounds beautiful but gives the listener a slight chill.
Noble houses
Dark elf society in many settings revolves around rival noble houses, so instead of a family name, each dark elf here gets a house. Houses have meanings too, such as House Nymssith, “secret of spiders”, or House Aunkaer, “hall of shadow”.
If you're running a game in a dark elf city, generate five or six houses first, rank them, and decide which two hate each other most. You'll have half a plot before you've named a single character.
Using dark elf names well
These names work for villains, of course, but also for spies, exiles, assassins who've switched sides, and dark elves trying to be better than their house. A name that sounds threatening is fun to play against, too. A soft-spoken healer called Vexrak is a character people remember.
Twenty dark elf names and their meanings
A sample from the generator, built when this page was last updated. Press Generate above for a fresh list.
| Name | Type and meaning |
|---|---|
| Ghauryn | Dark elf · “thorn of caves” |
| Zephoth | Dark elf · “stone of the wind” |
| Rylix | Dark elf · “claw of the ruby” |
| Szorylth | Dark elf · “silk of the silent stone” |
| Vorax | Dark elf · “edge of the depths” |
| Ghaux | Dark elf · “claw of caves” |
| Shandra | Dark elf · “veil of the shadow” |
| Kyryth | Dark elf · “web of iron” |
| Phax | Dark elf · “claw of bone” |
| Nalulra | Dark elf · “huntress of sunken eclipse” |
| Nyxax | Dark elf · “edge of night” |
| Viryn | Dark elf · “thorn of vipers” |
| Ulizyss | Dark elf · “abyss of the cruel underdark” |
| Vexryn | Dark elf · “thorn of spite” |
| Draloth | Dark elf · “stone of sunken dragons” |
| Zilylth | Dark elf · “silk of whispers” |
| Shavir | Dark elf · “will of the shadow” |
| Zephyryss | Dark elf · “abyss of the silent wind” |
| Szoss | Dark elf · “abyss of the stone” |
| Malryth | Dark elf · “web of darkness” |
Questions
Are these drow names?
They're in the style many games use for drow, but they're built from this site's own word list, so they aren't copied from any book or game.
What are some female dark elf names?
Zilvrae, Ilzyss, Belylth and Vexiira are all possible here. Choose Female and Dark elf for plenty more, each with a meaning.
Why does every dark elf get a house?
Because in most dark elf stories, your house decides your rank, your allies and your enemies. Turn off Family name if you only want a first name.
Can a dark elf be a hero?
Absolutely. Some of the best-loved characters in fantasy are dark elves who walked away from their people. The name can stay dark even if the character doesn't.