Names from the forest floor
Wood elf names are shorter and plainer than high elf ones. They start with trees, plants and animals: Row (rowan), Haz (hazel), Tam (deer), Wren, Bir (birch) and Cyl (moss). The endings are short too, so most names land on two syllables. Tamdor is “warden of the deer”. Wrenia is “rose of the wren”.
That shortness suits the way wood elves are usually pictured: quiet, practical, and more at home in the trees than at court.
Common-tongue family names
Unlike high elves, wood elf families don't use elvish for their surnames. They use plain words, two at a time: moon and strider, thorn and whisper, birch and weaver. The result reads like a nickname that stuck, which is often how these families are imagined getting them.
It's worth asking how a family earned theirs. Were the Ashveils the ones who stayed in the burned part of the forest? Did the first Hawkrunner really outrun a hawk? Even a one-line answer gives a character somewhere to come from.
Who wood elf names suit
Rangers, druids, scouts, hunters, archers and anyone raised in a forest village. They also work well for firbolgs, sylvan fey and wild-born half-elves. If your character spends more time in libraries than in trees, high elf names may be the better match.
Twenty wood 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 |
|---|---|
| Larka | Wood elf · “sister of the lark” |
| Hazin | Wood elf · “dweller of the hazel” |
| Aldarwyn | Wood elf · “joy of the royal alder” |
| Fernwyn | Wood elf · “joy of the fern” |
| Cylenion | Wood elf · “son of the young moss” |
| Ivanae | Wood elf · “echo of the great ivy” |
| Corwen | Wood elf · “maiden of the acorn” |
| Fenath | Wood elf · “whisper of the fen” |
| Tamis | Wood elf · “breath of the deer” |
| Thornelle | Wood elf · “light of the thorn” |
| Larkas | Wood elf · “bow of the lark” |
| Elmenyn | Wood elf · “dream of the young elm” |
| Aldie | Wood elf · “bird of the alder” |
| Elmith | Wood elf · “whisper of the elm” |
| Tavis | Wood elf · “breath of the meadow” |
| Briwen | Wood elf · “maiden of the briar” |
| Tavion | Wood elf · “son of the meadow” |
| Fenwyn | Wood elf · “joy of the fen” |
| Cylith | Wood elf · “whisper of the moss” |
| Myron | Wood elf · “dweller of the myrtle” |
Questions
What is a good wood elf name?
Something short you could shout across a clearing. Coric, Tamdor, Hazelyn and Myrwen are typical, and a family name like Mistwalker or Fernbloom finishes it off.
Do wood elves have last names?
Here they do, and they're made from two everyday words, such as Oakstrider or Rainshade. Turn off Family name if you only want a first name.
Are these good for a druid or ranger?
Yes, they suit both very well, since most of the name parts come from trees, plants and animals.
Are wood elves and forest elves the same thing?
Different settings call them different things, but they usually mean the same people: elves who live in and look after the forest.