Namewright

Town & city name generator

Settlement names that mean something: Old English fords and fells, Celtic river-mouths, Latin harbours, elven glades and dwarven holds. Each comes with a reputation and a rumour.

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Eight entries, freshly inked

  1. Hamlet · Sunlands (Latin roots)

    Fulgona

    Pronounced: fool-GOH-nah

    Place of the lightning

    Known for
    Black wool from sheep that graze on the burnt heath
    Trouble
    A new temple has opened, and its priests pay converts in silver

  2. Market town · Sunlands (Latin roots)

    Victia Vetus

    Pronounced: VIHK-tee-ah VEH-toos

    Place of the victory, old

    Known for
    A militia that is mostly butchers and bakers
    Trouble
    The guilds are quarrelling over who must pay for repairs to the walls

  3. Hamlet · Sylthae (elven)

    Laethyilis

    Pronounced: lay-thee-EE-lihs

    Lion-sky

    Known for
    A market where everything is sold by barter, never coin
    Trouble
    Livestock have been found shorn in the night, but the wool is never taken

  4. Hamlet · Sunlands (Latin roots)

    Floria

    Pronounced: FLOH-ree-ah

    Place of the flower

    Known for
    Glassblowers who sign their work with a single blue thread
    Trouble
    Livestock have been found shorn in the night, but the wool is never taken

  5. Port city · Highland (Celtic roots)

    Llannos Isaf

    Pronounced: HLAH-nohs

    Enclosure of the night, lower

    Known for
    Black wool from sheep that graze on the burnt heath
    Trouble
    Every dog in town refuses to cross the market square

  6. Port city · Highland (Celtic roots)

    Ballynos Isaf

    Pronounced: BAH-hlee-nohs

    Town of the night, lower

    Known for
    A skyline of towers, each raised by a rival house
    Trouble
    The well water has started tasting of iron and copper

  7. Town · Highland (Celtic roots)

    Dunnos

    Pronounced: DOO-nohs

    Fort of the night

    Known for
    A shrine where pilgrims leave a single shoe
    Trouble
    A merchant's caravan arrived with every driver missing

  8. Village · Heartland (English roots)

    Ashwood

    Ash-tree wood

    Known for
    A market day that fills the green once a week
    Trouble
    Children report a tall stranger who asks the time and never waits for an answer

Naming towns well

Real place-names are descriptions worn smooth by time. Ashford was a river-crossing by an ash tree; Aberbran would be "the mouth of the raven river". Namewright builds settlement names from genuine place-name elements: -ford, -ley (clearing), -wick (dwelling), -thorpe (hamlet), -holm (river-island); Celtic Aber-, Llan-, Inver-, Dun-; Latin Port and Aquae.

Because every name carries its meaning, you get free geography. A town called "Willow farmstead" sits by a river; "Head of the hill" sits on one. Let the name tell you where to draw it on the map.

Each settlement also comes with something it is known for and a piece of trouble, a ready-made reason for the party to stay the night.

Questions

How do I name a fantasy town?

Describe the place in an old language: what is there (a ford, a fort, a clearing) and what is near it (ash trees, ravens, a king). This generator does exactly that and shows you the meaning.