There are tables of names for different species and from different real world cultures towards the back of Xanathar’s Guidd to Everything. Have you had a look at those?
There's always the fantasy name generator. In a pinch I can usually find something if I click the "Get * Names" button enough times. Sometimes I chunk 2 or even 3 names and combine or switch parts to get something I like. Switching a letter or two also often gets me what I want.
When in doubt, go with Clavius. Although, maybe not for an orc. Orcs can - speaking in general terms here - often succesfully be named for sounds the body can make. Fart as a name may be slightly too on-the-nose, but Hark, Gargle, Rumble, Spit and so on are perfectly workable. Looking at those, I guess they must be brothers. Respectively, barbarian, cleric, bard and sorcerer. The Brothers Bellyache, orc adventurers for hire.
Anyways, that was a tangent.
Gnomes can be succesfully named for small items, tools or mechanical bits, like Cog, Spindle or maybe Bolt. Dwarves, in contrast, would be named for larger things of the same sort - Ballpeen is a perfectly respectable name for a dwarf, for instance, as is Sledge or Swage or Anvil.
Elves are boring, but throw in a few ^'s, ¨'s and extra syllables, and you cannot go entirely off point. Like, I'll just faceroll my keyboard here: ØOETRIH. Not bad - let's call that Öerith, a perfectly believable elven name. Light on the syllables, but it's propable a nick name, her full name is propably like ... Öerithmelliar uth Bendrameer. Which, by the way, is elven for Blooming Snowflower of the Bendrameer - meer being an elven word for a bay, gulf or fjord, the bendrameer in particular the polar coastline along which the frost elves have their towering ice spires and castles.
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
I have a orc character in the works for months and have perfected everything but I can't find a name I like at all.
Questions that might help you find something you like:
- What are some other orc names in the campaign world? What's the general 'vibe' in how they sound?
- What's your character's background? What name would have sounded good to their parents -- or did their parents even name them? Does your character even go by their birth name any more?
- Did they pick up a nickname they prefer to their birth name?
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Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
The best NPC names are always the ones where players latch onto some random unplanned NPC, then you have to make up a name and backstory on the spot, and you just say the first random stupid name that pops into your head. Players actually remember those names and loves those NPCs. Anything that you put a bunch of thought into, they'll just butcher it and purposely not say it correctly. At least at tables I've played at anyways.
Or in other words, don't over think it, NPC personalities and visual descriptions matter, but their names don't
I imagine a warcraft / taldori / lotr style naming for my orc.
He is a barbarian outlander who lives in the forest alone.
For visual aid and if it helps naming he is going to be very tall, broad and hulking, ashy Grey skin, black hair and green eyes.
I haven't got a set background but I'm pretty sure parents will have exited early via abandonment, death, ect.
I am trying to find something strong but not hard to pronounce as I Imagine if I was to play in a campaign I would try to talk as if there was tusks.
Also can orcs whistle if they have tusks without doing that hand to mouth whistle thing
Your description reminds me of Solomon Grundy from DC comics so maybe take the easy route and call him Grundy, otherwise you could also try taking any real world name and running it through an anagram generator and see what pops out.
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* Need a character idea? Search for "Rob76's Unused" in the Story and Lore section.
Names for player characters or NPC's
I have a orc character in the works for months and have perfected everything but I can't find a name I like at all.
Also would love ideas for other races.
There are tables of names for different species and from different real world cultures towards the back of Xanathar’s Guidd to Everything. Have you had a look at those?
There's always the fantasy name generator. In a pinch I can usually find something if I click the "Get * Names" button enough times. Sometimes I chunk 2 or even 3 names and combine or switch parts to get something I like. Switching a letter or two also often gets me what I want.
https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/orc-names.php
When in doubt, go with Clavius. Although, maybe not for an orc. Orcs can - speaking in general terms here - often succesfully be named for sounds the body can make. Fart as a name may be slightly too on-the-nose, but Hark, Gargle, Rumble, Spit and so on are perfectly workable. Looking at those, I guess they must be brothers. Respectively, barbarian, cleric, bard and sorcerer. The Brothers Bellyache, orc adventurers for hire.
Anyways, that was a tangent.
Gnomes can be succesfully named for small items, tools or mechanical bits, like Cog, Spindle or maybe Bolt. Dwarves, in contrast, would be named for larger things of the same sort - Ballpeen is a perfectly respectable name for a dwarf, for instance, as is Sledge or Swage or Anvil.
Elves are boring, but throw in a few ^'s, ¨'s and extra syllables, and you cannot go entirely off point. Like, I'll just faceroll my keyboard here: ØOETRIH. Not bad - let's call that Öerith, a perfectly believable elven name. Light on the syllables, but it's propable a nick name, her full name is propably like ... Öerithmelliar uth Bendrameer. Which, by the way, is elven for Blooming Snowflower of the Bendrameer - meer being an elven word for a bay, gulf or fjord, the bendrameer in particular the polar coastline along which the frost elves have their towering ice spires and castles.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
If your orc has any form of spell casting I'd suggest Orckus for a name and just see what peoples reaction is.
Questions that might help you find something you like:
- What are some other orc names in the campaign world? What's the general 'vibe' in how they sound?
- What's your character's background? What name would have sounded good to their parents -- or did their parents even name them? Does your character even go by their birth name any more?
- Did they pick up a nickname they prefer to their birth name?
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
I imagine a warcraft / taldori / lotr style naming for my orc.
He is a barbarian outlander who lives in the forest alone.
For visual aid and if it helps naming he is going to be very tall, broad and hulking, ashy Grey skin, black hair and green eyes.
I haven't got a set background but I'm pretty sure parents will have exited early via abandonment, death, ect.
I am trying to find something strong but not hard to pronounce as I Imagine if I was to play in a campaign I would try to talk as if there was tusks.
Also can orcs whistle if they have tusks without doing that hand to mouth whistle thing
Random name generators exist for a reason. Xanathar's Guide to Everything has random name tables you can roll on for several races.
Keep in mind that the male elf Melf set the naming bar standard pretty low and nobody's ever complained about it. So don't worry too much.
Edit: After reading your second post, Eghuglat Tusksnarl would be hard for me to pronounce.
The best NPC names are always the ones where players latch onto some random unplanned NPC, then you have to make up a name and backstory on the spot, and you just say the first random stupid name that pops into your head. Players actually remember those names and loves those NPCs. Anything that you put a bunch of thought into, they'll just butcher it and purposely not say it correctly. At least at tables I've played at anyways.
Or in other words, don't over think it, NPC personalities and visual descriptions matter, but their names don't
Your description reminds me of Solomon Grundy from DC comics so maybe take the easy route and call him Grundy, otherwise you could also try taking any real world name and running it through an anagram generator and see what pops out.