I've noticed in my DMing, I all my female NPCs' names end in an "a". Even using AI generators I get just tons and tons of female names ending in "a". Hence turning to the wisdom of the internet to build out a bank of names for myself (and my fellow DM friends). What are some fantasy sounding female names that don't end in "a" or letters that produce the same sound - e.g. "ay" is also disqualified?
I suggest going to a random name generator that lets you select a source language family (e.g. https://www.behindthename.com/random/) and trying out different language families. A lot of them will produce a large number of names that end in 'a', but some won't.
It gives you names for different cultures/ time periods/ genders, as well as more fantasy names, methods for place names, and names with little puns in them. For my setting, I chose a few sections, picked my favorites and made two tables for male and female names to pull from whenever. Here is my small stash of names for women that don't end in -a :]
You could also continue a name that ends with an "A" by adding a syllable to it with these: lyn, wyn, lise, zette, dette, lette, marie, rose, lee, li, ly, leese, liz, dry, dri, or similar endings.
I've noticed in my DMing, I all my female NPCs' names end in an "a". Even using AI generators I get just tons and tons of female names ending in "a". Hence turning to the wisdom of the internet to build out a bank of names for myself (and my fellow DM friends). What are some fantasy sounding female names that don't end in "a" or letters that produce the same sound - e.g. "ay" is also disqualified?
I suggest going to a random name generator that lets you select a source language family (e.g. https://www.behindthename.com/random/) and trying out different language families. A lot of them will produce a large number of names that end in 'a', but some won't.
I recommend Gary Gygax's Extraordinary Book of Names (viewable for free through the Internet Archive) Gary Gygax's Extraordinary Book of Names : Malcom Bowers : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
It gives you names for different cultures/ time periods/ genders, as well as more fantasy names, methods for place names, and names with little puns in them. For my setting, I chose a few sections, picked my favorites and made two tables for male and female names to pull from whenever. Here is my small stash of names for women that don't end in -a :]
Aewswith, Aelfflaed, Eadgyth, Barenwyn, Burien, Ceinwen, Crewenna, Delen, Derowen, Ebrel, Elowen, Eseld, Eselt, Gweniver, Gwennol, Jenifry, Kew, Mariot, Mellyn, Morwen, Newlyn, Rosen, Rozenwyn, Steren, Talwyn, Tamsyn, Wenn, Welmet, Imogen, Ianthe, Cecily, Iseult, Edith, Muriel, Sibyl
You could also continue a name that ends with an "A" by adding a syllable to it with these: lyn, wyn, lise, zette, dette, lette, marie, rose, lee, li, ly, leese, liz, dry, dri, or similar endings.
There’s that big appendix at the end of Xanathar’s. There’s lots of a names, but also lots that aren’t.