Naming guides & worldbuilding tips
How to name the people, places, and things in your world — using the real languages and mythology our generators are built on.
- 8 min read
How to Name a Norse Town (vs. a City, vs. a Kingdom)
A village and a kingdom should not share a naming register. Here's how to match Norse settlement-words to the right scale — and why -by, -borg, and -ríki are not interchangeable.
Read guide → - 9 min read
Viking Ship Classes: Snekkja, Skeið, Knǫrr and Dreki Explained
Not all longships are the same. Here's the difference between a snekkja, a skeið, a knǫrr, and a dreki — and why getting it right matters.
Read guide → - 9 min read
Old Norse Name Elements: What the Roots Actually Mean
Most name generators give you sound. This is the vocabulary underneath it: the real Old Norse roots, what each one means, and how the Norse combined them into names.
Read guide → - 8 min read
How to Name a Fantasy Kingdom (Realm, Empire, or Nation)
A kingdom is not a big city, and naming it like one is the giveaway. Real realms are named after a people, a ruler, or a land — here is how to pick which, and why realm, kingdom and empire are not the same word.
Read guide → - 8 min read
How to Name a Viking Ship (What the Norse Actually Did)
The Long Serpent, the Crane, the Iron-Beard. Norse ship names weren't decoration — they followed four repeatable patterns. Here they are, and here's how to use them.
Read guide → - 7 min read
How to Name Fantasy Characters Without Copying D&D or Existing IP
Borrowing names from D&D or your favourite franchise is easy and risky. Here's how to make original names that sound just as good — from sources no one owns.
Read guide → - 6 min read
How to Name a Fantasy City (Without It Sounding Generic)
Most invented city names fail for the same few reasons. Here's how real place-names actually work — and how to borrow that logic so your map feels lived-in.
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