nameNaming guides
The research behind the generators, written out. How real naming systems work, why invented names succeed or fail on the ear, and how to name a whole culture without it falling apart on the second page. Written by Sam Hollis, who builds the tools these guides are based on.
The craft of naming
6Why names work or fail on the ear — structure, rhythm, and the mechanics underneath.
How We Build Fantasy Names Without Producing Gibberish Most generators are a syllable blender. Here is the full method we use instead — sound rules, morpheme pools, and the four tests a name has to pass before it ships. 
Character Naming by Social Class A three-part name with a territorial surname is doing different work than a one-syllable nickname. How names encode class, and how to wield it. 
Why Some Fantasy Names Sound Fake Zx'thraal fails for reasons you can name. Eight specific failure modes that make invented names read as fake — and the fix for each one. 
Naming Villains Without Using Clichés Dark, shadow, blood, -us, -ax. Why the obvious villain-name moves stopped working, and what actually reads as menacing now. 
How Cyberpunk Street Handles Are Constructed A runner's handle is a reputation compressed into two syllables. The actual grammar behind cyberpunk street names, register by register. 
Name Length, Rhythm and Memorability in Fiction Frodo, Katniss, Ahab. Short, front-stressed, hard-opening — the measurable patterns behind names readers remember, and how to hit them. Worldbuilding
3Naming whole cultures, kingdoms and casts so they hang together.
How to Name a Fictional Kingdom Real kingdoms are named after rivers, founders and the people who lost. How to build a kingdom name with that kind of history baked in. 
How to Create Consistent Names for an Entire Culture Fifty names that feel like one people, not fifty random strings. The sound inventory, structure and meaning rules that hold a culture together. 
How to Build a Naming Language for Worldbuilding You do not need a conlang. A sound inventory, syllable shapes and forty morphemes will name a whole world — here is how to build one in an afternoon. Real naming traditions
3How actual naming systems work, and how to borrow them without mangling them.
How Old Norse Patronymics Actually Work Eriksson is not a surname. How the genitive actually forms a patronymic, when matronymics show up, and the errors that give Viking fiction away. 
A Guide to Epithets, Titles and Bynames The Bold, of Gondor, Ironside, Your Grace — three different systems doing three different jobs. How each one is earned, and how to use them. 
Common Mistakes in Japanese-Inspired Character Names Surname first, kanji that does not read that way, an honorific used as a name. The recurring errors in Japanese-inspired naming, with fixes. At the table
3Fast, practical naming for live games and long campaigns.
A Practical Guide to Naming D&D NPCs The bartender needs a name and five players are watching. A prep system and a set of on-the-spot rules for naming NPCs without the pause. 
How to Name 50 NPCs Without Making Them Sound Identical Fifty NPCs, and four of them start with Th. A batch method for spreading sounds, lengths and structures so nobody blurs together. 
How to Check Whether a Fictional Name Is Already in Use Before you print it on a cover. A step-by-step clearance workflow — search, trademark registers, handles — and when a collision actually matters.