100 Orc & Goblin Names with Meanings for D&D and Fantasy
Orc names are forged in the same fires as orcish culture itself: brutal, direct, and impossible to ignore. Where elven names flow like water, orcish names hit like a war-hammer. Hard consonants, guttural stops, and compound syllables built from the language of violence define the naming traditions of fantasy's most iconic warrior race.
The roots of orcish naming run deep through fantasy literature. Tolkien's orcs bore corrupted, harsh names like Grishnákh and Uglúk -- debased reflections of the Elvish tongues they once spoke before their corruption by Morgoth. Dungeons & Dragons expanded the orcish palette considerably, giving orcs a tribal society where names carry the weight of clan allegiance, battle honors, and divine favor from Gruumsh One-Eye. Warhammer's greenskins pushed naming into darkly comic territory, with phonetic brutality that matches their love of violence. The Elder Scrolls Orsimer, meanwhile, adopted a structured Orcish language with prefixes and suffixes denoting gender, parentage, and stronghold.
What unites all these traditions is the principle that orcish names must be spoken with force. They are declarations of strength, promises of violence, and warnings to enemies. A soft name is an insult among orcs. Whether you are building a fearsome warchief, a cunning goblin rogue, or a half-orc struggling between two worlds, the names in this collection will give your character the weight and menace they deserve.
This list presents over 100 orc and goblin names organized by type, each with its meaning and cultural context. Use them directly, combine elements from different entries, or feed them into our Orc Name Generator for endless variations.
Male Orc Names
Male orc names emphasize strength, aggression, and dominance. These names feature hard consonant clusters, abrupt syllables, and meanings rooted in warfare, predation, and raw physical power. In most orcish cultures, a male earns his true name through combat.
Gromash
♂Giant's Heart; a name suggesting immense courage and physical endurance
Thokk
♂Thunder Strike; named for the sound of his blows in battle
Urgash
♂Blood Fury; one who enters a berserker rage on the battlefield
Durgat
♂Iron Fist; unyielding and merciless in combat
Kragosh
♂Bone Breaker; feared for devastating strength
Mogrul
♂Dark Chieftain; a name reserved for those who lead through fear
Zurgha
♂Ash Walker; survivor of scorched lands and burned villages
Skulbrag
♂Skull Boaster; one who wears the skulls of defeated chieftains as trophies
Narzug
♂Fire Fang; one whose bite is as dangerous as flame
Ghâshra
♂Terror; a name spoken as a curse by enemies
Ruk'thar
♂War Born; delivered on the battlefield, destined to fight
Vornak
♂Storm Bringer; associated with destruction and chaos
Skalg
♂Skull Keeper; collects trophies from fallen foes
Murgash
♂Death Howl; his war cry signals slaughter
Grukk
♂Relentless; one who never stops advancing
Thogar
♂Mountain Jaw; unbreakable, immovable in defense
Azgrim
♂Bitter Blade; a warrior whose weapon has tasted too much blood
Drago
♂Burning One; from the old tongue for dragonfire
Lugdush
♂Tower of Ash; from Black Speech lug (tower) and dush (sorcery). A warrior-shaman who channels dark power through brute force.
Gorlag
♂Gut Ripper; named for his preferred method of killing
Lûgdash
♂Tower of Chains; a slaver and captor of enemies
Snaga
♂Slave; an ironic name given to the fiercest warrior -- one who enslaves others
Urzog
♂Old Scar; a veteran whose body maps every battle he has survived
Krimpat
♂Binding Will; an orc shaman who bends spirits to his command
Yagraz
♂Ragged Claw; a hunter who tears prey apart bare-handed
Female Orc Names
Female orc names carry the same harsh phonetics as male names but often incorporate elements of cunning, endurance, and spiritual authority. In many fantasy settings, female orcs serve as shamans, war-mothers, and clan matriarchs whose names command deep respect.
Shel'ka
♀She-Wolf; fierce protector of her clan's young
Borzighu
♀Steel Mother; unbreakable matriarch of a warband
Lagash
♀Blood Song; her voice carries orcish war chants into battle
Uzgha
♀Burning Eye; a seer whose visions come through fire
Grosha
♀Hammer Maiden; first to breach enemy walls
Mokha
♀Smoke Weaver; a shaman who reads omens in fire
Ushara
♀Night Blade; an assassin who strikes under cover of darkness
Dra'khi
♀Serpent Tongue; a diplomat feared for her cunning words
Baghra
♀Crow Caller; a battlefield scavenger and omen reader
Thraka
♀Spine Snapper; known for her brutal finishing moves
Nazgha
♀Shadow Walker; moves unseen through enemy camps
Yurga
♀Bitter Root; an herbalist who brews both medicine and poison
Grisha
♀Red Hand; her hands are always stained with battle
Ghorza
♀Iron Will; an unbreakable matriarch whose stubbornness outlasts every siege
Okra
♀Fierce Speaker; her words cut deeper than blades
Gashna
♀Fire Keeper; guardian of the clan's sacred flame
Dushna
♀Thorn Queen; a leader whose defenses are impenetrable
Brokha
♀Wound Stitcher; a healer who keeps warriors fighting
Lurbuk
♀Song of Pain; a bard whose music drives orcs into frenzy
Sharog
♀Dawn Fang; strikes at first light when enemies sleep
Volga
♀Wide River; unstoppable force that carves through everything
Kharza
♀Bone Reader; divines the future from cracked bones
Orbakh
♀War Daughter; born during a siege and raised on the march
Mughra
♀Swamp Mother; matriarch of a clan that dwells in marshlands
Hrogsha
♀Iron Song; a smith who forges weapons while chanting war prayers
Orc Clan & War Names
Orc clan names and compound war-names serve as both identity and intimidation. Clans take their names from legendary deeds, feared beasts, or the terrain they dominate. Individual war-names are earned through acts of exceptional brutality or cunning, replacing birth names entirely.
Skullcrusher
◎A clan or title earned by defeating an enemy champion bare-handed
Bonegnaw
◎Clan known for chewing the bones of fallen enemies as a ritual
Blacktusk
◎Clan whose warriors stain their tusks with warpaint before battle
Gorefang
◎Tribe feared for their blood-soaked fighting style and red banners
Ironhide
◎Clan whose warriors wear almost no armor, trusting their toughened skin
Worg Riders
◎Nomadic clan bonded to giant wolf mounts, raiding across open plains
Gutripper
◎War-name earned by disemboweling three enemies in a single charge
Ashmouth
◎Clan from volcanic lands who breathe in soot and spit cinders
Spinebreaker
◎Title given to the strongest wrestler in a tribe's proving grounds
Rotfang
◎Clan that poisons their blades with decaying flesh
Bloodaxe
◎Ancient clan whose ancestral weapon is a crimson greataxe
Thunderfoot
◎Clan famous for their devastating cavalry charges that shake the earth
Marrowsucker
◎War-name for a siege specialist who starves out fortress defenders
Dreadmaw
◎Clan whose war-chief filed his teeth into razor points as a sign of rank
Fleshrender
◎Title earned after surviving a trial of being wounded by every clan member
Blackhand
◎Clan that marks allegiance by dipping their right hand in tar and ash
Wyvern Skull
◎Clan that slew a wyvern and mounted its skull on their war-banner
Shattered Shield
◎War-name for a berserker who broke through an enemy shield wall alone
Headsplitter
◎Clan executioner title passed down through generations
Grimtooth
◎Elder clan whose warriors sharpen their tusks before every battle
Goblin & Hobgoblin Names
Goblin names tend toward the short, sharp, and slightly ridiculous -- reflecting their chaotic, opportunistic nature. Hobgoblin names are more disciplined, carrying a militant precision that mirrors their regimented society. Both favor sibilants, hard stops, and names that can be shouted as a warning or a command.
Snikkrit
♂Quick Cut; a goblin rogue known for his speed with a knife
Mogwai
◎Little Demon; a cunning trickster who thrives on mischief
Grikk
♂Finger Thief; named for his habit of stealing rings -- fingers included
Zorba
♂Mushroom King; a goblin alchemist who brews potions from fungi
Skritch
♂Scratch; a goblin whose claws leave marks on everything he touches
Nix
♂Nothing; a goblin so small he was nearly overlooked at birth
Ratfink
♂Informant; a goblin spy who sells secrets to the highest bidder
Gnashtooth
◎Broken Bite; a goblin whose teeth never grew in properly but bites anyway
Wikkle
♂Candle Keeper; the goblin responsible for maintaining tunnel lights
Boggart
◎Marsh Ghost; a swamp goblin who ambushes travelers from the mud
Spleenk
♂Lucky; named sarcastically after surviving a cave collapse
Tiktik
◎Bomb Maker; a goblin engineer obsessed with explosive devices
Hagrak
♂Iron Discipline; a hobgoblin commander who tolerates no disorder
Krozarg
♂Shield Wall; a hobgoblin tactician famous for defensive formations
Volkarr
♂Red Banner; a hobgoblin warlord whose standard has never fallen
Dezark
♂Law Speaker; a hobgoblin judge who enforces the iron code
Skizza
♀Poison Drip; a goblin assassin who coats everything in venom
Mugwort
♀Weed Witch; a goblin herbalist with an unsettling knowledge of toxins
Khardul
♂War Scholar; a hobgoblin who studies battle as an academic discipline
Grizzik
♂Trap Master; a goblin who builds elaborate snares and pit traps
Famous Orc Names from Fiction
The most iconic orc and goblin characters from literature, tabletop gaming, video games, and film. These names have shaped how we imagine orcish cultures and provide rich etymological insight into how different creators approach naming their greenskinned characters.
Azog
♂Unknown Tolkien coinage; the Defiler, pale orc chieftain who slew King Thrór and waged war against the Dwarves at the Battle of Azanulbizar
Bolg
♂Possibly from Old English "bolga" (to swell); son of Azog, led the goblin army at the Battle of Five Armies in The Hobbit
Uglúk
♂Black Speech derivation; Uruk-hai captain of Isengard who captured Merry and Pippin, known for his leadership and cruelty
Grishnákh
♂Black Speech; orc captain from Mordor who pursued the hobbits and was killed by the Riders of Rohan
Gothmog
♂Dread Voice in Sindarin; lieutenant of Minas Morgul who commanded Sauron's forces at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields
Lurtz
♂Film-original creation by Peter Jackson's team; the first Uruk-hai, who slew Boromir at Amon Hen
Thrall
♂Old Norse for slave; Warcraft's most famous orc, born Go'el, who freed the orcs from demonic corruption and founded Durotar
Grommash Hellscream
♂Warcraft's legendary Warsong chieftain who drank Mannoroth's blood then redeemed himself by slaying the demon lord
Garrosh Hellscream
♂Son of Grommash; Warchief of the Horde in World of Warcraft whose tyranny led to civil war
Obould Many-Arrows
♂D&D Forgotten Realms orc king who forged an unprecedented orc kingdom through diplomacy and military genius
Grimgor Ironhide
♂Warhammer Fantasy's greatest Black Orc warboss, whose name combines "grim" ferocity with an "iron" hide of near invulnerability
Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka
♂Warhammer 40K's most feared Ork warlord; name roughly translates from Orkish as "I am slaughter" -- a prophet of the Waaagh!
Mazoga the Orc
♀Elder Scrolls: Oblivion NPC who aspired to become a knight; name from Orcish language, meaning uncertain
Urag gro-Shub
♂Elder Scrolls: Skyrim's Orsimer librarian at the College of Winterhold; "gro" prefix means "son of" in Orcish naming
The Great Goblin
♂Tolkien's unnamed-yet-titled ruler of Goblin-town beneath the Misty Mountains, slain by Gandalf during the events of The Hobbit
Conclusion
Orcish names work because they refuse to be polite. Every hard consonant, every guttural syllable, every compound war-title is designed to communicate one thing: power. The best orc names do not need translation -- their sound alone tells you what kind of creature bears them.
When crafting your own orc names, lean into the phonetics. Favor the letters K, G, Z, R, and Kh. Build compound names from violent imagery: body parts, weapons, predatory animals, natural disasters. An orc named Stormfang tells you everything in two syllables. An orc named Kragosh tells you everything in two syllables even if you do not speak the language.
Consider the culture behind the name. Tolkien's orcs bear corrupted Elvish names because they are corrupted Elves. D&D orcs carry clan names and titles earned through combat because their society revolves around tribal warfare. Warhammer orks spell everything phonetically because their culture is gleefully illiterate. Elder Scrolls Orsimer use structured patronymics because their society, despite its brutishness, maintains sophisticated traditions. The naming convention you choose tells your audience as much about your world as the name itself.
For goblin names, shift toward shorter, sharper sounds. Goblins are small, fast, and sneaky -- their names should be too. Sibilants like S, Z, and Sh work well. Hobgoblin names sit between orc and goblin conventions: disciplined, clipped, and military in feel.
Use our Orc Name Generator and Goblin Name Generator to produce endless variations, or mix and match elements from this list. Whatever you choose, make sure it sounds like it was growled across a battlefield, not whispered in a library.