Fae names in folklore
In British and Irish folklore, people avoided naming the fae at all. They called them the Good Neighbours, the Fair Folk or the Gentry, and hoped the polite name would keep them friendly. The fae, in turn, guarded their own names, because a name was a handle on a soul. That gives you two layers to work with: what the fae are called, and what they really are.
Three kinds of fae name
Use-names
The name a fae gives to mortals is usually something from the green world: a plant, a bird, the weather, often joined to a second word like -down, -thorn or -whisper. Thistledown, Nettleshade, Bracken. These names describe without revealing. The court changes the mood: Seelie use-names are bright (dew, honey, larks), Unseelie ones are dark (hemlock, moths, frost), and wild fae take names from the hedgerow.
True names
A true name should sound like it comes from somewhere else: long, musical and hard to say casually. The generator builds them from an invented tongue with soft consonants and long vowels, with endings that lean feminine, masculine or neutral if you set “Feel”. A true name is a plot device. Decide who knows it and what it costs.
Titles
High fae are known by what they rule or what they did: Briar, Queen of the Hollow Hill; Moth the Thief of Names. Set Name style to “Full title” to get these. A title is how mortals talk about a fae lord safely, without using any name at all.
Seelie, Unseelie and wild fae names
- Seelie Court (summer, bright): primrose, bluebell, honey, lark, sun. Names that sound kind and may not be.
- Unseelie Court (winter, dark): thorn, nettle, nightshade, raven, mist. Names that sound like warnings.
- Wild fae (no court): bracken, hazel, hare, acorn, reed. Names of hedgerow spirits who answer to no queen.
Writing fae characters with names that matter
- Make the name a promise. A fae called Sloefang should bite.
- Keep the true name out of dialogue. When it is finally spoken, it should land.
- Remember the old rules. Iron burns them, gifts bind, thanks create a debt. Names follow the same logic: give one away and you give something up.
- Give the court a place. Name the hill, mere or wood the court lives in with the village and town name generator set to Sylvan.
Example fae names
Seelie use-names
- Petalkiss"petal" + "kiss"
- Petalsong"petal" + "song"
- Cloverlight"clover" + "light"
- Lindenbell"lime tree" + "bell"
- Bluebelldown"bluebell" + "down"
- Sun"sun"
Unseelie use-names
- Sloefang"blackthorn fruit" + "fang"
- Frostfang"frost" + "fang"
- Frostthorn"frost" + "thorn"
- Ravenshade"raven" + "shade"
- Ravengloom"raven" + "gloom"
- Nightshadebane"nightshade" + "bane"
Wild fae
- Fernburr"fern" + "burr"
- Acorntail"acorn" + "tail"
- Reedburr"reed" + "burr"
- Sorrelheart"sorrel" + "heart"
- Mossroot"moss" + "root"
- Mossfoot"moss" + "foot"
True names, feminine
- Shifiandia"true name, kept secret"
- Theaceirra"true name, kept secret"
- Thiacelle"true name, kept secret"
- Shiarysswyn"true name, kept secret"
- Amaine"true name, kept secret"
- Eleanniwyn"true name, kept secret"
True names, masculine
- Vyleric"true name, kept secret"
- Aefyndath"true name, kept secret"
- Meinan"true name, kept secret"
- Yefallul"true name, kept secret"
- Mafeiric"true name, kept secret"
- Eamaellric"true name, kept secret"
Fae lords and ladies
- Brambleveil, Duke of the Hollow Hill"bramble" + "veil" + "courtly title"
- Nightshadegloom the Hollow-Eyed"nightshade" + "gloom" + "epithet"
- Dewbell, Keeper of the Silver Spring"dew" + "bell" + "courtly title"
- Clover, Princess of the Silver Spring"clover" + "courtly title"
- Wrenfoot, Princess of the Twelve Oaks"wren" + "foot" + "courtly title"
- Sloewhisper, Princess of the Hollow Hill"blackthorn fruit" + "whisper" + "courtly title"
Questions
What is the difference between fae and fairy?
Fae (or fay) comes from Old French fae, which comes from Latin fata, the Fates. Fairy grew out of the same word and first meant enchantment or the land of the fae. Today “fae” usually suggests the older, more dangerous folk of romantasy and folklore, and “fairy” the small winged kind. This generator leans towards the fae.
What are the Seelie and Unseelie Courts?
They come from Scottish folklore. Seelie means blessed or lucky, from Old English sǣlig, the same root as modern “silly”. The Seelie folk could be kind, if they chose; the Unseelie were the malicious ones. Many modern stories turn them into a Summer Court and a Winter Court, which is how the generator treats them.
Why does every fae get a true name?
In folklore, knowing a fae’s real name gives you power over it. That is the whole plot of Rumpelstiltskin and its English cousin Tom Tit Tot. So each fae here has a use-name they give freely and a true name they hide. Swap them with the Name style setting.
Can I use these fae names in my novel or game?
Yes. Every generated name is free to use, commercially or not.