How real kingdoms got their names
Most real kingdoms were named after the people who lived there, plus a word for land or realm. Sweden calls itself Sverige, from Svea rike, “the realm of the Swedes”. Denmark is usually explained as “the march (borderland) of the Danes”. The Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia took its name from the Mierce, the border people. Latin did the same with an ending: Britannia, Gallia, Hispania.
This generator builds kingdom names the same way: a root that could be a people, a landscape or a founder, plus a realm word from the chosen culture. Then it wraps the name in a title such as Kingdom of, Empire, Grand Duchy of or Throne of.
Realm words the generator uses
| Element | Meaning | From |
|---|---|---|
| land | land | Old English land |
| shire | district, administrative division | Old English scīr |
| march | borderland | Middle English marche |
| mere | lake, pool | Old English mere |
| rike | realm, kingdom | Old Norse ríki |
| mark | borderland, march | Old Norse mǫrk |
| heim | home, world | Old Norse heimr |
| gard | enclosure, stronghold | Old Norse garðr |
| land | land | Old Norse land |
| Tir | land, territory | Irish tír |
| Dal | portion, territory of a people | Irish dál |
| Bro | region, vale | Welsh bro |
| ia | land of | Latin -ia |
| aria | land of, place of | Latin -āria |
| onia | land of | Latin -ōnia |
| ica | adjectival ending | Latin -ica |
Celtic realm words come first: Tír is “land” (Tyrone is Tír Eoghain, “Eoghan’s land”) and Dál is a people’s territory, as in Dál Riata. Elven and Dwarven realm words are invented for this site, with fixed meanings: Elven -vanthe is “kingdom”, Dwarven -karak is “realm under the mountain”.
Fantasy kingdom names by style
Classical empires
Latin roots with -ia, -onia or -aria sound old, organised and imperial. Auronia is “gold” plus “land of”. Good for an empire with roads and legions.
Northern realms
Norse -rike, -mark and -heim give short, hard names for kingdoms of jarls and longships: Frostmark, Jarlrike.
Elven kingdoms
Long vowels and soft consonants: Lissethiel, “silver realm”. Use “High Kingdom of” for an ancient elven throne.
Dwarven holds
Short and stony: Borkarak, “mountain realm under the mountain”. Pair them with dwarven capitals ending in -khar (hold) or -gund (forge).
Fantasy kingdom name generator tips
- Neighbours should sound different. Two rival kingdoms in the same naming style blur together on a map.
- Long form for treaties, short form for talk. “The Grand Duchy of Albaria” in a document, “Albaria” in a tavern.
- Say it out loud. A kingdom name will be spoken more than any other name in your story.
- Save it with its capital. Star the kingdom, then in your atlas place its towns inside it and export the map.
Example kingdom names
Latin empires
- Lonia"land of"
- Kingdom of Vinica"wine" + "adjectival ending"
- Clistica Empire"adjectival ending"
- Kingdom of Texaria"land of, place of"
- Duchy of Salaria"salt" + "land of, place of"
- Kingdom of Clonia"land of"
Norse realms
- Principality of Kautofmark"borderland, march"
- Empire of Aufland"land"
- High Kingdom of Lanfjagard"enclosure, stronghold"
- Kingdom of Hvitland"white" + "land"
- Kingdom of Kukrike"realm, kingdom"
- Kingdom of Jylfheim"home, world"
Celtic kingdoms
- High Kingdom of Tir Nifae"land, territory" + "name of a people or founder (invented)"
- Kingdom of Dal Gelaer"portion, territory of a people" + "name of a people or founder (invented)"
- Tir Bybeall"land, territory" + "name of a people or founder (invented)"
- Dal Cecai"portion, territory of a people" + "name of a people or founder (invented)"
- Kingdom of Dal Gweafirr"portion, territory of a people" + "name of a people or founder (invented)"
- Kingdom of Dal Rhimer"portion, territory of a people" + "name of a people or founder (invented)"
English kingdoms
- High Kingdom of Woodland"wood" + "land"
- Principality of Nodmere"lake, pool"
- Kingdom of Kingsland"king" + "land"
- Shurshire"district, administrative division"
- Kingdom of Chomere"lake, pool"
- Empire of Noheanland"land"
Elven kingdoms
- Grand Duchy of Vayvanthe"green" + "kingdom"
- Empire of Yolorisse"domain"
- Realm of Vaisse"green" + "domain"
- Duchy of Coriavanthe"song" + "kingdom"
- Realm of Lissethiel"silver" + "realm"
- Shaethiel Empire"dusk" + "realm"
Dwarven realms
- Kingdom of Graggvald"holdfast"
- Principality of Ulmdun"deep" + "kingdom"
- Kingdom of Drazdun"kingdom"
- Kingdom of Krathuvald"holdfast"
- Empire of Kholkarak"coal" + "realm under the mountain"
- Kingdom of Vorndun"black" + "kingdom"
Questions
What is the difference between a kingdom, an empire, a duchy and a principality?
A kingdom is ruled by a king or queen. An empire rules over other peoples or kingdoms. A duchy is ruled by a duke and usually owes loyalty to a king; a grand duchy is a larger, often independent one, like Luxembourg. A principality is ruled by a prince, like Monaco or Liechtenstein today.
Why does every kingdom come with a capital?
A realm on a map needs a seat of power. The capital is coined in the same culture as the kingdom, so the pair belongs together. Generate more capitals on the village and town name generator with the same culture.
Can I use these kingdom names commercially?
Yes. Every generated name is free for any use.
How do I make a kingdom name sound older?
Choose Latin for a classical empire, Norse for a cold northern realm, or Celtic for a kingdom named after its people, like the real Dál Riata. Set Realm type to “Name only” and add the title yourself in your text.