How to Name Your Dragon

When writing any character, the name is important. It strikes the tone for who this person is, and sometimes gives background information. For instance, a character named Henrietta might have French descent, while Hiro sounds Japanese. Names can be ironic (a really sweet guy named Dick) or broadly hinting (a dangerous woman named Delilah).

With dragons, the name is even more important. These creatures may be master villains or mere beasts, but they are always tough and impressive. Their names should reflect this. Over the next few posts I’ll be checking out different methods to name a dragon appropriately.

Of course, legend and myth come to mind. We’ve all heard of Hydra and Fafnir. Looking through any dictionary of mythology should give you plenty of ideas. Not all of them are great (the Egyptian god Apep) but you can create variations (Wrath-of-Apep). Although lots of characters actually are dragons or serpents, you don’t have to limit yourself. Minerva, for the Roman goddess, would be a fine dragon name as well.

At the same time, not every dragon’s name needs to be as obvious as Fafnir. Mythology holds a host of lesser known personalities that well suit a dragon. Ahriman is the Persian god of evil, while the Hawai’ian  mo’o Hi’iaka was a great heroine.

What are your thoughts on dragon names?