Wizard Names
A good wizard name has to do two jobs at once: sound old enough to have been whispered in a candlelit tower, and be easy enough that your table or your readers can actually say it. Below are more than 110 wizard names, from the real legends behind Merlin and Taliesin to original names built for fire mages, necromancers and archmages.
Each section has a different flavor, so you can match the name to the character. If your mage leans nature-bound, pair this list with our druid names; for a spellcaster with a shadowy streak, browse witchy names and dark names. Everything here lives in our fantasy names collection.
Legendary wizards from myth and history
These are the real names behind the archetype: Welsh bards, medieval scholars and folk figures whose stories shaped every wizard since. Many draw on Celtic names and Latin scholarship.
| Name | Who they were | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Merlin | Arthur’s counselor and prophet; from Welsh Myrddin | Geoffrey of Monmouth, 12th c. |
| Myrddin | The original Welsh form of Merlin, a mad prophet of the woods | Welsh poetry |
| Taliesin | Legendary bard gifted with wisdom by Ceridwen’s cauldron; “shining brow” | Welsh legend |
| Gwydion | Magician and trickster of the Mabinogi | Welsh mythology |
| Math | Lord of Gwynedd and master magician, teacher of Gwydion | Mabinogi, Fourth Branch |
| Ceridwen | Enchantress who brewed the cauldron of inspiration | Welsh legend |
| Morgan | Morgan le Fay, healer and sorceress of Avalon | Arthurian legend |
| Nimue | The Lady of the Lake who learned Merlin’s secrets | Arthurian legend |
| Circe | Enchantress who turned Odysseus’s men into swine | Homer’s Odyssey |
| Medea | Sorceress-priestess of Hecate who aided Jason | Greek myth |
| Väinämöinen | Singer-sage whose songs held magical power | Finnish Kalevala |
| Faust | Scholar who bargained with Mephistopheles | German legend, 16th c. |
| Prospero | Exiled duke and magician | Shakespeare, The Tempest |
| Agrippa | Cornelius Agrippa, Renaissance writer on occult philosophy | History, 1486–1535 |
| Paracelsus | Swiss physician and alchemist | History, 1493–1541 |
| Nostradamus | French seer famous for his quatrains | History, 1503–1566 |
| Dee | John Dee, astrologer and adviser to Elizabeth I | History, 1527–1609 |
| Flamel | Nicolas Flamel, scribe later mythologized as an alchemist | History and legend |
| Hermes | Hermes Trismegistus, “thrice-great,” patron of alchemy | Hermetic texts |
| Simon Magus | Sorcerer who clashed with the apostle Peter | Acts 8 |
| Zoroaster | Persian prophet; the Greek word “magos” comes from his priestly caste | Ancient Persia |
| Virgil | The Roman poet, recast as a magician in medieval tales | Medieval legend |
Classic wizard names with a wise, ancient feel
Original names in the long-bearded, tower-dwelling tradition. They work for archmages, mentors and court magicians.
| Name | Style / vibe | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Aldric | Old English roots (“old ruler”), noble and steady | Court wizard |
| Eldrin | Soft, elvish-sounding, scholarly | Elf wizard |
| Thalor | Grave and formal | Archmage |
| Orrin | Short, old-fashioned, kindly | Mentor figure |
| Balthazar | One of the three Magi; grand and exotic | Showy illusionist |
| Alaric | Gothic king’s name meaning “ruler of all” | Battle mage |
| Caspian | Sea-flavored and regal | Traveling mage |
| Ambrose | Latin “immortal”; Merlin was called Merlinus Ambrosius | Wise elder |
| Evander | Greek “good man” | Healer-wizard |
| Lucan | Latin, “light” | Light mage |
| Theron | Greek “hunter” | Adventuring wizard |
| Corvin | From Latin corvus, “raven” | Seer or diviner |
| Rhydian | Welsh, “ford” | Hedge wizard |
| Mordecai | Biblical, weighty | Old scholar |
| Isidore | Greek “gift of Isis”; also a famed encyclopedist saint | Loremaster |
| Cadoc | Early Welsh saint’s name | Rune-caster |
| Ignatius | Latin, linked to “fire” | Pyromancer |
| Zebulon | Hebrew, “dwelling” | Eccentric hermit |
| Osric | Old English, “divine ruler” | Royal adviser |
| Quillon | Named for a sword guard; crisp and odd | Artificer |
| Fennick | Playful, bookish | Apprentice |
| Orlo | Short and whimsical | Gnome wizard |
Elemental wizard names: fire, frost, storm and stone
Built from element-flavored sounds and surnames, these suit specialists. Fire mages can borrow from our names that mean fire.
| Name | Element | Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Aldric Stormveil | Lightning | Commanding |
| Pyrrhus Emberlain | Fire | Hot-tempered |
| Ignar Ashhand | Fire | Blunt, battle-hardened |
| Calder Frostmere | Ice | Cold and precise |
| Nivalis | Ice | Elegant (Latin “snowy”) |
| Boreas Vane | Wind | Restless (Boreas was the Greek north wind) |
| Zephyrine Gale | Wind | Light and quick |
| Tempest Orrow | Storm | Wild |
| Thorne Graniteborn | Earth | Stubborn, steady |
| Petra Deepstone | Earth | Grounded |
| Marisol Tideweaver | Water | Calm, fluid |
| Nerion Wavecall | Water | Mysterious |
| Solas Brightforge | Light | Radiant |
| Cinder Hale | Fire | Scrappy |
| Volta Starcrown | Lightning | Bold |
| Glacius Rime | Ice | Austere |
| Terran Mossbeard | Earth | Druidic |
| Sirocco | Wind | Named for a hot desert wind |
Dark wizard and necromancer names
Harsher consonants and heavy endings give these names menace. For more villains, see evil names and villain names.
| Name | Style / vibe | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Malachar | Hissing, regal menace | Lich lord |
| Zorvath | Guttural and alien | Warlock |
| Morgrath | Grim, heavy | Necromancer |
| Vexis | Sharp and sly | Hexblade |
| Xandros Vile | Theatrical villain | Cult leader |
| Sarkoth | Harsh consonants | Blood mage |
| Nyxar | From Nyx, Greek night | Shadow mage |
| Draven | Modern, brooding | Rogue sorcerer |
| Azrakel | Angelic sound, twisted | Fallen mage |
| Kaelthar | Epic, doomed | Tragic antagonist |
| Mortis Grey | Latin mors, “death” | Grave-binder |
| Umbral | Latin umbra, “shadow” | Shadow-walker |
| Veyl Ashgrave | Quiet dread | Plague mage |
| Thessaly | Ancient Thessaly was famed for witches | Sorceress |
| Ravok | Short and brutal | Orc shaman |
| Grimwald | Germanic, gloomy | Mad hermit |
Female wizard, sorceress and enchantress names
Mage names for women and girls, from graceful to formidable. More ideas live in our fairy names and female elf names.
| Name | Style / vibe | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Morwen | Welsh, “maiden”; also a Tolkien name | Seer |
| Isolde Ashgrave | Tragic romance meets dark magic | Necromancer |
| Seraphine | From seraph, “fiery one” | Light mage |
| Elowen | Cornish, “elm tree” | Nature mage |
| Sybella | From sibyl, a prophetess | Oracle |
| Rowena | Old, storybook elegance | Enchantress |
| Vesper | Latin, “evening star” | Astromancer |
| Lyra | The lyre constellation | Bard-mage |
| Aurelia | Latin, “golden” | Court sorceress |
| Brisa Moonhollow | Soft and lunar | Illusionist |
| Ysolde | Old French variant of Isolde | Archmage |
| Evanthe | Greek, “fair flower” | Healer |
| Minerva | Roman goddess of wisdom | Scholar |
| Selene | Greek moon goddess | Moon mage |
| Hecatia | After Hecate, goddess of witchcraft | Dark sorceress |
| Ondine | French, water spirit | Water mage |
| Cassia | Latin spice tree; crisp and earthy | Alchemist |
| Imogen | Shakespearean, soft-spoken | Scribe-mage |
| Zelphine | Airy, invented | Wind mage |
| Maelis | Breton, “chief” | Battle mage |
Wizard titles and epithets
Tack one of these onto any first name above to make it sound legendary: “Orrin the Grey-Handed,” “Vesper of the Seventh Tower.”
| Title | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| the Grey | Wise, weathered, neutral | Thalor the Grey |
| the Wise | Respected counselor | Eldrin the Wise |
| Archmage | Highest rank of wizard | Archmage Aurelia |
| the Unbound | Freed from rules or death | Malachar the Unbound |
| of the Seventh Tower | Tied to a guild or school | Vesper of the Seventh Tower |
| Stormcaller | Summons weather | Volta Stormcaller |
| Spellwright | Crafts new spells | Fennick Spellwright |
| Runekeeper | Guards written magic | Cadoc Runekeeper |
| the Pale | Touched by death | Mortis the Pale |
| Starseer | Reads the heavens | Lyra Starseer |
| Hexbinder | Traps curses | Sybella Hexbinder |
| the Wanderer | Never stays put | Caspian the Wanderer |
| Flamewarden | Master of fire | Ignatius Flamewarden |
| the Silent | Casts without words | Imogen the Silent |
How to choose a wizard name
- Match sound to school: soft vowels (Elowen, Lyra) feel like healing or illusion; hard stops (Zorvath, Ravok) feel like war or necromancy.
- Give a long first name a short surname, or the reverse, so the full name is easy to say aloud at the table.
- Borrow from real languages: Latin and Greek roots (umbra, ignis, nyx) instantly sound learned. Our Latin names are a good mine.
- Add a title for gravitas. “Orrin” is a friendly neighbor; “Orrin the Grey-Handed” is a wizard.
- Check that famous names (Gandalf, Dumbledore, Elminster) aren’t too close if you plan to publish.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous wizard name?
Merlin, the prophet and adviser of King Arthur, is the archetypal wizard. His name comes from the Welsh Myrddin and was Latinized by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 1130s.
What is a good name for a female wizard?
Classic choices include Morgan, Nimue and Circe from legend, or original names like Seraphine, Morwen and Vesper.
What is the difference between a wizard, a sorcerer and a warlock?
In Dungeons & Dragons, wizards learn magic through study, sorcerers are born with it and warlocks get it from a pact with a patron. In older folklore the words overlap.
How do I make a wizard name sound old?
Use Latin, Greek or Welsh roots, avoid modern spellings, and add an epithet such as “the Grey” or “of the Tower.”
Can I use these names for D&D?
Yes. The original names here are free to use for tabletop characters, novels and video games.