Goliath Names Guide | Examples and Naming Conventions for 5E

Ah, Goliaths. The gentle giants of Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. Introduced in the Elemental Evil Player’s Companion, Goliaths seem like they were carved directly out of the stone, and as such are massive, both in height and build. They are nomads, wandering from peak to peak, rarely venturing down to the sea level. When they do, their size, build, and style dazzle anyone who sees them. Goliaths might be isolated, but their names are extremely important to their culture. Check out the Goliath Names Guide for some advice on how to make the name really matter.

Goliath Names 5E Guide

Goliaths actually have an impressive amount of focus on their names in their culture. Names are constructed from their parents, their tribe, their culture, and their destiny. Using a generator to decide your name is fine, but you’d be missing out on a major aspect of your character’s backstory. Your Goliath’s history will thank you for thinking about it in a meaningful way.

How Do Goliath Names Work?

First and foremost, a Goliath lives among a community that is intensely driven. They are focused on making every Goliath into the best they can be. Defeat is motivation to keep improving, and victory means the tribe can continue to survive. This makes them competitive, keeping score and tallying against each other, but only as a means to keep improving. Unfortunately, this drive to keep better means they will never get complacent. They are likely to keep trying more and more heroic things, until their limits catch up with them.

Goliaths see no real meaning in cultural nuisances such as class or gender roles. They believe the most talented and best should be in charge. Everyone should be put exactly where they deserve to be or work for – gender, birthright, or manipulation skills shouldn’t matter. It doesn’t matter up in the mountains, where every Goliath is put in their best position.

As a Goliath, you’ve likely seen the decline of a Goliath more than once in your life. Goliaths’ constant need to outdo themselves forces them to continue to harm themselves and destroy their bodies as they age. Wisdom is something that can rarely grow in Goliaths, since they lack elders or aged people with experience.

See Also: Our Goblin Names Guide

Examples of Goliath Names

The closeness of a tribe is important to a Goliath, and they take tradition with them wherever they go. Goliaths are not named based on gender; their names are determined by their parents, their ancestry, and their chief.

Birth Names

Parents decide on a short birth name when a Goliath is born.

• Aukan
• Eglath
• Gae-Al
• Gauthak
• Kuori
• Lo-Kag
• Manneo
• Maveith
• Nalla
• Orilo
• Paavu
• Pethani
• Thalai
• Thotham
• Uthal
• Vaunea
• Vimak

Clan Names

Clan names are basically last names. These are much longer, end with a vowel, and have elements of their clan’s history applied over time.

• Anakalathai
• Elanithino
• Gathakanathi
• Kalagiano
• Katho-Olavi
• Kolae-Gileana
• Ogolakanu
• Thuliaga
• Thunukalathi
• Vaimei-Laga

Nicknames

These are the most commonly used names, and they change commonly. Goliath nicknames change based on the Goliath’s life and achievements. A Goliath amongst other races accept nicknames given to them by others. And, they’ll probably assign nicknames to others.

• Bearkiller
• Fearless
• Grog
• Horncarver
• Longleaper
• Rootsmasher
• Threadtwister
• Twice-Orphaned
• Twisted Limb
• Wordpainter

Goliaths are focused on their nicknames, because they are constantly trying to change. A Goliath who’s named “Impslayer” wants to become “Dragonslayer” someday. They want to become better and better, and they want that for their peers. Goliaths are best when using their Strength for the best; Barbarians and the Fighter class are common classes for a Goliath.