I need a name for a horned devil.

[the_david]

I've had this idea for a campaign for some time, and I'm trying to work out some of the details. The main story is about a horned devil/malebranche (Pathfinder, but that doesn't matter much.) who is trying to conquer a planet. So far I've got 3 ideas and they are all bad. Now keep in mind that the names of the malebranche in the Divine Comedy are also bad, as well as the names of the demons in the Screwtape Letters. You might say that there is some kind of tradition of giving demons funny names in literary works.

1. Hickory, after the hickory horned devil, which is a big catterpillar with horns and spikes. This would also add a nice catterpillar/moth theme to the final boss, as well as give him a unique appearance.
2. Zapatos. I hung out with a Venezuelan friend today and he showed me his new shoes. I kinda like the word Zapatos, so I thought why not. This would also mean that the horned devil would have to wear a pair of magic shoes.
3. Scarpe. Again shoes, but this time it's Italian. Why Italian? Because all the Malebranche have Italian names so it seems appropriate.

I also need a name for an accuser devil/zebub. The best I've come up with is Scatophaga Stercoraria, the Latin name for the yellow dung fly. (Zebubs are small fly like devils. This one associates with mites and has given them fiendish giant maggots and flies.)

[Coventry]

Option 1 - do what Dante (probably) did

Some scholars speculate that the names of Dante's Malebranche were derived from the names of real people (or families) that Dante did not like. If you want to stick with that tradition, pick the name of the biggest bully that you remember from school, and change it so that it sounds Italian or Latin.

Option 2 - fall back on Latin roots

Speaking of Latin, "Malebranche" is often read as "Mal"="Evil", "Branche"="Claw", so grabbing a list of Latin roots and building a name from that might be a good option. For example, "evil king" would be something like "Malorex".

It is your villain, so you can rearrange letters and change the sound as you wish. If you like "Mellowracks" or "Maleregs" instead of the simpler combination of Malorex, that's fine.

Option 3 - Pick something that makes you smile

However, if you would prefer something more silly, I have always been amused by the name "Pygmalion". His opponents would call him "Piggie".


Option 4 - Instead of Latin, use Tolkien

JRR Tolkien published some of the word roots for his elvish language "Quenya" in a section of his book, The Silmarillion. Other authors have used that list to build names, such as Raymond Feist's use of "Valheru" for "People of Power" or "Old Gods". There are fairly complete versions of this language searchable in Google.

Option 5 - Pick a fantasy name generator, and run it until you find a name you like.

Option 6 - Pick a nonsense word generator, and run it until you find a name you like. "Alleonic", "Dubust", "Calstele".


But it all boils down to one question: What are you looking for in a name?

[Pauly]

Daryl Van Horne.
Jack Nicholson’s character in a witches of Eastwick.
https://youtu.be/qd3CLswG6Yo

[Kaptin Keen]

Well - you can just slap letters together until you hit something pleasing. But if he's a really big, bad demon, he should have a suitably big, bad name - don't call him ... I dunno, Simmy.

So, just as an example: Bael-Alach Hrachdae ur-Xoq. Spoken in a voice of thunder, like ancient secrets called from the crashing seas, an eternal anger personified, rising out of the darkness 'neat the world.

And I'm not saying this name is particularly great (though I like it). It's the method: Just bashing letters together.

[KillianHawkeye]

You could always go with "Taser Face".

[Verappo]

Speaking as an Italian, "Scarpe" does sound a bit silly , but if that's what you're going for that's good too!

If you wanna go with other Italian words that relate to the overall theme there's always Millepiedi, which means centipede (or if you wanna make it latin there's SCOLOPENDRA, which sounds like an illness but also gives you that nice rolled R sound to play with)

Otherwise, if you prefer sticking to Dante's naming conventions you can just find an Italian animal name and add a pejorative suffix of your choice. Cagnazzo literally means bad dog, so anything ending in "-azzo" or "-accio" or "-ello" is fair game.

I'm also reading now that there's a demon called Farfarello, which sounds close enough to "farfalla" (butterfly) that it might work with your theme . Another one is Graffiacane, which translates to "scratch dog", so you can play the "Verbnoun" game to your heart's content. "Mordigatto"? "Calciatopo"? "Pestaverme"?

[Mutazoia]

You could always just stay true to "source"...

[Jackanthony]

You can choose from these names from below.
Note: these are not my favourite at all. But just for fun I am making them.
1. Diablo
2. Pantherabull
3.Instantfear
4. Groundshaker etc.

[farothel]

As I've seen someone mention somewhere else on this forum, go through a list of names for medication. Not the name on the box, the generic name. Things like bevacizumab, crizotinib or veliparib (just a few I took from Wikipedia, but there are many more) can be used as names for devils or demons.

There are also a number of devils/demons/evil things named in different real world religions. You can take some of those names (depending if your players will know the name or not).

[JAL_1138]

The Dwarf Fortress Wiki has a list of terms translated into its conlangs. Pick a couple of words that sound good from one or more of them. For instance, in Dorfish, “Tarem Noshtath” means “Fate Devourer,” and “Zagith” means “Devil.”

[Ashtagon]

I also need a name for an accuser devil/zebub. The best I've come up with is Scatophaga Stercoraria, the Latin name for the yellow dung fly. (Zebubs are small fly like devils. This one associates with mites and has given them fiendish giant maggots and flies.)

zebub is "fly" in most Semitic languages (a certain D&D archdevil or demon prince [I forget which] is literally translated as "lord of the flies").

[Mutazoia]

zebub is "fly" in most Semitic languages (a certain D&D archdevil or demon prince [I forget which] is literally translated as "lord of the flies").

... Zebub.... think about it... starts with a "B"

[Kami2awa]

Try this :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catego...noble_families

Also this :

http://www.sjgames.com/in-nomine/art...tml#DemonNames

I agree, scientific names for living things are also a great source of resonant-sounding names for supernatural beings. Another thing I like to do is to find obscure English words - I have had angels named Clarion, Cadence and Axicon turn up in games.

[Malphegor]

What I do, <points at username>, is get two totally seperate demons/devils from real world grimoires and texts, then smash their syllables together until I get something still pronounceable by human lips.

It helps if they're not distinct ones you think might come up otherwise. Nobody will take Asmodebub seriously.

Greek/Latin stuff is fun too, just make sure you know the meaning of the word in both its original form and in what it sounds like in English- you sometimes get amazing names that are unfortunately lewd or insulting in English.

[Segev]

World-dominating devil, potentially insidious in his pernicious influence? How about Gooface Glebook?

[Mutazoia]

World-dominating devil, potentially insidious in his pernicious influence? How about Gooface Glebook?

Bob Toadworthspatflangie

[Segev]

Bob Toadworthspatflangie

Lacks a certain ... anagrammatic meaning.

[Phhase]

Demon names are easy! Here, have a few:
Akhazael
Phorossog
Zel'Mharak
Kemergarol

Remember, k and z sounds, as well as apostrophes are your friend (Just don't overdo it)! And for extra flavor, add a badass title:
Stonemulcher (name)
(name), doom of WORLDS!
(name), he who wields (weapon)/the essence of (energy)
Assimilator (name)
(name) archdemon of all (x)
(name), devourer of (object or concept)
(name), the (weapon) of (concept or empire name)

For a fly demon/accuserdude, try:
Vilith
Arthroporax
Emvizil

[Spore]

1. Hickory, after the hickory horned devil, which is a big catterpillar with horns and spikes. This would also add a nice catterpillar/moth theme to the final boss, as well as give him a unique appearance.
2. Zapatos. I hung out with a Venezuelan friend today and he showed me his new shoes. I kinda like the word Zapatos, so I thought why not. This would also mean that the horned devil would have to wear a pair of magic shoes.
3. Scarpe. Again shoes, but this time it's Italian. Why Italian? Because all the Malebranche have Italian names so it seems appropriate.

I hope that your players are not Latin American, Spanish, Portuguese or Italians. Because with the same logic you could call your devil Mascarpone. though I feel that often sounds like a mob boss.

Seriously though I would probably come up with a super secret weird name that doubles as the spell to unshackle him from the Nine Hells.

Your overlord is called Praenomino Maledicto? What a weird gu......oh frick!

[Leon]

call your devil Mascarpone. ]

That's a bit cheesy

[Nickthef]

Moloch? It's base on a child eating demon myth

[paddyfool]

I hope that your players are not Latin American, Spanish, Portuguese or Italians. Because with the same logic you could call your devil Mascarpone.

Bonus points if he wears armour and has a horse's head: https://goo.gl/images/VTrxiw

[Hackulator]

Clearly his name should be:

Miso'Hornay

[redwizard007]

Clearly his name should be:

Miso'Hornay

I was going to suggest "Dave," but this might be the winner.

[MintyNinja]

I'll toss my recurring Devil / Fiend Patron's name into the pot for you: Zaknasheil. Sometimes called Old Zak, or Zaknasheil the Dealer. He's more willing to work with mortals out of entertainment or malice, who can really say.

[JoeJ]

Moloch? It's base on a child eating demon myth

This may not matter to the OP, but Moloch is already the name of a devil in D&D.


Should I assume that Horny McHornface will not set the right tone?

[Iamyourking]

Given that Malebranchen are dumb brutes and becoming one is considered a demotion for most devils, having an insulting name would be quite appropriate.

[Particle_Man]

I hear that the planet Neptune was almost named George. Maybe the devil’s name is George and he really wants a planet named after him.

[Lionlore]

Cornuk the Deceiver

Cerovile the Vicious

Vanginox the Destroyer

Umbratlore the Inscrutable

I could go all day. Basically my formula is relevant Greco-Latin word combined with nonsense that sounds evil. First two are based on words for horns, the third on the Latin for "night", the fourth on "shadow".

Going a completely different direction, in the middle ages, due to a translation error, Moses was believed to have horns. It continued to be used as iconography into the Renaissance. There's fun to be had with that.

Or since you seem to be on a footwear theme just pop open a large Thesaurus. Some obscure types of footwear and related names include "Brogun", "Buskin", "Cothornos", "Hobnail", "Jorab", "Paduka", and "Winklepicker".

[OmSwaOperations]

Mephistopheles