Create tiefling names for your D&D 5e campaign. Tiefling names follow three traditions: infernal names derived from the fiendish language, virtue names that embody a concept or ideal, and human names from the culture they were raised in. Use our generator to create authentic male and female tiefling names with infernal heritage.
How to Use the Tiefling Name Generator
Select a gender, pick a starting letter if you want a specific sound, and choose how many names to generate (up to 30). Each result includes a tiefling name with a personality description. Click the heart icon to save favorites to your list. Use the AI mode toggle for names with more detailed character backstories.
Three Ways Tieflings Get Their Names
According to the Player's Handbook and Forgotten Realms lore, tiefling names fall into three distinct traditions. Which one your character uses says a lot about their relationship with their infernal bloodline.
Infernal Names
The most common tradition. These names derive from the Infernal language and pass down through tiefling families. They use hard consonants, sharp syllables, and occasionally apostrophes — signaling a connection to the tiefling's fiendish heritage.
Male: Akmenos, Amnon, Barakas, Damakos, Iados, Kairon, Leucis, Melech, Mordai, Morthos, Skamos, Therai
Female: Akta, Anakis, Bryseis, Criella, Damaia, Kallista, Lerissa, Makaria, Nemeia, Orianna, Phelaia, Rieta
Virtue Names
Some tieflings reject their infernal heritage and choose a virtue name — a single word representing a concept they want to embody. These are gender-neutral and deeply personal. Virtue names are not always positive — a tiefling might choose Fear or Torment just as readily as Hope or Glory.
Positive: Hope, Glory, Excellence, Courage, Reverence, Poetry
Neutral: Quest, Art, Music, Chant, Ideal, Random
Dark: Carrion, Despair, Torment, Sorrow, Fear, Weary
Human and Cultural Names
Tieflings raised among humans — which is most of them — sometimes use human names from their local culture. A tiefling born in Calimshan might have a Calishite name, while one from the Sword Coast could carry a Chondathan name.
Tiefling Last Names and Surnames
Tieflings do not have a standard surname tradition in D&D lore. Many go by a single name, especially those using virtue names. Those with infernal names sometimes carry a family surname passed down from their human lineage — names like Ashworth, Blackthorn, or Duskmantle that hint at their mixed heritage. In some campaigns, tieflings adopt surnames based on their infernal bloodline: Glasya, Dispater, Levistus, Fierna, or Mammon, referencing the archdevil from which their line descends.
Female Tiefling Names with Meanings
Female infernal names tend toward Greek and Latin-inspired sounds. Here are some canonical and common tiefling female names with their implied meanings:
- Bryseis — Derived from ancient Greek, suggesting a captive or prize
- Kallista — From Greek kallistos, meaning "most beautiful"
- Nemeia — Echoes Nemesis, the Greek spirit of retribution
- Damaia — Feminine form suggesting mastery or dominance
- Criella — Sharp, infernal-sounding with no direct translation
- Makaria — From Greek makarios, meaning "blessed" — an ironic name for a tiefling
- Orianna — Derived from Latin "golden dawn"
Tiefling Names for Baldur's Gate 3
BG3 features several notable tiefling NPCs whose names follow the infernal tradition: Alfira the bard, Zevlor the paladin, Karlach the barbarian, and the siblings Mol and Cal among the tiefling refugees. When naming your BG3 tiefling Tav, consider the game's setting — the Sword Coast near Baldur's Gate and Elturel.
For a BG3 tiefling warlock, sharp infernal names like Mordai or Skamos fit the pact theme. Sorcerers suit names that feel ancient — Therai, Leucis, Barakas. If you are playing a lighter character, a virtue name like Art or Music pairs well with the bard class. Karlach's name shows that BG3 tieflings can use shorter, punchier names than the PHB lists suggest.
How to Choose the Right Tiefling Name
The naming tradition your tiefling follows is a character-building decision:
- Infernal name — Your tiefling acknowledges or embraces their heritage. Common for warlocks, sorcerers, and characters tied to the Nine Hells.
- Virtue name — Your tiefling is forging their own identity. Common for those who left home young or reject their infernal side.
- Human name — Your tiefling was raised in a human community and wants to fit in, or their family has assimilated over generations.
Tips for Naming Your Tiefling
- Pair an infernal first name with a human surname — "Mordai Ashworth" feels grounded in both worlds
- Virtue names can evolve during a campaign. A tiefling named Sorrow might become Hope after a turning point
- Consider how NPCs react to an openly infernal name versus a virtue name — it affects roleplay
- Check the 2024 Player's Handbook for updated tiefling options
- Say the name aloud at the table. If your DM stumbles over it every time, consider something shorter
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