Bugbear Names [DnD]

Posted on by Matt Zane

Neither bugs nor bears, bugbears are one of three main goblinoid races in DnD 5e, along with goblins and hobgoblins. Bugbears feature in the horror stories of many races, great hairy beasts that creep sneakily through the shadows. However, their storied viciousness is matched only by their lethargy.

Instead of building things up themselves, they bully weaker creatures into doing their bidding. Worshippers of Hruggek, the fearsome deity of legendary might, and his younger brother, the cunning Grankhul who gifted bugbears their stealth, bugbears believe that their acts of violence are a form of worship.

More cunning than their goblin cousins and more physically dominant than hobgoblins, Bugbear names nevertheless follow the same basic conventions (think guttural sounds) as both.

bugbear minis D&D 5e

How to Name a Bugbear

Official DnD 5e materials don’t give us much to go on as far as bugbear naming conventions. However, Ed Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms game world, did give a lot of details about how goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears choose names in a Twitter thread from 2020.

In the thread, he describes three things:

  1. Goblinoid societies are essentially matriarchal. Lineage, clan membership, and surnames are traced through female lines.

  2. Bugbears have little use for surnames or tribal names. More often than not, bugbears are loners. They may enter into small and/or short-term alliances, but lineage and loyalty to clan are not inherent in most bugbear society.

  3. Bugbear names are guttural. This is a more general observation of the linguistics in the example bugbear names that Ed lists in this thread.

Bugbear Name Examples

Here are some example bugbear names, with the basic idea of bugbear naming conventions mentioned above in mind:

Male Bugbear Names

  1. Nolgk

  2. Burjack

  3. Nul’ko

  4. Ahneg

  5. Gohlrog

  6. Bruenor

  7. Yagr

  8. Vuhrk

  9. Tavrork

  10. Vurdoth

  11. Zjarbunk

  12. Khivvan

  13. Zerun

  14. Ghumk

  15. Rarsh

  16. Nazik

  17. Hrodik

  18. Nezigan

  19. Dumzukk

  20. Budresh

  21. Thresk

  22. Darg

  23. Goruk

  24. Hurk

  25. Vurrak

  26. Bulruglak

  27. Calaglorm

  28. Gorunkh

  29. Jorrk

  30. Irunn

  31. Krogan

  32. Vorakk

  33. Zogrim

  34. Ragnok

  35. Thrash

  36. Bludrok

  37. Nazgul

  38. Zul’kar

  39. Morduk

  40. Gruul

Female Bugbear Names

  1. Guul’dra

  2. Boku

  3. Ozohrd

  4. Giorem

  5. Buirak

  6. Claeth

  7. Flark

  8. Goruk

  9. Ilthyk

  10. Juk

  11. Lurg

  12. Morlg

  13. Nurruk

  14. Surk

  15. Thulk

  16. Ulgut

  17. Elgkryn

  18. Forogg

  19. Gurrek

  20. Hurrvulkh

  21. Kalrankh

  22. Korrak

  23. Kulgor

  24. Orulk

  25. Rulktur

  26. Sagrakh

  27. Yurturlg

  28. Urgram

  29. Sorrakh

  30. Helgrak

  31. Dorga

  32. Zogrim

  33. Griznak

  34. Thrash

  35. Murgash

  36. Grommuk

  37. Snarl

  38. Grimjaw

  39. Nokk

  40. Draggul

Bugbear Clan Names

  1. Sarsar

  2. Huum

  3. Lurgh

  4. Kuv

  5. Igin

  6. Gruur

  7. Gahg

  8. Mral

  9. Urvu

  10. Lugdush

  11. Muzgash

  12. Shahg

  13. Ugluk

  14. Kuhf

  15. Mahnra

Bugbear Name Generator

If you’d like to randomize your name without getting dice involved, you can use this bugbear name generator I made. It has all the names on the lists above, in every possible combination.

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