Dwarf City Names: 105 Ideas for Holds and Delves

Here you get 105 dwarf city names you can actually use, sorted by style so you can find the right one fast. Whether you need a hold for a fantasy story, a clan tag for a game, a group chat name, a fantasy league team or a wifi network that sounds carved into a mountain, there is something below. Skim the sections, take what works, tweak the rest.

Classic Dwarf Hold Names

These names lean on hard consonants and stone-and-metal words, which is the sound most people picture when they think of a dwarf hold. Reach for this list when you want the classic deep-dwelling vibe for a story map, a tabletop campaign or a clan tag, and you want something that feels traditional without being a copy of anything famous.

• Khazadrun
• Durhelm
• Grimhollow
• Ironvale
• Stonebeard Hold
• Barak Vorn
• Thrumgar
• Deepmarrow
• Anvilgard
• Kazak Dun
• Runegate
• Bolgrast
• Underhall
• Vorn Kald
• Hammerfast

Mountain Stronghold Names

A dwarf city usually sits inside a mountain, so these names reach upward as well as down. They work well for a hold on a fantasy map, a guild on a snowy server, a hiking group or any crew that wants to sound cold, high and hard to reach. Most of them pair a weather word with a stone word, which is why they read as places rather than people.

• Highcairn
• Snowbeard Peak
• Stormvault
• Skytunnel
• Cloudforge
• Windharvest
• Peak of Orin
• Frostgate Hold
• Thunderhead Deep
• High Anvil
• Stonemantle
• Cairnhold
• Winterdelve
• Summitwatch
• Pale Crag

Forge and Fire Names

Every dwarf city needs a forge, and these names put the fire front and centre. They suit guilds, fantasy football teams, workshop servers and any group chat that runs a little hot. If your group builds things, argues about tools or just likes the smell of a workshop, this is your section.

• Emberdelve
• Slaghold
• Cinderforge
• Molten Deep
• Ashfall Keep
• Bellowsgate
• Firemarrow
• Coalvale
• Smokestack Hold
• Ironsong
• Quenchgate
• Furnace Deep
• Hammerfall Keep
• Redore
• Sparkvault

Short and Punchy Names

Sometimes you want something you can type fast and shout across a voice chat without losing your breath. These names run one or two words, spell cleanly and stick in memory after one hearing. They are the safest bet if your group is spread across the US, the UK, Canada and Australia and everyone has a different idea of how to say things.

• Dur
• Kharn
• Bolv
• Grimhold
• Stonegate
• Deeprock
• Ironmoor
• Runedeep
• Baruk
• Thanedun
• Rockfast
• Goldvein
• Dunvarr
• Axehold
• Kragmore

Clever and Punny Names

If your group laughs more than it roleplays, a pun lands better than a saga. These are dwarf-flavoured jokes that still read like place names, so they work on a map and in a chat window at the same time. They are also handy for a trivia team or a bowling league that wants a name nobody else will have thought of.

• Rock Bottom
• Beardhaven
• Deep Pockets
• The Short End
• Stone Cold Springs
• Under Pressure
• Gold Standard
• Tunnel Vision
• Hard Rock Haven
• Boulder Dash
• Pickaxe Palace
• Ore Nothing
• Deep Dive
• Crack of Dawn
• Solid Ground

Dark and Ominous Names

Not every hold is friendly. These names suit a ruined city, a rival clan, a villain's seat or a group chat with a dramatic streak. They use shadow, bone and weather words, which makes them feel old and a little dangerous without tipping into anything nasty. Good for a second faction in a story, or for the team everyone else loves to beat.

• Blackmarrow
• Grimvault
• Skullforge
• Hollowdeep
• Bloodstone Deep
• Duskhold
• Shadowdelve
• Bittercrag
• Ruinhold
• Coldhearth
• The Sunken Anvil
• Gravebarrow
• Wyrmsdeep
• Ashgrave
• Nightmantle

Names for Founders and Clans

A city named after the dwarf who founded it feels lived in, and it gives you a free character name at the same time. These follow the pattern of a first name plus a place word, so you can swap in your own character's name and the whole thing still works. They are great for story characters, family clans and any group that wants to sound like it has history.

• Torvald's Rest
• Brunhild's Gate
• Hjalmar's Deep
• Ordrin's Hall
• Vondra's Forge
• Kaela's Watch
• Brognar's Seat
• Helga's Anvil
• Marn's Crossing
• Yrsa's Hold
• Grimwald's Gate
• Torren's Delve
• Sigrun's Deep
• Balric's Vault
• The Old Hall

How to Pick the Right One

A few quick checks will save you from a name you regret in a month.

• Match the group first. A punny name is perfect for a friend chat and completely wrong for a serious campaign setting, so think about who will actually be saying it out loud.
• Say it three times in a row. If you stumble on the second try, cut a syllable. Two or three syllables survive voice chat far better than a long ceremonial title.
• Test it on one or two friends. If they repeat it back correctly, it sticks. If they immediately ask you to spell it, it probably will not.
• Avoid anything tied to a current meme or news story. You will still be typing this name long after the joke has gone stale.
• Look at it in lowercase. Plenty of places display names without capital letters, and a name that only works with capitals can look strange.
• Leave room to grow. If you might add a second city, a rival hold or an expansion later, pick something that can take a suffix without sounding clumsy.

FAQ

What makes a good dwarf city name?

Hard consonants, stone or metal words, and a shape that sounds like a real place rather than a label. The best ones are easy to say, easy to spell and slightly heavy, like something carved instead of written. If you can picture a gate with the name chiselled above it, you have found a good one.

Can I use these names for a clan, a group chat or a wifi network?

Yes. Take one as it is, or bolt on a second word to make it yours, such as adding a clan tag, a number or a short suffix. Mixing a classic hold name with a word your group already uses is the fastest way to get something that feels personal instead of borrowed.

How do I make a dwarf city name sound more original?

Swap the obvious endings for less common ones, and pair two ideas that do not usually sit together, like a weather word with a tool word. Reading your draft out loud also helps, because anything that trips your tongue will trip everyone else's too.

Should the name be in English or an invented language?

Both work, and you can mix them in one world. Invented sounds feel older and more fantasy, while plain English words are easier to remember and much funnier when you go for a pun. A city called Stonegate and a city called Khazadrun can sit on the same map without a problem.

640px Camponotus Flavomarginatus Ant

640px Camponotus Flavomarginatus Ant