Hrothgar Naming Conventions

In this post, we’ll be sharing with you the linguistic and lore-related conventions that dictate the names commonly used by the Hrothgar race. We hope that it will be helpful in naming your characters and developing a more complete understanding of the world of FFXIV!

Forenames

Hrothgar forenames are similar to old Slavic names, though certain lexemes differ─most notably, the Hrothgar word for “glory” is “thgar” rather than “slav,” so the former proliferates where one might be used to seeing the latter in real-world names (e.g. “Vladithgar”).

• For example:

  Goythgar
  Adis
  Devyatko
  Ivica
  Zhdan
  Zoran
  Bojan
  Frathopan
  Svetozar
  Yaropol
  Zdravko
  Vaclav
  Kazek
  Lutomis
  Milorad

“Clans” and Surnames

Though Hrothgar form their own clan-like communities, they, as a race, cannot be divided into distinct “clans” with separate traditions and features. They are instead most often sorted into the categories of “Helion” and “Lost,” according to their social status─but these labels, too, were imposed by scholars of the other races rather than the Hrothgar themselves, and have unfortunately led to certain misconceptions, such as the popular belief that Helions always have golden fur.

As the difference between “clans” and these categories that apply to Hrothgar is admittedly somewhat difficult to understand, we have updated the in-game character creation text to more clearly convey the distinction, but have also opted to explain the lore behind this categorization more thoroughly here, along with their naming conventions.

- Helions

Helions are those Hrothgar currently living in service to a queen, and were so named for how their lives appear to revolve around the queen much as celestial bodies circle the sun. (Incidentally, in real-world terms “helions” specifically refers to meteoroids that began their lives as part of a sun-grazing comet, but the people of Hydaelyn have no means of making such fine astronomical distinctions.)

Hrothgar surnames are traditionally based on the name of the clan’s female, or “queen.” If the queen is still living, as is the case when it comes to Helions, her name will be prefaced by “A,” meaning “on” in the sense of “in service to,” to form the male surname of her subjects.

• For example:

  Amira
  Azora
  Avesna
  Azorya
  Astana
  Arodica
  Amilan
  Amirka
  Asvana
  Avira
  Aredna
  Azetina
  Astolla
  Amarya
  Atolna
  Atessa
  Ayurya
  Amov
  Adeanna
  Ajolla

- The Lost

The Lost are those Hrothgar who have found themselves bereft of their queen and─typically after a lengthy period of mourning─struck out on their own. (Like “lost” comets that can no longer be found following their previous orbital patterns, one might say.) Accordingly, their surnames are altered by removing the initial “A” and appending “sch,” meaning “lost,” to their erstwhile queen’s name.

• For example:

  Zlatasch
  Liubasch
  Brankasch
  Tirasch
  Ratyasch
  Slanasch
  Enyasch
  Natasch
  Svenach
  Ditasch
  Anatalyasch
  Inivisch
  Jovasch
  Onasch
  Petyasch
  Linasch
  Ulgasch
  Maevsch
  Lentyasch
  Ovasch