Hrothgar expanded naming conventions (unofficial)

[Iscah]

Make sure to read the official naming conventions in addition to these. A preview page from the Encyclopedia Eorzea III also provides further information.

Text provided here in quote boxes has been quoted from the official conventions, but I have not copied all of the text. (And I changed the curly quote marks to straight ones and moved punctuation outside of the quote marks because I can.)

In addition to the Bozjan culture that is officially Hrothgar culture and the source of their naming conventions, there is also a population of the same race found in Tural and known as the Xbr'aal. This guide will not cover those names, but a discussion can be found here: Thoughts on Xbr'aal Naming Conventions.


PART 1: NAMING CONVENTIONS

Basic name format

Hrothgar names consist of a personal forename and a surname that indicates social status of Helion or Lost, along with your individual "clan" (but not in the way the character creator uses the term).

For a playable character, as a travelling adventurer, your status will almost certainly be Lost.


Helions and the Lost - choosing a name according to your character's situation

The first thing to note is that the "Helion" and "Lost" categories in the character creator are not actually clans and do not line up with what the terms mean in lore. Hrothgar of any appearance can belong to either category and may shift from one to the other depending on their life circumstances: Helions being in active service to a queen, while the Lost are so named because they have lost their queen. This social status is indicated by the format of their surname.

"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.

- 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.

- 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.

The Encyclopedia Eorzea page expands on this, making some adjustments allowing for the addition of playable female characters:

Helions

Helions are so named for the way their lives all but revolve around their queen's needs, much as lesser stars might circle their sun. These loyal subjects settle in the lands where their monarch resides and form a community of like-minded kin. Though this social structure is often described solely in terms of a queen and her male subjects, young women not old enough to be queens in their own right, as well as women who choose to remain part of another queen's community, are also considered Helions within Hrothgar society.

Order is the guiding principle of Helion culture. With a queen at its center, the community obeys a strict code of conduct, with each member carrying out their assigned roles. A female child is instructed in her duties from birth and, once she comes of age, a segment of the population will break away to form a new community under this new queen. Under certain circumstances, the queen may welcome others from outside her home clan, including the Lost.

The Lost

These are the Hrothgar who have found themselves bereft of a queen and ─ typically after a lengthy period of mourning ─ have struck out on their own. One can assume with a fair degree of certainty that any male Hrothgar encountered beyond Bozja's borders are of the Lost, as they are far more likely than the Helions to abandon their settlements and embrace a nomadic lifestyle. Female Lost are also known to exist ─ individuals who have, for whatever reason, renounced or refused the ruler's mantle to pursue life on their own terms.

In contrast to the Helions' well-defined social order, the culture of the Lost is characterized by chaos. As many have lived their lives adhering to clear roles and strict laws, the sudden loss of structure must be disorienting at best. Many Lost fully embrace the nomadic lifestyle, committing themselves to the search for new purpose. This may mean exacting vengeance for a slain queen, or seeking to honor their late ruler by carrying out her final wishes. Each of the Lost, it is said, is lost in their own way.

Lore questions not explored to my knowledge:

Does a new queen ever take over from an old one directly? Are there lineages of queeens or are they individuals whose subjects always disperse once the queen dies?

Do the Lost generally seek out a new queen or will they stay lost permanently or for generations?

What are the possible ways that a queen is "lost"? Death being the obvious one, but the lorebook entry's comment on female Lost having "renounced or refused" their position suggests that they may abdicate or even simply flee. Are there other circumstances? What if a queen was alive and willing but held captive by enemies?


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PART 2: NAME LISTS

Note: All names have been re-typed by hand. There is a small chance of spelling errors or incorrect alphabetical order.


FORENAMES

The in-game random name generator provides separate forename lists for Helions and the Lost, but since there is no strict line between the two, this seems to be simply a way of providing more variety of names overall. The official naming conventions page provides a single list of forename examples that mixes names from both lists with no indication of which is which, so I have merged the full lists here.

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").

Given that the names are derived from real-world names, it may be worth checking if the name has a direct translation and meaning. You can also take additional names from real-world name lists.

Male forenames

Adis
Ajdin
Andriya
Asmir

Bajsaljen
Bazhen
Belun
Berimir
Bernardin
Blaz
Bogdan
Bogomil
Bojan
Bolek
Boras
Boric
Borimir
Borna
Borsch
Bozek
Bozidar
Branimir
Brathgar
Brondy
Bronithgar
Budimir

Cachi
Casimir
Cededa
Ctibor
Cvetko
Czethgar

Dabog
Dalek
Damir
Daren
Darko
Davor
Desimir
Devyatko
Deyan
Dmitar
Dob
Dobrica
Dobry
Domagoi
Dragomir
Drasko
Drazan
Drzithghar
Dubynya
Dusan
Duscha

Emerik

Frathopan

Goran
Gorynya
Gostimil
Gradimir
Grugur

Haris
Hrvoye

Iljko
Ivan
Ivanis
Ivica
Izet

Jareck
Jaromir
Jarrick
Juraj

Kazek
Kocelj
Koschey
Kresimir
Kriv
Krsto
Kulin

Ladimir
Ladithgar
Ladio
Lirim
Loeman
Lovro
Luchezar
Lubomir
Ludevit
Lutomis

Marsak
Matej
Matija
Matko
Mecek
Mihalo
Mikac
Miladin
Milenko
Milorad
Milovan
Milutin
Miodrag
Mirothgar
Mirko
Mistithgar
Mithgar
Mladen
Mutimir
Mylon

Nekras
Nenad
Ninothgar
Novak

Osorio
Ostromir

Pavao
Petar
Preben
Pribina
Putimir

Raclaw
Radigost
Radimir
Radisa
Radovan
Ratibor
Ratimir
Ratmir
Razumnik
Rostik

Sead
Semir
Sinisa
Sjeros
Sladkey
Slathac
Slobodan
Stanik
Stanimir
Stas
Stjepan
Sudimir
Svante
Svatomir
Svetithgar
Svetozar
Svyatogor

Taman
Tanix
Tihomir
Tikhomir
Tilo
Tomithgar
Toplica
Trpimir

Ulfo

Vaclav
Vadim
Velibor
Velimir
Velithgar
Vencel
Veselin
Visethgar
Vladan
Vladimir
Vladithgar
Vlastimil
Vojin
Volos
Voron
Voynomir
Vsemil
Vsethgar
Vsevolod
Vtorak
Vuk
Vyachko

Waldemar
Wenceslas

Xeven

Yaromir
Yaropol
Yarothgar
Yov

Zdethgar
Zdravko
Zelimir
Zhdan
Ziv
Zlatan
Zlatomir
Zoran
Zorya
Zvonimir

Note: some names have multiple spellings included in the list – Visethgar and Vsethgar, Ratimir and Ratmir, Jareck and Jarrick.

Female forenames

Anatalya
Anov

Branka

Deanna
Dita

Ella
Enya
Eraya

Hinka

Iniva
Inivi --- uncertain, see note
Irrya

Jolla
Jova

Lanta
Lanya
Lentya
Liana
Lina
Liora
Liuba
Lirya
Lubov
Lunya

Maev
Marya
Milan
Milda
Mira
Mirka
Misija
Mov

Nata
Nevembya
Ninta

Olana
Ona
Ova

Pella
Petya
Pirya

Ratya
Redna
Ridni
Rodica
Rolva

Slana
Slendi
Sloba
Stalya
Stana
Steva
Stolla
Svana
Svena

Tessa
Tilvi
Tira
Tolna

Ulga
Utya

Veita
Vesna
Veta
Vira
Votya

Wenya
Wira

Yanav
Yorva
Yurya

Zela
Zetina
Ziva
Zlata
Zora
Zorya


* Inivi is derived from the surname Inivisch, but is not confirmed in the female forename list. However, Iniva is a confirmed forename.

Female names can be derived from the lists of surnames and the few female characters we are aware of - specifically, Misija and Nevembya (i.e. Queen Gunnhildr's name before taking the throne, as noted in the field record). Regardless of actual race, the names are distinctly Hrothgar.


SURNAMES

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.

[Lost] surnames are altered by removing the initial "A" and appending "sch", meaning "lost", to their erstwhile queen’s name.

While technically a surname could be constructed from any female name and the appropriate addition (A- for Helions and -sch for the Lost), the official random name generator only uses a small pool of specific names for the Helions. Logically this might indicate the full number of queens that currently exist. The examples in the official naming conventions seem to be the full range found in the generator, although two more surnames are found from characters in the Bozja storyline.

Surnames of the Lost are more varied and include names not listed in the official examples, but would still act as a record of recently lost queens.

Of note, the four checkpoints on the Bozjan southern front seem to be named after lost queens, as the same names are found in the Lost surnames.

Overall, unless you have a specific character concept in mind, it is probably most accurate to stick with one of the established surnames.


Helion surnames (queen's name prefixed with A)

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

Lost surnames (lost queen's name suffixed with -sch)

Anatalyasch
Anovsch
Brankasch
Ditasch
Ellasch
Enyasch
Erayasch
Hinkasch
Inivisch
Irryasch
Jovasch
Lantasch
Lentyasch
Lianasch
Linasch
Liorasch
Liubasch
Lunyasch
Maevsch
Mildasch
Natasch
Nintasch
Olanasch
Onasch
Ovasch
Petyasch
Piryasch
Ratyasch
Ridnisch
Rolvasch
Slanasch
Slobasch
Slendisch
Stalyasch
Stevasch
Svanasch
Svenasch --- misspelt "Svenach" in generator
Tilvisch
Tirasch
Ulgasch
Utyasch
Vetasch
Veitasch
Votyasch
Wenyasch
Wirasch
Yanavsch
Yorvasch
Zelasch
Zlatasch

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PART 3: MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Known characters with surnames (spoilers for Save the Queen)

Bajsaljen Ulgasch
Blaz Azetina
Dabog Inivisch
Lovro Slanasch
Marsak Apella
Misija Votyasch
Nevembya Votyasch*
Rostik Liubasch
Stanik Alubov
Velibor Azetina
Xeven Svanasch

* giving Nevembya a Lost surname seems to be an oversight, probably with the intent of linking her to Misija rather than following conventions, as we knew she was at least in active service to a queen and then died as a queen herself.

Forename lists separated by clan

Name lists taken from Gamer Escape: https://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/H...nventions/List

Helion male forenames:
Asmir
Bazhen
Berimir
Bogdan
Bogomil
Bojan
Borimir
Borna
Bozidar
Branimir
Brondy
Budimir
Cachi
Cededa
Ctibor
Daren
Devyatko
Deyan
Dmitar
Dobry
Dragomir
Drzithghar
Duscha
Frathopan
Gorynya
Grugur
Hrvoye
Ivica
Izet
Jareck
Jarrick
Juraj
Kazek
Krsto
Ladimir
Ladio
Loeman
Lovro
Luchezar
Lutomis
Matija
Mihalo
Miladin
Milorad
Mirothgar
Mistithgar
Mladen
Mutimir
Mylon
Nekras
Nenad
Ninothgar
Osorio
Pavao
Petar
Preben
Putimir
Radimir
Radisa
Ratibor
Ratimir
Ratmir
Razumnik
Semir
Sinisa
Stjepan
Sudimir
Svante
Svatomir
Svetithgar
Svetozar
Taman
Tihomir
Tomithgar
Toplica
Vadim
Velibor
Velithgar
Veselin
Visethgar
Vladithgar
Vojin
Voron
Vsethgar
Vtorak
Xeven
Yaromir
Yaropol
Yarothgar
Zhdan
Zlatan
Zoran
Zvonimir

Lost male forenames:
Adis
Ajdin
Andriya
Belun
Bernardin
Blaz
Bolek
Boras
Boric
Borsch
Bozek
Brathgar
Bronithgar
Casimir
Cvetko
Czethgar
Dalek
Damir
Darko
Davor
Desimir
Dob
Dobrica
Domagoi
Drasko
Drazan
Dubynya
Dusan
Emerik
Goran
Gostimil
Gradimir
Haris
Iljko
Ivan
Ivanis
Jaromir
Kocelj
Koschey
Kresimir
Kriv
Kulin
Ladithgar
Lirim
Lubomir
Ludevit
Matej
Matko
Mecek
Mikac
Milenko
Milovan
Milutin
Miodrag
Mirko
Mithgar
Novak
Ostromir
Pribina
Raclaw
Radigost
Radovan
Rostik
Sead
Sladkey
Slathac
Slobodan
Stanik
Stanimir
Stas
Svyatogor
Tanix
Tikhomir
Tilo
Trpimir
Ulfo
Vaclav
Velimir
Vencel
Vladan
Vladimir
Vlastimil
Volos
Voynomir
Vsemil
Vsevolod
Vuk
Vyachko
Waldemar
Wenceslas
Yov
Zdethgar
Zdravko
Zelimir
Ziv
Zlatomir
Zorya


Character names not from generator:
Bajsaljen
Dabog
Marsak
Sjeros

Misija
Nevembya

Possible future updates:

A comparison of in-game Hrothgar names and real Slavic names would hopefully search out the other rules for altering real names into Hrothgar names.

I may add name translations if I get around to it.

Filing for later when we get to discussing Turali Hrothgar: A Reddit thread on the history/familiarity of cats in the Americas, with a comment mentioning some symbolism of cat-headed people in South American cultures. Haven't delved into the links yet.

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Update history:

4 August 2024: Added female names Hinka, Iniva, Lanya, Lirya and Ziva; surname Hinkasch.

[Iscah]

Bumping because this is a hot topic currently, with the recent reveal of female Hrothgar.

[SuperChris]

Woo! I made my Hrothgar alt shortly after Endwalker came out with the intention of using a fantasia as soon as female hrothgar become playable. After looking at the original Hroth naming conventions, I guessed at Maev Slanasch as a lore friendly female Hrothgar name. Glad to see that I appear to have guessed well - thanks for compiling this!