Library › Guides › Lists & Ideas
Kobold Girl Names: 90 Names From German Folklore to Dragon Dens
By Metavulgar · updated 2026-11-13 · 4 min read
Kobold girl names split into two families because the word "kobold" means two different creatures. In German folklore a kobold is a household spirit, a hidden helper in the house, mine or ship. In modern fantasy the kobold is usually a small, scaly, dragon-loving trickster. This list covers both, marks which names are real folklore and which I made up, and ends with how to choose one for an original character or a roleplay.
Where the word comes from
Kobold (Middle High German kobolt) names a generic house spirit in German folklore. The earliest uses in the 13th century are oddly about small figures of wood or wax, and the spirit sense appears later. The origin is disputed: one theory reads it as kuba-walda, "ruler of the house", another points to kofewalt, a spirit that rules one room, and Jacob Grimm preferred a link to the Greek kobalos, "rogue". There are three main kinds: the house kobold, the mine kobold, and the ship kobold, the Klabautermann. Metals even carry the memory: cobalt and nickel both come from German miners blaming mine spirits for ores that didn't give copper.
The fantasy kobold is a modern creation, mostly from tabletop and video games, and has little to do with the folklore. Both are fair ground for names, as long as you know which you're using.
Real folklore names (German)
These are named spirits or types from German and Low German tradition. They are male in the sources, so I've listed them as inspiration, with a feminine twist where it is natural.
- Hinzelmann — the best-known house kobold, from a Grimm tale; a feminine twist: Hinzelmina (invented)
- Hödekin / Hodeken — "little hat", a spirit of Hildesheim
- Hütchen — "little hat" again, the same tradition
- Goldemar — a medieval kobold of the Rhineland tales
- Pumphut — a spirit linked to Bohemia, named for his large hat
- Chimmeke — a Low German house spirit
- Nickel — mine spirit; the metal took the name
- Kobalt — mine spirit; the metal took the name
- Klabautermann — the sea kobold of ships; for a girl, Klabauta (invented)
- Heinzelmännchen — the helpers of Cologne; the word is plural
- Wichtel — generic small household spirit
- Kofewalt — the room-ruling spirit of one scholar's theory
- Rübezahl — a mountain spirit of the Giant Mountains, not strictly a kobold; marked as related
- Butzemann — a household bogey in several regions; a kobold cousin
- Hauskobold — plain "house kobold" as a title, not a name
Hearth and house names (invented, folklore-flavoured)
Names that sound like the old tradition: a woman who keeps the fire and expects a bowl of milk on the step.
- Hilde — an old German name meaning "battle", common and warm
- Heide — from Adelheid, "noble"
- Wilma — from Wilhelmina
- Gretel — short for Margarete
- Greta — same root
- Berta — "bright"
- Mechthild — medieval "mighty in battle"
- Irmgard — medieval, rich-sounding
- Walburga — a saint's name, heavy and warm
- Ottilie — "prosperity in the family"
- Hedda — short Hedwig
- Frieda — "peace"
- Trude — short Gertrud
- Lotte — pet form of Charlotte
- Kunigunde — an imperial medieval name
- Zilla — invented, sounds like a hearth hiss
- Kesselin — "little kettle", invented
- Ruße — "soot", invented
- Funke — "spark"
- Aschen — "ash", invented
Mine and forge names
For the kobold who lives in the shaft: stone, metal, lamp.
- Cobalta — feminine of the metal named after the spirit
- Nickelin — a mineral name, nickeline
- Silberin — "of silver"
- Erza — from Erz, ore
- Zinna — from Zinn, tin
- Bleia — from Blei, lead
- Kupfera — from Kupfer, copper
- Schacht — "shaft", used as a name
- Stollen — "gallery", the mine tunnel
- Grubina — from Grube, pit
- Lampa — the miner's lamp
- Hammerin — the hammer
- Glimmer — the shine of mica
- Flinta — flint
- Ember — a coal in the ash
- Slag — the leftovers of the forge, a wry nickname
- Gleis — a rail, a path in the dark
- Tiefe — "depth"
- Kohle — "coal"
- Funka — a spark from a pick
Reptile-kobold names (invented, game-style)
For the small scaly kobold of fantasy, usually short, sibilant and a little clipped. All invented.
- Kesk · Ziss · Varka · Ilka · Brannit · Skiv · Sisska · Tikka · Vexa · Ruuk · Nezzi · Krix · Zarra · Orrin · Sketa · Yivva · Thessk · Mirra · Ashka · Quill
- Kora — a clipped dragon-den name
- Sneck — for a sly one
- Sparra — for a sparky one
Elegant and dark names
When the kobold is a mistress of a deep hall and not a little spirit.
- Eschenmere — ash-lake, invented
- Vesperin — evening
- Obsidia — volcanic glass
- Calderra — from caldera
- Morvane — dark and weathered
- Nacht — German "night"
- Dunkelin — German-ish "dark"
- Sorrel — a bitter leaf
- Ravenna — Italian city name, a dark favourite
- Ysolde — a legend name
- Cinder — the last of the fire
- Umbra — shadow
- Tarnish — metal losing its shine
- Vitriol — old name for sulphuric compounds
- Basalt — dark volcanic rock
Short and cute names
- Pip · Nix · Tuck · Bits · Mossy · Fennel · Wick · Nub · Ziggy · Dot
How to pick one
- Choose the species first. Folklore kobold, house helper, or dragon-den scaly? That sets the sound: long and German, or short and sharp.
- Match the job. A kobold of the hearth gets a warm name (Hilde, Frieda); a mine kobold gets a mineral (Erza, Zinna); a dragon-hoard kobold gets a clipped name (Kesk, Ilka).
- Mark the source. Real names for real spirits, invented ones for your OC. Never present an invented name as folklore.
- Say it out loud. If you can't whisper it, it won't work in audio.
If you are also building a goblin or lizard character, goblin girl names and lizard girl names cover the neighbours, and kobold vs goblin explains the difference. For more monster-girl names across species, see monster girl names. For a dragon-keeper scene, listen to Keep: Curled in the Dragon Girl's Mountain Hoard. New to the library? Start Here is the first stop.
Frequently asked questions
What does kobold mean?
Kobold is a German word for a household spirit. The word is first recorded in the 13th century, and its roots are debated: possibly "ruler of the house", possibly linked to a Greek word for rogue. Modern games use it for a small reptilian creature.
Are there real female kobolds in folklore?
The named kobolds in German tradition are mostly male. Female house and mine spirits exist under other names, so female kobold characters are mostly modern, built from the folklore role.
What is a good kobold girl name for a character?
For a folklore feel, Hilde, Frieda or Erza. For a fantasy-game kobold, short names like Kesk, Ilka or Varka. For a dark mistress, Umbra, Calderra or Obsidia.
Why are cobalt and nickel named after kobolds?
German miners blamed mine spirits for ores that looked like copper but gave none. Cobalt comes from kobold, and nickel from a related mine spirit's name, Nickel.
Is a kobold a goblin?
No. Both come from European folklore, but the kobold is a household or mine spirit, and the goblin is a mischievous creature with its own tradition. Fantasy games make them different monsters again.
Listen next
Keep reading
- Goblin Girl Names: 60 Names With Folklore Roots and Fantasy Flavour
Goblin folklore gives very few personal names, so goblin girl names are mostly built. This list takes the real sources (the word goblin, hobgoblin and - Lizard Girl Names: 60 Names for Lizardfolk, Kobold and Reptile Women
Lizard girl names are built from sound: hissing sibilants, hard stops and short syllables. This list gives 60 names for lizardfolk and reptilian monst - Monster Girl Names: Lists by Species, With Meanings
Monster girl names work best when they borrow from the species' own mythology: Greek for lamia and harpy, Japanese for kitsune and oni, Latin and Hebr