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Dothraki Baby and Pet Names: Real Words You Can Actually Name Something

6 min read1143 wordsBy Tengwar Editorial

Quick Answer: Real Dothraki words make good baby or pet names when they're short and end in a vowel — chek (good), thelis (beautiful), zheana (beautiful, an alternate LLD form), vezh (stallion/great leader), and zhokwa (strong) are the most name-like. This list is vocabulary-based, not the Game of Thrones character-name list you'll find elsewhere on this site.

If you searched "Dothraki names" hoping for something you could actually name a baby or a pet — rather than a list of Game of Thrones characters like Drogo, Irri, and Qotho — you're in the right place. Our character-name guide covers the show's cast. This one is different: it's a curated list of real Dothraki common nouns and adjectives, sourced from David J. Peterson's published vocabulary, that work phonetically and semantically as names for a real child or a real animal.

Every word below is cross-checked against Peterson's canon Dothraki vocabulary — no invented words, no fan coinages passed off as official.


Baby Names

Dothraki adjectives and short nouns tend to be two syllables and end in a vowel, which is exactly the shape most parents look for in a name. Here are the most usable ones, with the trait or meaning behind each.

Chek

Pronunciation: chek Meaning: good, well. The word Dothraki riders use to answer "how are you" (Hash yer dothrae chek?, "are you riding well?"). Works as: a short, upbeat unisex name or a strong middle name.

Thelis

Pronunciation: THEH-lis Meaning: beautiful. Works as: a girl's name — reads naturally next to names like Alexis or Iris.

Zheana

Pronunciation: zhee-AH-na Meaning: beautiful (an alternate adjective, attested in Living Language Dothraki alongside thelis). Works as: a girl's name that sounds close to existing names like Xiana or Ziana.

Savvenikh

Pronunciation: sah-VEH-nikh Meaning: brave, courageous. Works as: too long for a first name as-is, but shortens naturally to Savva — usable for any gender.

Haj

Pronunciation: hahzh Meaning: strong (Living Language Dothraki). Works as: a one-syllable boy's name or middle name, similar in weight to names like Jax.

Zhorre

Pronunciation: ZHOR-eh Meaning: sweet, beloved — the word behind Daenerys's poetic phrase athdrivar zhorre ("the death that is love"). Works as: a girl's name with real romantic meaning behind it.

Fithik

Pronunciation: FI-thik Meaning: young. Works as: unusual as a first name but works well as a meaningful middle name for a firstborn.

Melar

Pronunciation: MEH-lar Meaning: friend. Works as: a gender-neutral name — the plural melari also works as a sibling-set naming theme.

Davrak

Pronunciation: DAV-rak Meaning: useful, good (Living Language Dothraki). Works as: a boy's name, close in sound to real names like Davis or Derek.


Pet Names

"M'athchomaroon" — want to actually speak Dothraki?

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Dothraki culture is built entirely around horses, so it's an unusually good source of pet names — especially for horses, dogs, and cats.

Vezh — for a horse or a large dog

Meaning: stallion, used metaphorically for a great leader ("stallion who mounts the world"). A strong, one-syllable name that fits any powerful-breed pet.

Hrazef — for a horse

Meaning: the general Dothraki word for horse. Using the literal word as a name is a real naming pattern in many languages — think of a dog literally named "Rex" (king). Works especially well if you want something on-theme without borrowing a show character's name.

Zhokwa — for a strong or large pet

Meaning: strong, powerful. Works well for a big dog breed — a mastiff, a shepherd, a Great Dane.

Chafak — for a fast pet

Meaning: fast, swift. A natural fit for a greyhound, a whippet, or a fast cat.

Loy — for a red or orange-coated pet

Meaning: red. Short and punchy — good for a ginger cat or a red-coated dog like a vizsla or Irish setter.

Gwe — for a small or delicate pet

Meaning: flower. A soft, pretty option for a small dog or cat.

Dik — for a fast or energetic pet

Meaning: fast, quick (Living Language Dothraki). One syllable, easy to call across a yard.


A note on using Dothraki words as names

Dothraki is a constructed language David J. Peterson built for HBO's Game of Thrones specifically so it could be spoken, studied, and — inevitably — borrowed by fans. That's a meaningfully different situation from naming something after a word in a living human language tied to a real culture, where meaning and pronunciation carry more weight. Still, it's worth getting both right before committing to a name (or a tattoo, or a birth certificate) — every word above lists the pronunciation and confirms it's attested Dothraki vocabulary, not a made-up fan word passed off as canon.

If you want to double-check a word yourself, or find more options, our full Dothraki dictionary of common words and 50 common Dothraki words cover the full published vocabulary by category.


People Also Ask

Can you name a baby after a Dothraki word instead of a character? Yes. Instead of borrowing a Game of Thrones character name like Drogo or Irri, you can use a genuine Dothraki common noun or adjective as a given name — the same way English speakers use words like Grace, Faith, or Rose. Short, vowel-ending Dothraki words like chek (good), thelis (beautiful), or zheana (beautiful) work well phonetically as first names.

What is a good Dothraki name for a horse? Vezh (stallion, used metaphorically for a great leader) and hrazef (the general Dothraki word for horse) both work well. Zhokwa (strong, powerful) and chafak (fast, swift) are also strong choices since they're descriptive adjectives Dothraki riders would actually use for a horse.

What is a good Dothraki name for a dog? Zhokwa (strong) and dik (fast, quick, from Living Language Dothraki) both work as short, punchy dog names. Melar (friend) is a gentler option that reflects the meaning rather than a physical trait.

Is it disrespectful to use Dothraki words as names? No more than using words from any constructed language for personal or pet naming — Dothraki was built by David J. Peterson specifically to be used by fans, unlike a living human language tied to a real culture. As with any name choice, it's worth double-checking pronunciation and meaning first, which is what this guide is for.


Related Reading


Learn Dothraki with Tengwar

Tengwar offers free Dothraki lessons in a Duolingo-style format — the only mainstream platform teaching Dothraki, Elvish, and Klingon together. Start free →. Want to see if you remember these words? Try the AI-generated Tengwar Quiz on Dothraki vocabulary.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can you name a baby after a Dothraki word instead of a character?

Yes. Instead of borrowing a Game of Thrones character name like Drogo or Irri, you can use a genuine Dothraki common noun or adjective as a given name — the same way English speakers use words like Grace, Faith, or Rose. Short, vowel-ending Dothraki words like chek (good), thelis (beautiful), or zheana (beautiful) work well phonetically as first names.

What is a good Dothraki name for a horse?

Vezh (stallion, used metaphorically for a great leader) and hrazef (the general Dothraki word for horse) both work well. Zhokwa (strong, powerful) and chafak (fast, swift) are also strong choices since they're descriptive adjectives Dothraki riders would actually use for a horse.

What is a good Dothraki name for a dog?

Zhokwa (strong) and dik (fast, quick, from Living Language Dothraki) both work as short, punchy dog names. Melar (friend) is a gentler option that reflects the meaning rather than a physical trait.

Is it disrespectful to use Dothraki words as names?

No more than using words from any constructed language for personal or pet naming — Dothraki was built by David J. Peterson specifically to be used by fans, unlike a living human language tied to a real culture. As with any name choice, it's worth double-checking pronunciation and meaning first, which is what this guide is for.

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