When an island is not enough, go for a continent. You can pack a continent full of cities and kingdoms, or have one supreme empire rule the whole thing. A fantasy world is not complete without at least one continent to build it upon.
And why stop there? Adding a few undiscovered continents can bring some mystery and adventure to a fantasy world.
Still, a fantasy world should have a developed “home” continent. Naming this continent can define it as a comfortable base of operations or a lethal maelstrom of monsters.
Good Continent Names
The best continent names have something to say. They will remind your audience of real-world places and conjure up related imagery. Pick a name that evokes the same aesthetic as your continent.
- Iwate
- Akita
- Lanark
- Avon
- Turingen
- Luton
- Keynes
- Stafford
- Bayern
Torbay
Humans, elves, dwarves, and all races come together in this cultural melting pot. Cities are overflowing with citizens and markets are sprawls of colourful cloth and exotic smells.
- Antrim
- Kincardine
- Lothian
- Akita
- Pembrok
- Hessen
- Palatinate
- Toyama
- Kassel
Miyagi
Under the shadow of a lone mountain, this continent oftens devolves into civil war between proud families of nobles. Their warriors follow a strict code of honor to maintain the semblance of order even as they squabble.
- Selkirk
- Lippe
- Reuss
- Kanagawa
- Soke
- Pyrmond
Ancient Continent Names
Some continents are older than others, and the oldest have long histories and storied pasts. These continents are often home to incredible technological and magical advancements.
- Cyrenae
- Lycia
- Bospora
- Pamphylia
- Illyricum
- Achaia
- Petrea
- Lusitania
Raetia
This continent is densely wooded and filled with highlands. The native warriors know every back route so that they can ambush invaders without suffering even a single man dead.
- Moesia
- Cappadocia
- Noricum
- Cillicia
- Pontus
- Commagene
- Nova
Pheonice
A desert might not seem like a prosperous place, but this continent is just that. The trading hubs along the desert’s edge are packed full of rich foods and richer merchants.
- Aureliana
- Laterculus
- Dacia
- Oecumene
Elven Continent Names
Elves settle on continents with strong natural magic which they can tap into. With their long lifespans, elves have lots of time to leave their mark on the land, and their continents grow to resemble them in grace and mystery.
- Peltas
- Enethor
- Harduin
- Caradlad
- Nimtas
- Anathrad
- Morsari
- Pelduin
Thysalen
Covered by the deep Goragon Jungles, the elves of this continent live in complex treehouses. Intricate machines use the tropical storms for power, making food processing and metalworking much simpler.
- Lithuin
- Melitaur
- Analin
- Elsum
- Torcalen
- Neldorlad
Delain
Formed of a hundred perfectly flat islands, nobody knows how this continent was made. Academics of the resident elves theorize it must have come from a god hand-shaping the islands out of clay.
- Avallone
- Eldamar
- Forlond
- Sirion
Dwarven Continent Names
A dwarf continent would not be complete without sprawling mountain ranges and rich mineral resources. While on the surface these continents look almost uninhabited, underground lies a dense web of tunnels and dwarven cities.
- Thovur
- Durgion
- Ragor
- Givli
- Karnuhim
- Anor
- Ragrur
- Durram
Thorgor
One massive mountain rising out of the ocean marks this continent. Beneath it in a series of natural caves, cities have formed as a way to defend against the monsters of the earth.
- Rundan
- Therntorm
- Gumoldur
- Thorum
- Badihr
- Valoldur
- Lodur
Nandaral
The land of this continent is home to super-rich iron, leading the local craftspeople to forge impenetrable armor. This has created an unending peace on the continent as wars have become futile.
- Dulur
- Khegtorum
- Guruhm
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