Few things define the landscape of fantasy worlds quite like mountains. These natural barriers divide nations and biomes, helping create diverse regions in your world. For such important features, a good name is crucial.
A mountain range is hard to miss, so the people in your world will likely use mountains to help navigate. Make sure the name you choose is one that feels natural to say, as people would not pick a difficult name if they have to say it aloud often.
Good Mountain Names
The name of a mountain usually comes from one of two places: a descriptive name given by the locals, or a name taken after some famous explorer or mountaineer who first charted it. In a fantasy world, native magical creatures could also give their name to a mountain.
- Makalu
- Kamet
- Cayambe
- Antisana
- Misti
- Laila
- Ruiz
- Rakaposhi
- Barwa
Molameng
On the surface, this mountain looks perfectly natural. However, it is an artificial shell created by gnome tinkerers that hides their secret workshop. The mountaintop can fold outward as an escape route.
- Kangri
- Muztagh
- Reo
- Ultar
- Manna
- Tengri
- Coropuna
- Alpamayo
Pumori
Also called the Golden Peak, the glacial rivers dribbling down this mountain are famous for holding gold nuggets. Fortune seekers regularly brave the icy winds of the mountain to try their luck fishing for gold.
- Latok
- Annapurna
- Kangto
- Machapuchare
- Koyo
- Zom
- Nuptse
- Incahuasi
Cerro
Along the sides of this mountain run bristle-like fir trees sticking out at right angles to the rock. In truth, these are former treants which were petrified during the Night of Lightning and who now watch over their old home.
- Kongde
- Aracar
- Manaslu
Dwarven Mountain Names
Mountains and dwarves are synonymous. It is rare to find a dwarf outside their mountain home, and even rarer to find a mountain without a network of dwarf tunnels running through it. As the first settlers of these mountains, dwarves often get first pick for the name.
- Rotnar
- Muirnom
- Raenmora
- Bagron
- Dearbera
- Thartharm
- Regbrek
- Karnora
Fardrom
Being named after an archaic dwarven word for “Shield,” this mountain divides the dwarven holds from the goblin tribes to the east. Thanks to intricate watchtowers, the dwarves have yet to be surprised by a goblin raid.
- Doldir
- Maevdora
- Thalren
- Garnar
- Thogrun
- Karra
- Malkam
- Daergus
- Tishdora
Raggarn
The Ragged Claw scratches at the sky from the peak of this mountain. The Claw appears to be stone, but is attached to the hand of a great dragon who was buried in the mountain by dwarf mages long before written history.
- Edthiel
- Dulmir
- Baerryn
- Lassdeth
- Branmera
- Gwanlinn
- Ketsora
- Ingthiel
Lesdryn
Nobody walks the halls of this mountain kingdom anymore, save the bravest of adventurers. After the collapse of the dwarven paladin order, predatory beasts made of chalk and ash have made their home inside the mountain.
- Ketnia
- Gerlynn
- Maevrielle
Mountain Range Names
While single, lonely mountains are not uncommon, the vast majority of mountains in a fantasy world are in ranges. Where continents meet, the earth is forced together and mountain ranges burst out of the ground, creating massive walls of stone.
- Illiniza
- Sabalan
- Jimara
- Puncak
- Mandala
- Arragats
- Tatakooti
- Augusta
Khazret
This range, also called The Crown of the World, encircles the entire continent, keeping all invaders out but also keeping the natives in. It has become a rite of passage to try and inevitably fail to cross beyond the mountain range.
- Toluca
- Kholeno
- Alam
- Crestone
- Kamchatka
- Shavano
- Janga
- Wrangell
Minto
A comparatively small mountain range made of large slabs of chocolate brown rock. Legend says that when the skies open and dragons attack, the mountains will wake and march to defend the world with their fists of stone.
- Culebra
- Bayeux
- Galeras
- Sopka
- Wetterhorn
- Castor
Gannett
Somewhere in this mountain range is The Jade Mountain, a legendary peak made entirely of green gemstones. While many explorers have tried, nobody has ever found it, or at least has never returned home afterward if they did.
- Straihorn
- Mela
- Parnassus
- Bangeta
- Acatenango
- Latsga
Did you enjoy this guide? Let us know what you thought in the comments below, and share with a friend if you liked it. Mountains are majestic and mysterious, and by finding a fitting name you can make them a stand-out part of your fantasy world.
