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With a rich background stretching back decades in time, the various Warhammer games contain a vast array of names (of people, places, items, and so on). Many of these names are original, but some happen to have a meaning in the real world, as obscure terms, foreign words, or cultural references. This page lists some of these underlying etymologies for your edification. Note that some of these are best guesses (speculative fan theory) rather than confirmed derivations.
Where a name is followed by the symbol ¹, if you hover over or click on that symbol you will see when that name was first mentioned in a publication.
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Astra Militarum | Latin astra, "stars" + militarium, "of soldiers". "Soldiers of the stars" should be written as astrorum militares in Latin. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard] |
| Baneblade | "Bane", cause of misery + "blade", sharp cutting edge. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Banehammer | "Bane", cause of misery + "hammer", a tool for striking. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Banesword | "Bane", cause of misery + "sword", long-bladed hand weapon. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Basilisk | Basilisk, a monster in European mythology. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Beltayn | See: Dughan Beltayn. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Tanith] |
| Borgen Crassus | Danish borgen, "the castle" + Marcus Licinius Crassus (115-53 BC), a Roman general. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard] |
| Bullgryn | "Bull", a male bovine + Ogryn. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Abhuman] |
| Cain | See: Ciaphas Cain. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Commissar] |
| Carnodon | Latin carnis, "meat" (as per Carnosauria) + Ancient Greek ὀδών, "tooth". [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Catachan | Possibly from catechin, a chemical derived from an Asian tree that is used in herbal remedies and found in tea and other foods. [WH40k SegmentumUltima System ImperialGuard] |
| Chimera | Chimera, a monster in Greek mythology. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Ciaphas Cain | Caiaphas, a Jewish high priest that plotted to kill Jesus + Cain, a character from the Bible who was the first murderer. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Commissar] |
| Colm Corbec | Colm, a name from Irish colm, "dove" + bec de corbin, a type of polearm. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Tanith] |
| Commissar | Russian комиссар ("commissar"), a political education attaché to a military unit. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Commissar] |
| Corbec | See: Colm Corbec. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Tanith] |
| Crassus | See: Borgen Crassus. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Creed | See: Ursarkar Creed. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Cadian] |
| Cuu | See: Lijah Cuu. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Tanith] |
| Cyclops | One of the Cyclopes, a group of one-eyed giants in Greek mythology. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Deathstrike | "Death", the cessation of life + "strike", hit. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Deimos | Deimos, god of dread in Greek mythology, and hence one of the moons of Mars. See also: Predator. [WH40k Imperial Chaos ImperialGuard SpaceMarine Vehicle] |
| Doomhammer | "Doom", terrible destiny + "hammer", a tool for striking. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Dughan Beltayn | Dugan, an Irish surname + Beltane, a Gaelic seasonal festival. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Tanith] |
| Gaunt | See: Ibram Gaunt. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Commissar Tanith] |
| Gorgon | Gorgon, a snake-haired monster in Greek mythology. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle SpaceMarine IronHands Tyranid HiveFleet] |
| Hades | Hades, god of the underworld in Greek mythology. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Hellhammer | Hell, the afterlife for evil souls + "hammer", a tool for striking. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Hellhound | Hellhound, a monstrous dog in various mythologies. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Hydra | Lernaean Hydra, a many-headed water monster in Greek mythology. [WHFB Elf DarkElf AoS Order Aelf WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle Tyranid HiveFleet] |
| Ibram Gaunt | Abraham (c. 2150-1975 BC), patriarch of Abrahamic religions + "gaunt", lean or haggard or bleak. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Commissar Tanith] |
| Infernus | Latin infernus, "hellish". [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard] |
| Krieg | German Krieg, "war". [WH40k SegmentumTempestus System ImperialGuard] |
| Land Raider ¹ | "Land", region of ground + "raider", one who plunders. See also: Arkhan Land, Proteus. [WH40k Imperial Chaos ImperialGuard SpaceMarine Vehicle] |
| Leman Russ ¹ | Leman, a name (might possibly reference Russian composer Albert Leman (1915-1998)) + the Rus' people whose name persists in "Russia" et al. [WH40k Imperial Primarch SpaceWolves ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Lijah Cuu | Elijah, a biblical prophet and miracle worker + Irish cú, "hound" or "hero". (Although for fun, note also the unrelated Lombard cüü, "arse".) [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Tanith] |
| Macharius | Ancient Greek μακάριος, "blessed". [WH40k Imperial HighLord ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Malcador ¹ | The Horus Heresy short story The Last Council (2018) gives us an earlier name of Brahm al-Khadour (presumably via Br. (Brother) Malcador). This may be from Brahman or Abraham + al-Khidr, an ageless wise man in Islamic tradition. [WH40k Imperial HighLord ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Manticore | Manticore, a monster in Persian mythology. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Marbo | See: Sly Marbo. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Catachan] |
| Medusa | Medusa, a snake-haired monster in Greek mythology. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard SpaceMarine Vehicle Tyranid HiveFleet] |
| Militarum Tempestus | Latin militarium, "of soldiers" + tempestas, "storm". [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard] |
| Minotaur | Minotaur, a monster in Greek mythology. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard] |
| Mkoll | See: Oan Mkoll. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Tanith] |
| Oan Mkoll | Eógan, an Irish name + McColl, an Irish/Scottish surname. Note also Ewan MacColl (1915-1989), a British folk singer-songwriter. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Tanith] |
| Officio Prefectus | Latin officio, "for the service" + praefectus, "officer". Correct Latin would be officio praefectorum. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Commissar] |
| Ogryn ¹ | Ogre, a monster in European mythology. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Abhuman] |
| Praetor | Latin praetor, "leader". [AoS Order StormcastEternal WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle AdeptusCustodes SpaceMarine] |
| Predator | "Predator", one that preys on others. See also: Deimos. [WH40k Imperial Chaos ImperialGuard SpaceMarine Vehicle] |
| Prefectus | See: Officio Prefectus. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Commissar] |
| Raine | See: Severina Raine. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Commissar] |
| Rapier | Rapier, a type of sword. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard SpaceMarine Vehicle] |
| Ratling | Rat + "-ling", small. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Abhuman] |
| Rhino | Clipping of rhinoceros. [WH40k Imperial Inquisition ImperialGuard SpaceMarine SistersofBattle AdeptusCustodes Vehicle] |
| Sentinel | "Sentinel", a guard. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Severina Raine | Severina, Roman empress from c. 270 to 275 + rain. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Commissar] |
| Shadowsword | "Shadow", relative darkness + "sword", long-bladed hand weapon. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Sly Marbo | Sly, a nickname for Sylvester Stallone (1946-) + anagram of Rambo (played in film by Stallone), a character from First Blood (1972), a novel by David Morrell. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Catachan] |
| Stormlord | "Storm", very strong wind + "lord", master of a household. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Stormsword | "Storm", very strong wind + "sword", long-bladed hand weapon. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Tarantula | Tarantula, one of a family of large spiders. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard SpaceMarine Vehicle] |
| Taurox | Latin taurus, "bull" + ox. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Tempestus | See: Militarum Tempestus. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard] |
| Thudd gun | Onomatopoeic from the sound of its projectiles. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Weapon] |
| Trojan | "Trojan", someone/something from Troy, a city-state in Greek mythology. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Ursarkar Creed | German Ursache, "cause" + "creed", religious doctrine. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Cadian] |
| Valdor | See: Constantin Valdor. [WH40k Imperial Custodes ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Valhalla | Valhalla, the halls of the dead in Norse mythology. [WH40k SegmentumUltima System ImperialGuard] |
| Valkyrie | Valkyrie, one of those who choose who dies in battle in Norse mythology. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Vostroya | Belarusian востраў, "island". [WH40k SegmentumObscurus System ImperialGuard] |
| Vulcan | Vulcan, god of fire and metalworking in Roman mythology. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Wyrdvane Psyker | Old English wyrd, "fate" + "vane", projecting panel + "psychic", one with paranormal powers. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard] |
| Wyvern | Wyvern, a monster in European mythology. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Xiphon | Ancient Greek ξίφος, "sword". [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Vehicle] |
| Yarrick | Ironic reference to Yorick, a dead court jester from Hamlet (c. 1600), a play by William Shakespeare. [WH40k Imperial ImperialGuard Commissar] |
| Inspiration | |
| Warhammer Setting | The Dark Tongue; Daemonic Names; Lexicon; Short Stories; Cut-ups; Cool Stuff |
| Art | Golden Demon; Nurglesque Music |
| Speculation | Chaos God Correspondence; Dark Heresy Backgrounds; Sevenfold Path; Sevenrot; Seven Deadly Sins |
| Real World References | Nergal in Mesopotamian History; Symbolism of Three Circles; Symbolism of Seven |
dedicated to the Grandfather of Pestilence