[ Models | Lore | Sources | Inspiration ]
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 |
|---|---|
| Canoptek ¹ | Blend of "Canopic" (as in Canopic jar, used to store organs extracted during mummification) and "tech" (technology). [WH40k Necron] |
| Chronomancer | Ancient Greek χρόνος, "time" + "-mancer", practitioner of magic. [WH40k Necron] |
| Chronometron ¹ | "Chronometer", a device for measuring time. [WH40k Necron Weapon] |
| Cryptek ¹ | Blend of "crypt" (underground vault) + "tech" (technology). Also "cryptic", mysterious. [WH40k Necron] |
| Dolmen Gate ¹ | Dolmen, a type of megalithic tomb dating to around 4000 to 3000 BCE. [WH40k Necron] |
| Gauss ¹ | Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855), a mathematician and physicist. [WH40k Necron Weapon] |
| Gheden ¹ | Possibly from Gede, the family of spirits representing death in Haitian Vodou. [WH40k System Necron NihilakhDynasty] |
| Immortal | The Immortals, a group of elite heavy infantry in the army of the Achaemenid Empire. [WH40k Necron] |
| Imotekh the Stormlord ¹ | Blend of Imhotep (an Ancient Egyptian chancellor) and "tech" (technology). [WH40k Necron SautekhDynasty] |
| Lokhust | Locust, an all-devouring swarming insect. [WH40k Necron] |
| Lychguard | "Lich", a corpse + "guard", one who watches over something. [WH40k Necron] |
| Mandragora ¹ | Mandragora, the genus of plants from which the mandrake root comes. [WH40k System Necron SautekhDynasty] |
| Moebius ¹ | August Ferdinand Möbius (1790-1868), German mathematician especially known for the Möbius strip. [WH40k System Necron NekthystDynasty] |
| Necron ¹ | Ancient Greek νεκρόν, "dead". [WH40k Necron] |
| Nemesor ¹ | Nemesis, goddess of retribution in Greek mythology. [WH40k Necron] |
| Noctilith | Latin noctis, "of the night" + Ancient Greek λίθος, "stone". [WH40k Necron] |
| Obyron ¹ | Oberon, king of the fairies in European mythology. [WH40k Necron SautekhDynasty] |
| Ophydian | "Ophidian", snake. [WH40k Necron] |
| Orikan the Diviner ¹ | Blend of "oracle" (one who prophesies) and "can" (a cylindrical metal container). [WH40k Necron SautekhDynasty] |
| Phaeron ¹ | Pharaoh, the title of a king of Ancient Egypt. [WH40k Necron] |
| Praetorian | Latin praetor, "leader". [WH40k Necron] |
| Psychomancer | Ancient Greek ψυχή, "soul" + "-mancer", practitioner of magic. [WH40k Necron] |
| Scarab ¹ | Scarab, an Ancient Egyptian amulet. [WH40k Necron] |
| Sempiternal Weave ¹ | Blend of Latin semper ("always") and "eternal" (unending). [WH40k Necron Armour] |
| Seraptek | Seraph, a class of angel in Judaic mythology + "tech". [WH40k Necron Vehicle] |
| Skorpekh | Scorpion. [WH40k Necron] |
| Solemnace ¹ | "Solemn", sombre, grave. [WH40k System Necron] |
| Spyder | Blend of "spy" (one who secretly observes) and spider. [WH40k Necron] |
| Szarekh ¹ | Possibly from Sarek, an alien character from the Star Trek TV series, first appearing in the 1967 episode "Journey to Babel". [WH40k Necron SzarekhanDynasty] |
| Tesla ¹ | Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), an inventor and futurist. [WH40k Necron Weapon] |
| Tesseract Vault | "Tesseract", a four-dimensional analogue of a cube + "vault", secure room. [WH40k Necron Vehicle] |
| Thanatos ¹ | Ancient Greek θάνατος, "death". [WH40k System Necron OruscarDynasty] |
| Trazyn the Infinite ¹ | "Treason", betrayal + "infinite", unending. [WH40k Necron NihilakhDynasty] |
| Triarch ¹ | "Triarch", one of three rulers in a triumvirate. [WH40k Necron Vehicle] |
| Vargard Obyron | See: Obyron. [WH40k Necron SautekhDynasty] |
| Voltaic Staff ¹ | Alessandro Volta (1745-1827), a physicist and chemist that pioneered work in electricity. [WH40k Necron Weapon] |
| 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 Chaos God of Plagues