[ 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 |
|---|---|
| Bjorn the Fell-Handed | Old Norse bjǫrn, "bear". [WH40k Imperial SpaceMarine SpaceWolves] |
| Blackmane | See: Ragnar Blackmane. [WH40k Imperial SpaceMarine SpaceWolves] |
| Canis Wolfborn | Latin canis, "dog" + wolf + "born", having come into being. [WH40k Imperial SpaceMarine SpaceWolves] |
| Erik Morkai | Erik the Red (c. 950-1003), a Norse explorer + Old Norse mǫrk, "forest". [WH40k Imperial SpaceMarine SpaceWolves] |
| Fenris | Fenrir, a monstrous wolf in Norse mythology. [WH40k SegmentumObscurus FenrisSector System SpaceWolves] |
| Krom | Crom Cruach, a god in Irish mythology. [WH40k Imperial SpaceMarine SpaceWolves] |
| 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] |
| Lukas the Trickster | Loki, trickster god in Norse mythology. [WH40k Imperial SpaceMarine SpaceWolves] |
| Mjalnar | Mjölnir, the hammer of Thor, god of thunder in Norse mythology. [WH40k SegmentumObscurus FenrisSector FenrisSystem SpaceWolves Starship] |
| Mjod | Old Norse mjǫðr, "mead". [WH40k SpaceWolves] |
| Morkai | See: Erik Morkai. [WH40k Imperial SpaceMarine SpaceWolves] |
| Njal Stormcaller | Njáll Þorgeirsson (10th/11th century), a very wise man, a protagonist in the Icelandic text Njáls saga. [WH40k Imperial SpaceMarine SpaceWolves] |
| Ragnar Blackmane | Ragnar Lodbrok (9th century), a legendary Viking hero. [WH40k Imperial SpaceMarine SpaceWolves] |
| Russ | See: Leman Russ. [WH40k Imperial Primarch SpaceWolves] |
| Wolfborn | See: Canis Wolfborn. [WH40k Imperial SpaceMarine SpaceWolves] |
| Wulfen | Middle English wulf, "wolf". [WH40k Imperial SpaceMarine SpaceWolves] |
| 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 Great God Nurgle