How elf names work in 5e
Elves grow into their names. A young elf carries a child name, and only on declaring adulthood, often after their first century, do they choose the adult name the rest of the world will know. That adult name is a serious decision made by someone who has had a hundred years to think about it, which is why elven names sound deliberate rather than inherited. The family name comes attached, usually a compound of Elvish words: Amakiir means Gemflower, Galanodel means Moonwhisper.
The music of Elvish
Elven names favor open vowels, soft consonants, and an unhurried rhythm: Adran, Naivara, Theirastra. The sounds L, TH, S, and V do most of the work, and harsh stops are rare. Family names in this generator follow the canon pattern of nature compounds, so you will see flowers, moons, rivers, and winds in the surnames. If you want a high elf with formal bearing, take a longer first name. Wood elves often shorten names in daily use, the way Theirastra becomes Theira around the campfire.
Choosing a name that fits a long life
When you pick from the results above, remember the name was chosen, never assigned. An elf wizard may have named herself for an ideal she chased at ninety and now regrets at four hundred. An elf who lives among humans sometimes adopts a short use-name and saves the true name for elves only, which gives a DM a lovely lever to pull. Roll ten names, then ask which one a hundred-year-old would choose on purpose.
The child name loophole
One more canon detail players rarely use: an elf who has never formally declared adulthood still goes by their child name, whatever their age. An elf adventurer pushing two hundred who refuses the ceremony, and the adult name that comes with it, is carrying visible unfinished business. It also gives the party a mystery: everyone knows the name she uses is a child's name, and nobody knows why.
Sample names from this generator's elf list: Adran, Aelar, Adrie, Althaea, with clan or family names like Amakiir and Galanodel. Roll above for the full range, and click any result to copy it.