The civilization of Ancient Egypt has enthralled the Western world ever since Napoleon’s forays down the Nile brought it to the attention of European scholars. Part of that was the indecipherable hieroglyphics that covered its temples, tombs, and monuments. Not until the 1850s were these translated into English, using cross-translations from the Rosetta Stone. In this way, much of the modern world’s knowledge of ancient Egypt came to light.
When speaking of the language, it exists in two forms: the written and the spoken. The written language did not use vowels, so what the actual spoken language sounded like is up for grabs. Experts think it was similar in sound to Amharic or the Egyptian Coptic language, but no one knows for sure.
Egyptian proper names, as in Hebrew, meant something. Tutankhamun, for example, meant “the living image of Amun” Amun being the Egyptian creator god. The language likely drifted over the centuries with proper names staying the same, so it likely wasn’t as clunky as one might think. Context is everything; in modern English, a child named Grace or Max isn’t mistake for the normal use of the word. Egyptian names are cool enough by themselves so I decided to present a selection here instead of a randomgen, which really wasn’t needed.
These names are picked from a variety of periods, so should not be jumbled together if what you’re writing is meant to be a historically accurate depiction of ancient Egypt. For a fantasy or gaming use, though, they’re fine.
Ancient Egyptian Names
| Female
Aat Ahmoset Amenia Artakama Behenu Bintanath Hetepheres Khensa Kiya Menwi Meritamun Merti Nebetia Nebetta Nofret Pyhia Satiah Seshmetka Tasherit Tetisheri Tiaa Tyti |
Male
Ahedjib Djedi Harkhuf Intef Isesu Kawab Khui Maathor Minkhaf Minnefer Muthis Neferku Perneb Psatik Rahotep Raneb Seneh Sihathor Snaaib Userkaf Wahtya Wetka |
