All of the dragon names from House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones, ranked

There are so many dragons in House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones. And let's be honest: not every dragon name is created equal. Some are just better, more elegant, or more descriptive. Some names roll off the tongue while others weigh it down. Some names fit the dragon while others hang around them, bunching in all the wrong areas.

To find the best dragon name, I ranked every dragon that we've met (or will meet) in House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones.

So what makes a good dragon name? To me, there are a few things. There has to be some element of fear, of course. Dragons are terrifying. It's also important to have some level of style and creativity, or a charming lack thereof.

Let's get the rankings started:

26, 25 and 24. Shrykos, Vermax and Tessarion

These three dragons are named after the Old Gods of Valyria, the ancestral homeland of House Targaryen. Overall, there are about a dozen dragons named after the Valyrian Gods and Goddesses. Unfortunately, some names just sound better, cooler, and more fearsome than others. 

Vermax is a great dragon; I’m sure. Vermax has served Prince Jacaerys Velaryon faithfully. My only problem is the name is giving Carmax. Who is afraid of a dragon with a name that sounds like Carmax? Not me. Carvana, maybe, but not Carmax.

Tessarion, the dragon ridden Alicent Hightower's son Daeron Targaryen, is an okay name for a bad, bad dragon. Her nickname is the Blue Queen, and that’s a far better name than “Tessarion.”

As for Shrykos, a baby dragon residing in the Dragonpit whom we haven't yet met on House of the Dragon, their name sounds like an as-yet-undiscovered Greek island.

23. Morning

Morning isn’t a bad name for a dragon, especially when most of the non-Targaryen or god-inspired names are kind of violent. Morning, who is born late in the Dance of the Dragons civil war, represents hope that the Targaryen dynasty may recover from the beating it takes during the conflict. Unfortunately, she one of the last dragons, and never gets the chance to thrive.

22 and 21. Viserion and Rhaegal

Viserion and Rhaegal were two of Daenerys Targaryen's dragons on Game of Thrones. I love them as dragons, but I’m just not a huge fan of their names. One, they don’t ignite fear in the hearts of enemies. In 2024, Viserion sounds more like a company that sells eyedrops, while Rhaegeal is nearly a cinema chain.

I understand what Daenerys was doing with these names, paying homage to her brothers Rhaegar and Viserys, but I don’t love the monikers. That’s all.

20 and 19. Silverwing and Quicksilver

Silverwing and Quicksilver are pretty poor names for dragons, in my opinion. One is just the color of the dragon plus a body part that all dragons have. The other is a speed description plus a color. I don’t know. These names are too lazy to be good, but not lazy enough to be funny.

Silverwing was once ridden by Queen Alysanne Targaryen, and was taken up by Ulf the White on House of the Dragon. Quicksilver was ridden by King Aenys I Targaryen and later by his son Aegon, one of many Targaryen princes to bear that name. Quicksilver was killed many years before the events of House of the Dragon.

18, 17 and 16. The Cannibal, Sheepstealer and Stormcloud

I actually love these dragon names, but they’re not “cool” necessarily. The Cannibal, a wild dragon who lives on the volcanic island of Dragonstone, definitely incites some fear, but it’s also a dragon, so I’m thinking that other dragons probably have more to worry about than I do.

Sheepstealer, the dragon ridden by Rhaena Targaryen on the show, is hilarious! Of course, the dragon steals sheep. He’s hungry! Stormcloud, a baby dragon bonded to Rhaenyra's young son Aegon III, is a solid name, but it sounds more like a nickname than an actual name.

15, 14 and 13. Grey Ghost, Moondancer and Seasmoke

From here on out, all we have is great dragon names!

I grouped these three dragon names together because they’re easily the best of the we-just-came-up-with-these-names dragons. Grey Ghost, another wild dragon living on Dragonstone, sounds terrifying! It’s so much better than Quicksilver. You know you have to be afraid of Grey Ghost.

Moondancer, the dragon ridden by Baela Targaryen, doesn’t incite that same fear, but it is very descriptive. The name also paints a nice picture in your mind. The same can be said for Seasmoke, the dragon currently ridden by Addam of Hull. Where there’s smoke there’s fire, and we know dragons breathe fire. The sea is also a huge setting and vibe in House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones. Seasmoke is just a great name!

12 and 11. Arrax and Meraxes

Arrax and Meraxes are two good names for dragons. They just missed out on a spot in the Top 10, and I paired them together because they sound pretty similar. Like several other dragons, they’re both named after Old Gods of Valyria. Arrax was the God of laws and rules. Arrax the dragon was chomped to bits along with his rider Luke in the season 1 finale of House of the Dragon, since the much larger dragon Vhagar cares not for rules.

Meraxes, on the other hand, is named after the the God of the sky. It's so close to being one of the great dragon names, but there are just a few that are better. Meraxes was ridden by Queen Rhaenys Targaryen, sister of Aegon the Conqueror, during the Targaryen takeover of Westeros.

10. Vermithor

It was a close call, but Vermithor ranks No. 10 on the list of dragon names. It’s a Top 10 name! Vermithor was first ridden by King Jaehaerys I Targaryen and has since been claimed by Targaryen bastard and peasant Hugh Hammer. He's one of the few dragons big enough to take on Vhagar.

Vermithor is just a great name for a dragon. It commands respect, and that’s just what this dragon does. Vermithor is also named after a Valyrian God, as well.

9. Morghul

We don’t know that much about Morghul, but we do know that Morghul means “death” in Valyrian, so yeah, this is a Top 10 dragon name in House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones. Morghul is another young dragon living in the Dragonpit in King's Landing.

8. Vhagar

Vhagar is named after the Valyrian Goddess of War, which totally makes sense. Somebody knew what they were doing when they named this monstrous creature.

When we get to know her in House of the Dragon, Vhagar is Prince Aemond Targaryen’s dragon. Vhagar is probably the most terrifying dragon because of her size, strength, and cunning; she's the oldest and biggest dragon alive, having been ridden by Visenya Targaryen back during the time of Aegon's Conquest.

So far in House of the Dragon, we’ve seen Vhagar take down two smaller, faster dragons in Arrax and Meleys. Ultimately, I don’t love the name Vhagar that much, but there’s no doubt this dragon is a beast.

7. Caraxes

Caraxes just sounds like a ferocious name for a dragon. When you remember Caraxes is ridden by the unpredictable and dangerous Daemon Targaryen, it just makes sense. We have two peas in a pod here, folks. Caraxes’ nickname is also Blood Wyrm, which is so bada**. Caraxes is named after the Valyrian God of the sea. 

6. Sunfyre

It doesn’t get much better than Sunfyre. We all know the fire-breathing abilities are the most fearsome trait of dragons. Nothing's hotter than the sun, so “Sunfyre” is a great name. I also dig the “Y” instead of the “I.” My name’s Bryce, not Brice, after all.

Let's hope Sunfyre, the dragon ridden by King Aegon Targaryen, pulls through after getting injured at the Battle of Rook's Rest.

5. Dreamfyre 

As I just mentioned, I’m a big fan of any plays on the word “fyre” in a dragon name. Dreamfyre gets the top spot of over Sunfyre because it’s more abstract. We all know the sun is hot, so Sunfyre is a hot name. But Dreamfyre? That’s a bad, bad name. You don’t know what a dragon called Dreamfyre is about to do!

Dreamfyre is ridden by King Aegon's sister-wife Helaena Targaryen, although we havne't seen much of her on the show.

4. Meleys

I don’t know why Meleys is such a great name for a dragon, but it is! It’s subtle compared to all dragons with “x” and “r” sounds, so it flows a little better. Her nickname is the Red Queen because of her nose-to-toes red scales. Meleys died along with her rider Rhaenys Targaryen at the Battle of Rook's Rest.

3. Drogon 

Drogon is the funniest possible name for a dragon. I’m fully aware that Daenerys Targaryen named one of her three dragons after her husband, Khal Drogo, but she literally just changed one letter in the word “dragon” to get to “Drogon.” It’s like naming a dog, “Dug.” It’s great!

2. Syrax

I love Syrax! It’s such a great name for a dragon. There’s something about the ‘S’ and ‘Y’ combo at the beginning that rolls off the tongue. You know Syrax means business. She’s Queen Rhaenyra’s dragon.

Syrax is named after a Valyrian goddess. I’m not one to go against the gods and goddesses.

1. Balerion the Black Dread

Balerion is the coolest name for a dragon. He’s a baller. That’s what his name stands for, I think. Then, you add “the Black Dread?” Fuggetaboudit! Balerion the Black Dread is a vibe in and of itself.

The original King Aegon I’s dragon was covered in black scales and breathed black fire. I don’t have to say more to prove that Balerion the Black Dread is the coolest dragon in House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones, even though he died many years before either of those shows began.

I didn’t even mention that Balerion is named after the Valyrian God of Death. Add it all together, and you have the coolest dragon name in the Seven Kingdoms.

That's the ranking of dragon names from House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones. Let us know your favorites in the comments!

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