[cantripca]

I was thinking of introducing a rather young dragon as a key npc in my game, one born early in the Sixth Age, but I am having a little trouble coming up with a name that doesn't sound...pedestrian. How would a Great Dragon name a child, or do they?

[FastJack]

Ooh, tricky stuff. Before I head off to bed, check Dragons of the Sixth World and The Clutch of Dragons. I'm not sure of what may be in there right now (because I'm flippin' tired), but I'll be sure to check in the morning.

[FastJack]

The main takeaway is that Dragons name themselves, and may choose that name when they reach adolescence (about 200 years). Up until then, they are remain near their Caregiver and don't stray more than 4 days walking (by metahuman standards) from that lair. I can't remember off the top of my head who's the current caregiver. (Like I said, I'm flippin' tired).

[cantripca]

Thanks to you both for your replies.

I am guessing Hatchlings are given a milk name, something meaningless until they chose a name upon becoming or as part of becoming an adult. 

[FastJack]

Well, it goes beyond that. Hatchlings look like winged serpents with stubby hindlegs and no forelimbs. It's not until adulthood that they go through a "molting" process where they transform into the dragons that everyone sees in the world. Which is why they don't stray from their caregiver unless it's for the utmost importance.

[Beta]

Cantripca, perhaps if you want a 'young' dragon, it would be better to have one that passed the 5th age stuck in hatchling form (lacking enough magic to transform into an adult, but sustained by the magic in its caregiver's lair), or else one that transformed into an adult late in the 4th world, having just enough time to desperately prepare a cairn for surviving the low magic years and not much else?

Also, of note based on what I can recall from various books, dragons take after not who laid their egg, but who cared for the egg, and that eggs can take a looooong time to hatch.  But even as hatchling they have a fair bit of knowledge, having been in communication with their caregiver while in the egg.

And a final note: not all dragons hatched at the same time.  For example, in the 5e ShadowRun Missions (set in Chicago in the latter 2070s) there is a dragon that was found while still in hibernation (ending rather tragically for the dragon in question).  Now Chicago might be a special case, but it would be feasible that a dragon didn't return to the world until fairly recently, if that is of any help to you.