Random Name Generator

How this name generator works

You need a name, or a list of them. Maybe you are naming a character, looking for baby name ideas, setting up a game, or filling test data with realistic names. This tool gives you a first name in a tap, and the page below covers what is in the list and how people use it.

It runs on a hand-checked list of just over a thousand first names, cleaned up by hand. It is a deliberately broad mix: familiar, common names alongside more unusual, modern, and unisex ones, drawn from a range of backgrounds. Press Generate for one, or set the Number box from 1 to 100 for a batch with no repeats. Each name comes back with a capital letter.

The three filters let you aim at something specific:

• Starts with: a single letter to get only names beginning with it.
• Contains: a few letters to get only names with that string inside.
• Ends with: a single letter to get only names ending with it.

Combine them if you want. If nothing matches, the tool says so, and the Copy button lifts the whole list at once.

What is in the list

The list is not just the top ten from last year. Alongside the everyday names you would expect, Emma, Liam, Sofia, Noah, there is a big helping of the less common: modern coinages, nature names like River, Willow, and Ocean, unisex names like Riley, Jordan, and Sage, and names from many languages and cultures. The idea is variety. If you are naming a cast of characters, or hunting for something that does not sound like everyone else, a broad list gives you far more to work with than a run of the usual favourites.

Ways people use random names

• Naming characters. For a story, a game, a screenplay, or a role-playing campaign, a random name is a fast way to fill a cast without every character sounding the same.
• Baby name ideas. Not a substitute for a proper think, but a good way to surface options you had not considered.
• Usernames and handles. A first name, maybe paired with a number or a word, makes a quick starting point.
• Placeholder and test data. When you are building something and need realistic names in a form or a mockup, this beats typing "John Smith" fifty times.

A bit about how names change

Names move in and out of fashion in a way most of us never notice. The most popular baby names shift year to year, shaped by film, music, and the wider culture, which is why the top names of today feel different from those of a generation ago. In the United States, the Social Security Administration has tracked name popularity from birth applications going back to 1880, and it shows some clear trends: a long, slow rise in unisex names, for one, with a name like Charlie now sitting near the top of the gender-neutral list. This tool's mix of traditional and modern names is a small nod to that range.

Getting more from the filters

• Use the Starts with box to find a name beginning with a particular letter, handy if you want it to match a surname or a theme.
• Use the Contains box to chase a sound or ending you like, names with "lyn" in them, say.
• If a filter returns fewer than you asked for, the list does not hold that many under that rule. Loosen it.

Questions people ask

Are these first names or full names?

First names only. If you need a full name, pair a result with a surname of your choosing.

Are they boys' or girls' names?

Both, plus a good number of unisex names that suit anyone. The list is not split by gender.

Can I use this to name a baby?

You can certainly use it for ideas. Just give any name you are serious about a proper look, its meaning, and how it sounds with your surname, before deciding.

Can I use these names for a character or a game?

Yes, that is one of the most popular uses. A random name is a quick way to fill a story or a game with a varied cast.

References

1. Social Security Administration, Popular Baby Names