Random Name Generator

Names are absolutely everywhere—you just might need a few pointers on where to look. That’s what we’re here for! Check out these additional tips on finding fun, interesting, creative, and random names:

Flip to a random page in a baby name book.
Before the internet, baby books had all the best ideas—and plenty of them still do! Check out a baby name book (from the library, if you don’t own one or want to buy one) and see what names you can find there. Open the book to a random page just to see what’s there, and keep doing that until you have a list of random names you like.

Grab a novel, dictionary, or phone book. Or, better yet, all three! Novels often have several different character names you can borrow (or tweak and use). And, while you might not think a dictionary is a great source for names, it really can be—you can find interesting virtue names there, like “Journey,” “Melody,” “Pax,” “Amity,” or “Merit.”

Meanwhile, if you don’t have a phone book (since they aren’t as common anymore), flip through a directory at your local library! You can find tons of names in a phone book or directory, both popular ones and names you’ve never seen before.

And, for that extra dose of “random,” you could open your novel, dictionary, or book to a random page without looking, or close your eyes and put your finger down on the page, then see what name you landed on.

Check the most popular baby names for a given year.
Plenty of institutions track the popularity of names by year or decade, including the US Social Security Administration (SSA). If you want to see which names are really flourishing—or had a surge in popularity at some point over the last century or so—check out popular baby names at https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/decades/ .

Look for variations of names you like. Maybe you’ve seen a few names you like in this generator, but you’re unsure if they’re absolutely what you want. Fair enough—so try researching any variants of those names! Often, a name will have different spellings or pronunciations, especially across different cultures or languages.

For example, “Mary” in English is usually translated as “Maria” in Spanish, “Miryam” in Hebrew, “Marja” in Dutch, and “Máire” in Irish (among other translations). You might find a variant you love even more than the original version!

Explore names from iconic movies and TV shows.
This can be especially fun if you’re looking for character names—then, you can look at names from films and shows of the same genre and incorporate one into your work as a nod to another character you love! You also don’t have to use the exact same name that appears in a movie or show; you can change the spelling, look for variants, or run a search for similar names (or names with the same meaning).

Look up names with root meanings. Many names are associated with a root meaning, often cultural (Latin, Greek, Hebrew, or Sanskrit, for example). Do a little research on the root meanings of different names and see if any feel especially relevant or relatable.

For example, if you’re creating a character with fire-based powers, you might pick a name with fiery roots—like “Nuria,” which means “luminous” and “bright” in Arabic. If you’re writing a deadly and dangerous character with a dark personality, you could use a name like “Deineira” (which means “destroyer” in Greek) or “Maveth” (which means “death” in Hebrew).

You can use names and their root meanings to paint a picture of your characters in readers’ heads!

Reverse a first and last name.
Take a name that’s traditionally a first name and one that’s traditionally a surname (from this generator, if you like) and flip them—so the first name becomes the surname and vice versa. Doing this can turn a common, run-of-the-mill name into something that sounds more unique and memorable! For example, a name like “Frank Bowman” sounds pretty standard, but if you swap it around, the name “Bowman Frank” is definitely more unusual.

Deconstruct syllables and string them together. This is a fun exercise that can give you a whole list of new and unique names! First, come up with several real names you like or want to use in this exercise—from male, female, and gender-neutral names to names of cities, countries, or even different animals.

Then, break up each word into syllables. If you want to organize them, you can group them by starting syllables, middle syllables, and end syllables.

Pick anywhere from 1 to 4 syllables (or select them at random) and string them together to make a brand-new name. Voila! Before long, you’ll have a collection of original names to choose from.

Create an anagram. First, pick a word or phrase to use for the anagram. If you’re thinking of a character name, for example, you might use a phrase that references your character’s personality or some aspect of their story. Then, rearrange the letters in your phrase of choice to create a new name (just a first name or a first and last name—whatever you prefer). Anagrams can be a creative way to invent new names with a special meaning only you know about!