Last Name Generator​

Coming up with a first name for your characters is one thing—and it turns out last names take just as much thought and creativity! Hopefully, you’ll find what you need in our last name generator, but if you need a few more pointers, here are some tips on creating and researching last names.

Look up popular last names in phone books or baby name lists. You don’t have to create last names from scratch—not when there are so many sources of inspiration to help you find names in the real world, from the popular to the obscure and from all over the world. Scour a phone book, if you have one, or check out a list of baby names to get yourself started.

You can also look in other books and works of fiction for last name inspiration. While you probably don’t want to copy last names letter for letter, you can definitely use the names you find as a jumping-off point (or even just change a few letters around).

Find last names with an appropriate meaning. You can also look for surnames based on their meaning—both to ensure the name matches your character’s personality or origins and to ensure the name you choose isn’t offensive in another language.

Consider your character’s personality, and then compare their core traits with surname meanings. If a character is bold and brave, you might want to pick a last name with a similar meaning. For example, the Germanic surname “Ehlert” is made from the elements “agil” (edge, point of a sword) and “hard” or “ward” (brave, hardy, guard). So, “Ehlert” might be a fitting surname for your bold and brave character!

Use places or occupations to make a last name.
You’ve probably come across common last names like “Smith” or “Carpenter” (Sabrina Carpenter, anybody?). Well, those surnames are based on occupations—blacksmithing and carpentry, respectively. So, ask yourself if your character’s occupation (or their family’s in the past) could define their surname. Alternatively, could the place in which they live (or, again, the place their family is from) affect their surname? Both are variables to consider!

Consider the setting or period your character lives in. You have a little more freedom if the character lives in a totally fictional, made-up setting—but even then, the culture and naming conventions might have roots in real-world languages and cultures. So, think about where your character lives, the language they speak, and their ethnicity, if applicable. Does their surname fit the setting, as well as the time period?

For example, a character living in Victorian England would have a different surname compared to a character living in Renaissance-era Italy! So, plan accordingly when you’re choosing a surname.

Make an anagram from other names.
Take a more popular or common surname (or even one of the surnames from this generator) and play around with the letters. See if you can rearrange them into a last name you like even better!

Make sure the last and first names fit together well. Write the first and last names down, and say them out loud—to make sure they both look good on paper and slide off the tongue nicely. When you’re satisfied with the name as a whole, you can feel more confident about your decision; you’re less likely to end up second-guessing yourself later on!