Random name generator for characters, test data and ideas
This random name generator makes up names for you, one at a time or twenty at once. Choose how many names you want, pick female, male or any, and decide between full names or first names only. Press Generate and a fresh list slides in. Tap any name to copy it. It is free, there is no account and no app to install, and it works in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer.
It is for writers who need a character by tonight, game masters who need a shopkeeper right now, developers who need fake people for a sign-up form, and anyone curious about how a first name sounds next to a last name.
How to use the name generator
The tool reads like a sentence: “Give me 5 names”. Tap each part to change it.
- How many. Tap the number to get 1, 3, 5, 10 or 20 names at a time.
- Gender. Choose any gender, female or male. “Any gender” mixes both lists.
- Format. Choose full names (a first name and a last name) or first names only.
- Generate. Press Generate or the Space bar. A new list replaces the old one.
- Copy. Tap a name to copy it with one tap, or use Copy all to copy the whole list at once.
- Use your voice. Tap the microphone in the header and say “generate” or “again”.
Your settings are saved in your own browser, so the page remembers them next time. Nothing is sent to a server, and the tool keeps working offline once the page has loaded. The full screen button in the header shows the list big enough for a room.
Where the names come from
Names are drawn from three lists: 200 common US female first names, 200 common US male first names and 300 common US surnames. Like a real American class roster, the surnames come from many origins: English and Irish names such as Smith and Murphy, Spanish names such as Garcia and Lopez, and names such as Nguyen, Kim, Patel, Chen, Kowalski and Haddad. Full names are made by pairing a random first name with a random surname, so they are combinations, not records of anyone.
No real person is intended. Because the names are common, some combinations (a “James Smith”, for example) belong to real people somewhere. Treat any match as a coincidence.
Ideas for random names
- Characters for stories. Stuck on a name for a side character? Generate 10 and keep the one that fits the voice you hear in your head. A first name and a surname from different origins can hint at a family history.
- NPCs for tabletop games. Players always ask the innkeeper’s name. Keep a list of 20 ready before the session, or generate one at the table in a second.
- Video games and role-play. Name a new save file, a squad of recruits or a whole town of villagers.
- Test data for forms and apps. Fill sign-up forms, demo accounts and sample databases with fake people instead of real customers. The lists include names with an apostrophe (O’Brien, O’Connor) and very short surnames (Le, Li, Wu), handy for checking how your form handles them.
- Placeholders in mockups. A design that shows “Ava Castillo” and “Liam Richardson” looks more real than “User 1” and “User 2”.
- Baby name ideas. It is not a baby name book, but it is a fun way to hear names you had not thought of. Switch to first names, pick female or male and run a few rounds.
- Icebreakers. Give each player a random name and let them introduce themselves in character.
How random are the names?
Each name is drawn with your browser’s cryptographic random generator (crypto.getRandomValues), the same kind of source used for security. Every name in a list has the same chance, and each new list is independent of the last one. The table shows how many different names each setting can produce.
| Setting | First names | Possible full names |
|---|---|---|
| Female | 200 | 60,000 |
| Male | 200 | 60,000 |
| Any | 400 | 120,000 |
With female or male selected, a given first name has a 1 in 200 chance on each draw. With any, it is 1 in 400. A given surname has a 1 in 300 chance. A specific full name, such as “Olivia Martinez” with female selected, comes up about once every 60,000 draws on average.
A short history of placeholder names
Americans have long used stand-in names for people who are unknown or made up. “John Doe” and “Jane Doe” are the classic pair, used in US courts and hospitals when a person’s real name is unknown or must stay private. “John Q. Public” stands for the average citizen. Common names are common for a reason: according to the US Census Bureau, Smith was the most frequent surname in the 2010 census, and Garcia and Rodriguez were both in the top ten.
More tools for names and groups
Need to pick someone from your own list instead? Use the random name picker, or spin the wheel of names. To split a group in a few seconds, try the random team generator. And for single words to spark a story, the random word generator pairs well with a new character.