Random Name Generator

The tool gives you a fresh list each time you press the button. The output is one name per line, ready to paste into a spreadsheet, script or document.

1. Enter a number in How many, from 1 to 100. The default is 5.
2. Choose a Gender: Any, Female or Male. Any picks the female or male list at random for each name.
3. Leave Include surnames ticked for full names such as a first name followed by a family name, or untick it to get first names only.
4. Press Generate names. Press it again for a completely new set.
5. Use Copy to copy the whole list, or Download .txt to save it as a file.

Nothing is uploaded and nothing is stored, so the list is gone when you leave the page unless you copy it.

The generator holds three built-in lists: 50 female first names, 50 male first names and 89 surnames, all common in English-speaking countries. For each name it picks a first name from the chosen list and, if surnames are on, a surname chosen independently, using the browser's secure random source. The combinations are therefore invented, not records of real people. The numbers of possible results are small enough to matter:

The tool does not remove duplicates, and it should not, since real lists repeat. Ask for five first names with Any and there is about a one in ten chance that two match. Ask for 100 full names with Any and the chance of at least one identical pair is roughly four in ten. If you need a set with no repeats, generate extra, paste the list into the duplicate line remover and trim it to size.

Gender only changes the first name. Surnames come from one shared list, so a Female or Male setting never limits them. The Any setting is a coin toss for each name, which means a batch of ten will not always split five and five.

The lists are modern English-language names only. There are no middle names, titles, non-English names or gender-neutral list, so a cast for a story set elsewhere needs other sources.

A plausible name is often the slowest part of filling a blank form or a cast list. A few habits make the results more useful:

• Fiction. Generate a dozen, then vary the first letters and lengths so readers do not confuse characters. Keep the ones that suit the setting and discard the rest.
• Test data. Fake names avoid putting real people in a demo database. Pair them with addresses on example.com, a domain reserved for examples, and export the table with the CSV to JSON converter if your app expects JSON.
• Games and workshops. Use the list for non-player characters, seating plans or role-play personas. To choose which character acts first, the random choice picker will draw from your list.
• Online handles. Real-sounding names are not usernames. For gamer tags and account names use the random username generator.

A generated name can still match a real person by coincidence, because common combinations are shared by many people. For published work, run a quick web search before settling on a name for a character or product.

The cap of 100 per press is a practical limit, not a hidden one. Press the button again and append the new batch to your list.