Random Username Generator

A few settings shape the kind of handle you get, and every press of the button produces a new batch.

1. Enter a number in How many, from 1 to 100. The default is 5.
2. Pick a Style: Adjective + noun, Name + number, Gamer tag or Professional.
3. Leave Add numbers ticked to put digits in the name, or untick it for letters only.
4. Set the Maximum length, from 4 to 30 characters. The default is 16. Match it to the limit on the site you are joining.
5. Choose a Separator: None, Underscore or Dot.
6. Press Generate usernames. The names appear one per line, and Copy copies the whole list while Download .txt saves it.

Each style joins words from built-in lists of 40 adjectives, 40 nouns, 100 first names and 89 surnames. The patterns are fixed, which makes them easy to predict:

The examples are illustrations of the pattern, not fixed outputs. The Maximum length setting is applied at the end by cutting the name to size, and a separator left dangling at the cut is removed. The separator is placed between the two parts of the name in every style, so choosing Underscore turns swiftfox into swift_fox, and choosing Dot gives swift.fox. Choose None if the site rejects punctuation. That cut takes the numbers first: electric_falcon482 is 18 characters, so at a limit of 16 it becomes electric_falcon4. If a trimmed name looks odd, raise the limit or generate again. Within one batch the tool skips names it has already produced, but with a very tight limit it may return fewer than you asked for.

The generator cannot know whether a name is free on a given site, so treat every result as an idea to test. A few points save time:

• Check each platform's rules. Character sets and length limits differ between services and change over time. Some allow only letters, numbers and underscores, and some cap names at 15 or 30 characters. The sign-up form usually reports a problem as soon as you type.
• Count before you commit. Paste a favourite into the character counter if you need to confirm its length against a limit.
• Keep personal details out. A birth year, hometown or full real name in a handle helps anyone guessing passwords or security answers. A random number is safer than a meaningful one.
• Separate accounts, separate handles. Using one name everywhere lets people link your professional, personal and anonymous profiles.
• Pair each handle with its own password. The strong password generator makes one that is never reused.

For a name that reads like a person rather than a handle, use the random name generator, and for a decorative version of a favourite, paste it into the fancy name generator. Remember that styled characters are usually rejected in the username field itself.

Shorter handles around 6 to 12 characters are easier to say aloud and to type on a phone, but they are also the first to be taken. Generate a batch of 20, shortlist three, and check each on the real sign-up page before you decide.