How to use the random name generator
This tool makes random first names, last names and full names for characters, mock data, forms and classroom exercises. Everything happens in your browser: no names are sent anywhere.
- How many: type a number from 1 to 500.
- Gender: Any picks male or female at random for each name, or choose Male or Female. It is greyed out for Last only because surnames have no gender.
- Origin: American, British, Irish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese or Indian. Mixed origins picks one origin per name, so a name never mixes cultures.
- Format: First Last, First only, Last only, Last, First (handy for sorting in a spreadsheet) or First M. Last, which adds a random middle initial.
- Allow repeated names: off by default, so every line in a list is different. Turn it on if you need a long list drawn from a small pool.
- Press Generate names, then use Copy all or Download .txt. Changing any option also makes a new list.
How the names are chosen
Each name is one random first name plus one random surname from the same origin, so Spanish first names are paired with Spanish surnames (with accents, as in JosĂ© GarcĂa) and Japanese names are paired with Japanese surnames. The American and British lists follow the most common given names and surnames published in sources such as the Social Security Administration baby names and the Census Bureau surname list. Japanese names are shown given name first, the English-language order, although Japan writes the family name first.
Worked example
The page opens on a fixed sample so you can check the settings. With 10 names, Any gender, American and First Last, the list starts with Logan Edwards, William Hughes, Sara Kelly. Press Generate names for a fresh list. Switch Format to Last, First and a name such as Logan Edwards appears as Edwards, Logan.
Limits and edge cases
- The most you can make in one run is 500. A bigger number is capped and the status line says so. Blank, zero, negative and decimal entries show an error instead of a list.
- Lists are unique by default. Every origin has at least 1,960 different first-and-last pairs per gender (Indian, the smallest), and American has about 10,000, but a first-name-only list is limited to the size of the pool.
- The names are real names combined at random. They are not suitable for creating fake identities or getting past identity checks.
- To pick a winner or a team from names you already have, use the random name picker. For whole records with emails and addresses, try the fake data generator, and for handles use the username generator.
Frequently asked questions
Are these names of real people?
No. Each result pairs a common first name with a common surname at random, so a result can match a real person by chance, but nothing is taken from a record of real individuals.
Can I use the generated names in a book, a game or a test database?
Yes. Common names cannot be owned, so they are fine for characters, mock data, classroom exercises and demos. If a full name could be a famous person, change it before you publish.
Why did I get fewer names than I asked for?
With Allow repeated names off, a list of first names only or last names only cannot be longer than the list it draws from. American first names top out at 204 and American last names at 100. Tick the box to allow repeats.
How do I get more than 500 names?
Generate 500, copy them, then generate again. Every run is a fresh random draw, and names are only guaranteed to be different from each other within one run.