Character Name Generator
Twelve names at a time, tuned to the kind of story you're writing. Save the ones that sound right when you say them out loud.
- Setting type…
A checklist for naming characters
- Vary first letters and lengths. Readers recognise names by shape before they read them. Give each major character a different initial.
- Match the birth year. Popular names change by decade. National records such as the US Social Security Administration's baby-name lists show which names were common in the year your character was born.
- Mind the rhythm. A short first name with a longer surname (Nell Ashdown) usually flows better than two long ones.
- Search it. Make sure your hero doesn't share a name with a celebrity, a brand or a famous character.
- Test the nickname. What would their siblings call them? What would their enemies call them?
Writing fantasy? The fantasy name generator invents names from syllables and lets you control how soft or harsh they sound.
Keep forging
Questions writers ask
How do I choose a good character name?
Say it out loud, check it fits the character's age and background, and make sure it looks different on the page from your other characters' names. Readers skim names by their first letter and length, so a cast of Mara, Maya and Mira will blur.
What do the name styles mean?
They are sound palettes for common fiction settings: modern English-language, Victorian, hard-boiled noir, science fiction and Southern Gothic. They are not meant to represent any real culture precisely.
Should names hint at personality?
Lightly. Dickens used names like Gradgrind and Scrooge to signal character, which suits comic or satirical fiction. For realistic fiction, a name that fits the character's birth year and family says more than a symbolic one.
Can I use these names in my book?
Yes. They are ordinary first names and surnames combined at random. It is worth a quick web search on your final choice to make sure it is not a well-known real person or a famous fictional character.