Character Name Generator
Full names for fantasy, sci-fi, modern and historical stories — 432+ first names and 275+ surnames, each with its meaning.
Genre
Gender
39,744 possible results · no repeats until you've seen them all
Pick your filters (or leave them on All) and press Generate.
- Cyrus Everard · Historical · male
- Taliesin Wycliffe · Fantasy / Historical · male
- Hypatia Sforza · Historical · female
Names that fit the world of your story
A good name tells the reader where a character comes from before they say a word. This character name generator keeps genres apart — a sci-fi pilot gets a name that sounds like the future, a Victorian clerk gets one from the period — and shows the meaning of every first name and surname so you can hide a clue in plain sight.
Four genres
- Fantasy — invented names with an old, mythic ring, and surnames of places and crafts.
- Sci-fi — sleek, technical and cross-cultural names for colonists, captains and AIs.
- Modern — real names from dozens of cultures, as you would meet them today.
- Historical — names common in earlier centuries, from medieval Europe to the 1800s.
A quick naming checklist
- Match the name to the character's birth year and family, not just their personality.
- Give each main character a different first letter and rhythm.
- Check the meaning — then decide whether irony or a hint works better.
- Search the full name once so you don't accidentally name a famous person.
Naming a real baby rather than a character? Browse cowboy, country and Southern names with meanings in the Western baby name generator.
Need dozens of ordinary, modern names for background characters or test data? The fake name generator makes up to 100 at once by country, with optional profiles.
Stuck on the story itself? Try the writing prompt generator, or build a complete cast with the random character generator.
Examples
Three genres, four names each, straight from the generator:
Fantasy
- Jareth HawkridgeFantasy · maleJareth — invented — evokes a charming goblin king · Hawkridge — English: ridge where hawks fly
- Kaelen LightbringerFantasy · maleKaelen — invented — evokes wind across highlands · Lightbringer — invented — evokes a hero who ends darkness
- Myrrine CrowhurstFantasy / Historical · femaleMyrrine — Greek: myrtle · Crowhurst — English: wooded hill of crows
- Phoenix PendragonSci-fi / Fantasy · neutralPhoenix — Greek: dark red, the mythical firebird · Pendragon — Welsh: chief dragon
Sci-fi
- Cassia WexlerSci-fi / Fantasy · femaleCassia — Latin: cinnamon tree · Wexler — German: money changer
- Anya SolariSci-fi / Modern · femaleAnya — Russian: grace · Solari — Italian: sunny
- Altair HaleSci-fi · maleAltair — Arabic: the flier, a bright star · Hale — English: nook, hollow
- Ada IronwoodSci-fi / Modern / Historical · femaleAda — Germanic: noble · Ironwood — English: very hard wood
Historical
- Eleanor PenhallowHistorical · femaleEleanor — Provençal: possibly the other Aenor · Penhallow — Cornish: head of the moor
- Isolde BoleynFantasy / Historical · femaleIsolde — Celtic: possibly fair one · Boleyn — English: possibly from Boulogne
- Hypatia RadcliffeHistorical · femaleHypatia — Greek: highest, supreme · Radcliffe — English: red cliff
- Benedict WhitlockHistorical · maleBenedict — Latin: blessed · Whitlock — English: white-haired
Frequently asked questions
How does the character name generator work?
Choose a genre (fantasy, sci-fi, modern or historical) and, if you like, a gender, then press Generate. You get full names — a first name and a surname from the same genre — with the meaning of both parts. There are 432+ first names, and none repeats until you've seen them all.
Are the names real?
Modern and historical names are real names with their real origins and meanings, drawn from many cultures. Fantasy and sci-fi names are original inventions; their notes explain what each name is meant to evoke rather than claiming a fake etymology.
How do I pick the right name for a character?
Think about the character's parents, era and place — names are chosen by families, not authors. Vary the first letters and syllable counts across your cast so readers never confuse two characters, and say the name aloud in a line of dialogue.
Can I generate gender-neutral names?
Yes. Choose Gender-neutral to get names used for any gender, such as Rowan, Quinn or Sasha, or leave all genders on for a mix.
I need more than a name — can it build the whole character?
Use the random character generator: it adds an occupation, personality, a distinctive look, a motivation, a secret, a quirk and a flaw to every name.
Related tools: Random character generator · Random Marvel character generator · Writing prompt generator · Writing topic generator · Last name generator · Fake name generator · Japanese name generator
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