Baby Name Generator

Press Generate for random baby names with their origin and meaning. Choose girl, boy or unisex, narrow by origin from Hebrew and Irish to Japanese and Sanskrit, pick a first letter or length, and type your surname to hear each name as a whole.

12 names Press Space to generate
Name for a
Length
How many

How to use the baby name generator

  1. Choose girl, boy or unisex. Any shows all three groups together. Unisex lists names that are commonly given to both boys and girls.
  2. Narrow by origin, letter or length. An origin such as Irish or Japanese keeps the list to that culture. A starting letter helps with initials or sibling names, and length separates short names from longer ones. The line under the buttons tells you how many names match.
  3. Type your surname. Every suggestion is shown with it, so you can hear how first name and surname sound together before you fall for a name.
  4. Press Generate. Each name appears with its origin and meaning. Tap the heart to add it to your shortlist, tap a name to copy it, or press the Space bar for another set.

Where the 576 names come from

The list is hand-picked from 16 origins. The counts below are worked out from the list itself, so they always match what the generator can show.

OriginGirlBoyUnisexTotalExample
Hebrew1525545Hannah: grace or favor
Greek1719339Sophia: wisdom
Latin2319042Stella: star
Germanic1722140Matilda: mighty in battle
English21191050Hazel: the hazel tree
Irish1518235Aoife: beauty or radiance
Scottish612523Isla: named after the island of Islay
Welsh1211124Gwen: white or blessed
French1112023Colette: victory of the people
Spanish1619237Isabella: God is my oath
Italian1420034Chiara: clear or bright
Scandinavian1218030Freya: noble lady
Arabic1720037Amira: princess
Sanskrit2024347Asha: hope
Japanese1615637Sakura: cherry blossom
African1613433Zuri: beautiful (Swahili)
All origins24828642576

Origin shows the language or culture a name is most closely tied to. Names travel, so a few could sit under more than one origin. Meanings are the widely cited ones, and many names have more than one proposed meaning. Japanese names change meaning with the characters a family chooses, so treat those as common examples. Names from African cultures mark the language in brackets.

Worked examples

Press "Load this example" to set the options and generate straight away. Every press gives a fresh set of names.

Short and classic for a girl

Names of three or four letters, easy to spell and quick to say.

Girl / any origin / short / 12 names

Irish boy names

Names rooted in Gaelic, from Liam and Finn to less common choices.

Boy / Irish / any length / 12 names

Unisex names starting with A

A small, flexible pool that works for any child, with a shared first initial.

Unisex / any origin / starts with A / 6 names

Hear the name with your surname

Six names of any kind, each shown with the surname Carter so you can judge the rhythm.

Any / any origin / surname: Carter / 6 names

How to choose a name you will not regret

Say the full name aloud, many times. You will say it every day for years. Add your surname above and read each result as a sentence, such as "Dinner is ready, Matilda Carter". Watch for first names that end with the sound your surname starts with, which can blur the two together.

Check the initials. Write the initials down. Most are fine, but a few spell words you would rather not see on a school bag.

Think about nicknames. Children and friends shorten names whatever you intend. If you dislike the obvious short form, you may not love the name.

Consider spelling and pronunciation. A name with two common spellings, or a sound many people mispronounce, means explaining it for life. That is not a reason to rule it out, only something to weigh.

Look at meaning and culture with care. A meaning is a nice extra, not a rule. If you choose a name from a culture that is not your own, read about how it is used there and how it is said before you decide.

Use the shortlist as a conversation. Generate a few batches each, heart the names you like, then compare lists. Wherever both lists overlap is the place to start. If you are still stuck between two, the wheel of names can make the final call.

How the names are chosen

The generator first narrows the list to the names that match your filters, then picks from them with crypto.getRandomValues, the secure random source built into your browser. Each matching name has the same chance of appearing, and names are shuffled with a method that does not favour the top or bottom of the list. Names inside one batch never repeat.

There is no popularity ranking. A rare name is as likely to come up as a common one, which is useful when you want ideas you have not already heard. If fewer names match than you asked for, the page shows every match and tells you so.

Your surname and your shortlist stay on this page. Nothing is sent or stored, and closing the tab clears them.

Baby name generator questions

Can I choose names that start with a certain letter?

Yes. Pick a starting letter, and you can also set a length, a gender group or an origin. Every suggestion follows your filters, and the line under the buttons shows how many names match.

Does it include unisex names?

Yes. Choose Unisex to see names commonly given to both boys and girls, or Any to see girl, boy and unisex names together.

Can I see where a name comes from and what it means?

Yes. Each suggestion shows its gender group, its origin, such as Hebrew, Irish or Japanese, and a short meaning.

How reliable are the meanings?

They are the widely cited ones, but many names have more than one proposed meaning. Japanese names change meaning with the characters a family chooses, so confirm the details if a meaning matters to you.

How can I hear a name with our surname?

Type your surname into the optional field and every suggestion is shown as a full name. Say a few aloud to hear how the first name and surname flow.

Can I save names to share with my partner?

Tap the heart on a name to add it to your shortlist, then press Copy shortlist and send the text. The shortlist stays on the page only, so copy it before you close the tab.

Are the names ranked by popularity?

No. Names are picked at random from everything that matches your choices, so a rare name is as likely to appear as a common one.

How many names are in the list?

There are 576 names from 16 origins: 248 girl names, 286 boy names and 42 unisex names. A name only appears under one gender group, so a few names that suit both are placed in the group they are most often used for.

Can I choose a name from a culture that is not mine?

Many families do. Read about how the name is used and said first, and ask someone from that culture if you are unsure about meaning or pronunciation.