Random name generator Random baby names
A random start for the name search
Choosing a name from a book of thousands is hard because you do not know what you like until you see it. A random draw helps in a different way. You see a name you did not think of, and your first reaction, a smile or a wince, tells you about your taste. The names are real: they come from the US Social Security Administration's counts of babies born from 2010 to 2024, and each one was given to at least 500 children.
The page starts with Any, so girls' and boys' names are mixed, and a small tag on each card tells you which. Draw ten at a time, copy the ones you like and look at them again the next day. The draw starts on Popular, for names friends will recognize; switch to Less common if you want something you will not hear three times at the playground.
Before a name goes on the shortlist, test it. Say it out loud with the surname, write the initials to see what they spell, and think of the nicknames other children might make. Try it for a baby, a teenager and an adult. The final choice belongs to the parents, and a random generator only helps you start the conversation.
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Building a shortlist with the generator
- Press Generate a first name a few times, or set How many to 20 for a batch. Each card shows the name and whether it is a girl's or a boy's.
- Open Options to pick Girl, Boy or Any, and Popular or Less common.
- Press Copy to save the names you like in a note, or look in History for one you passed by.
- Try your top picks with the surname: say them, write the initials and think about nicknames before you decide.
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Questions about baby names
Where do the names come from?
From the Social Security Administration's baby name counts for births in the United States between 2010 and 2024. A name appears only if at least 500 babies of that sex received it in those years.
Will it show names with their meaning?
No. The page gives the name and whether it was counted for girls or boys. For the origin of a name that you like, look it up in a name dictionary.
How do I check a name before choosing?
Say it with the surname, write the initials, and think about nicknames and teasing. Ask what it sounds like at a doctor's office and in a school roll call.
Can I get names from another country?
Open Options and choose another country in the list, such as the United Kingdom, to get names from its own statistics. The first draw on this page uses the United States.
Is the generator meant to make the final choice?
No. It gives ideas, and the decision is the parents'. Treat the draw as a way to find names you did not consider.
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Other ready-made name generators
- American namesFirst names from US birth records, surnames from the Census.
- British namesFirst names from the baby name statistics of England and Wales.
- Last names onlySurnames from the US Census or four other countries on the list.
- Random girl namesReal girls' first names from US birth records
- Random boy namesReal boys' first names from US birth records
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