Name Generator > Baby Names

Baby Name Generator

Congratulations, you're going to have a baby! What's next? Choosing a name for your baby can be a difficult and confusing task. If you're tired of wading through books and name databases and you want to take a different approach, we hope we can help you out with our baby name generator!

This name generator will return up to 20 random names with each search. You can add any last or middle names you have already chosen for your baby to see their full name displayed below. Refine your results by adding letters or parts of names you would like to have in your baby's name, by setting a minimum or maximum length, or by searching for name meanings. If you would like to limit name suggestions by type or origin, select an option from the name type dropdown.

Enter any names you have already chosen to display your baby's full name in the results:

If you have a preference about the letters and sounds you would like in your baby's name enter them here:

If you want to search for a name with a particular meaning enter it here:

Choose an optional name length:

Min Length Any 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Max Length Any 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Choose a gender:

Male Female Neutral

Choose a type of name:

Any Name Type African Names North American Indian Names Hebrew Names Middle Eastern and Islamic World Names Indian and South Asian Names South East Asian Names Polynesian and Hawaiian Names Literary and Shakespearian Names East Asian Names Germanic Names Russian and Eastern European Names French Names Nordic and Scandinavian Names Spanish and Portuguese Names Italian and Latin Names Greek Names English, Celtic, Gaelic and Irish Names Floral Baby Names Biblical Baby Names Myth and Legend Baby Names Vintage Baby Names Popular Baby Names

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Advice on Choosing Baby Names

Our baby name generator draws on a very big database of first names. Our categories include names that are popular with parents today, old fashioned or vintage names, romantic Celtic names, mythological names, biblical names, and many more. The idea behind our name generator is to allow you as a parent to choose names by seeing your baby's first name next to his or her surname, as you would in real life. Instead of having to wade through big, slow baby name websites for possible names, you can choose to see a list of random names, or get a random name and its meaning one by one, to test whether it feels right for your baby.

Choosing a name for a baby is an important and intimidating task, and it's a choice that will potentially shape your child's future in a massive number of hard-to-predict ways. As a result, there are certain things that it's worth bearing in mind when looking at possibilities for baby names.

Say Names out Loud

Make a list of potential names, and then just say them out loud, along with your surname. Almost immediately, you'll be able to cross a whole bunch of possibilities off your list.

Compare Names with Others

Especially if you've got other children, compare the names, and beware of making them too similar – Huey, Dewey and Louie might be adorable cartoon characters, but kids with those names would face a mind-boggling level of ridicule throughout their lives.

Does Your Partner Love the Name as Well?

If you're raising a child together, it's important to be on the same page, especially so you don't end up creating resentment further down the line. Each make lists, see which names appear on both – and maybe be prepared to compromise and give up on a treasured favourite if it means you can both agree on how to move forward with the name.

Does It Go with Your Surname?

The last thing you want is to accidentally create a pun or comedy name – such as 'Warren Peace' – so check each possibility with your surname and see how they sound.

Avoid Rhymes or Similarities

Anything like 'Harry Barry' or 'Shelly Dellie' should be avoided, as they're way too open to mockery – while also make sure that the name fits with your surname without fitting too closely, ending up with something like 'Dave Davies' or 'Robert Roberts'.

Don't Go Too Popular

How much do you want your child to blend in with the crowd? Names like Harry, Jack or George are still extremely popular, but they're also very common – your child could end up with multiple schoolmates with the same name. Also, be careful of going for the name of a well-known celebrity, unless you want your child (and yourself) to be constantly asked whether they're named after the person in question.

Beware Unfortunate Connotations

Don't go for a name that might remind you of something difficult from your past, whether it's an ex or a school bully, and also think about all the potential things your child might get teased over, especially what combinations or shortened versions of the name might sound like (Hint: if your surname is 'Hunt', you'll be helping your son out a lot if you don't call him 'Michael' or 'Mike').

Check the Name's Meaning

Especially if you're going for a more unusual name, make extra sure that the original meaning of the word isn't something that will come back to haunt your child – like 'Candida' (which is a fungus that can sometimes cause thrush) or 'Melanomia' (a type of skin cancer).

Imagine the Name on an Adult

Your child isn't going to be an adorable bundle of joy forever. Giving him or her a cute name like 'Boo', 'Zizi' or 'Kitty' might not be ideal for them in twenty five years time when they're applying for jobs or trying to build a career as the toughest litigator in town.

Be Careful of Spelling

Going for an unusual name can make a child distinctive – but you don't necessarily want to ensure that your child is going to have to be correcting spelling or pronunciation for the rest of their life. Check with other family members or friends, see how easily they can pronounce or spell the name, and if the result is confusion, a rethink may well be in order.

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