Name Generator > First Names

First Name Generator

Do you want a new name? Are you unhappy with the one you were given? Do you want to go incognito? Or are you looking to create a fictional character for writing, gaming, or forums? Either way, our first name generator can help you find something new!

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

If you have a preference about the letters and sounds you would like in your first name enter them 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:

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Creating First Names

We use a very large database that includes different name types, including ones popular today, old fashioned styles, and more unusual, romantic Celtic, biblical, and mythological styles. Whether you are looking for a change of identity because you're unhappy with the name you were given, or you're just trying to get away from the past, or whether you're looking to name a baby, or you're creating a fictional persona for forums, gaming, or creative writing, we can help! Instead of scrolling through big, confusing databases, you can just enter your surname and click a button, to see a new given name alongside your surname every time you click. You can look through random lists of names, or you can choose to select one at a time and read its meaning to see whether it's suitable for you.

About Your First Name

First or 'given' names are part of a person's full name, and are used to differentiate them from other people who bear the same surname (who will usually be members of the same family). The 'Western' order for names is given name/family name, whereas the 'Eastern' order (primarily used in many areas of East Asia, although also seen in Hungary, and some parts of India) is family name/given name. First names will usually be used by friends and family, and for informal and friendly situations, while more formal situations will see only the surname being used. They can be often be changed by choice, and they can also be changed in special circumstance – if a person ascends to royalty, they will often be given a Regal name that they will then largely be known by (for example, King George VI, who was born as Albert Frederick Arthur George Windsor, and was known publically as Albert until his accession in 1936), while joining certain religious orders will also require taking on a special religious or monastic name.

While most English names are traditionally gender-specific, there are unisex names like Jordan, Alex, Jesse, Sam, Ryan or Ash. Popular culture can now have a significant effect on naming, with names like Keira and Miley leaping suddenly to prominence in 2004 and 2007 respectively, thanks to the rise to stardom of Keira Knightley and Miley Cyrus. Other names have been actually created in works of literature – like Jessica, which first appeared in William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice, or Pamela, created by Elizabethan poet Sir Philip Sidney in his prose work The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia. (Some names are also popularised this way, such as the previously obscure name 'Wendy' which was pushed to high levels of prominence when used by J.M. Barrie in the original play of Peter Pan.)

Given names can have a wide variety of origins, and come in a number of different types. Hebrew names like 'Michael', 'Hannah', 'Joshua' or 'Mary' are often used in historically Christian countries, while a small number of names are Germanic in source ('Robert', 'Edward', 'Rosalind'), and others are French forms of Germanic names ('Charles', 'Albert', or 'Henry'). Latin and Greek are also common sources, whether it's Latin examples like 'Justin', 'Marcus' or 'Julia', or the Greek examples of 'Alexander', 'Nicholas' or 'Jason'. Often they can derive from specific nouns, especially from colours, birds or nature – 'Rose', 'Rowan', 'Jade' or 'Jasmine' – while traits can also be used as names, most traditionally Christian virtues like 'Faith', 'Hope' or 'Charity'. Whichever way a person decides to go, there remains a multitude of options for choosing something distinctive and memorable.

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