How the generator works
The generator starts from a list of about 500 first names that are either popular right now or long-standing classics in the UK, Ireland and the US. Each name comes with whether it is used for girls, boys or both, where it comes from, and a short note on what it means.
You narrow the list with the filters, and the generator shows ten names at a time in a random order. Press "Show other names" to see the next ten. It goes through every matching name before it shows one again, then mixes the list into a new order.
Everything happens in your browser. The names you type, including your surname and your other children's names, never leave your device.
Where the names and meanings come from
The names were chosen from the official birth statistics published each year by the Office for National Statistics for England and Wales, the Central Statistics Office in Ireland and the Social Security Administration in the US, plus classics that have stayed in use for generations.
The meanings are short summaries of what standard name dictionaries agree on. Names travel and change over centuries, so the honest answer is sometimes "we don't know for sure". When that is the case, the note says the origin is uncertain or debated instead of offering a guess dressed up as fact.
The origin filter groups names by the language their meaning comes from: Hebrew, Latin, Greek, Germanic and so on. Irish, Scottish and Welsh names are grouped as Celtic, even when, like Liam, they started life as a form of a name from elsewhere.
Using the filters
- Girls, Boys or Both: unisex names appear in all three.
- Origin: only the origins present in the list are offered.
- First letter: handy if you want to match, or avoid, a family initial.
- Length: counts letters only, so a hyphen or an accent does not count.
- Meaning contains: finds names whose meaning includes a word starting with what you type. Typing "light" finds Lucy, but not names whose meaning merely contains "delight".
- Surname: shows every suggestion as a full name, so you can see and say it whole.
- Siblings' names: their own names are never suggested, and if you tick the box, names starting with the same letter are left out too.
Tap Save next to any name to add it to your favourites below the list. You can keep up to 20.
Choosing a name together
A name is something you will both say thousands of times, so it helps to test it in real life:
- Say it out loud with your surname, at a normal pace and shouted across a playground. Watch for names that run into the surname, like a first name ending in the sound the surname starts with.
- Check the initials. First name, middle name and surname initials sometimes spell a word you would rather avoid.
- Think about nicknames. Most long names get shortened. If you would not like the short form, consider whether it will stick anyway.
- Picture the whole family. Some families like matching initials or a shared style; others want each child's name to stand on its own.
- Try it on for a week. Many parents use a shortlist name at home for a few days before deciding.
A worked example
Sam and Ari are expecting a girl and already have a son called Leo. They choose Girls, set the length to six letters at most, add their surname, Okafor, and type Leo as a sibling with the box ticked. The generator now leaves out every name starting with L. Among the suggestions are Ivy Okafor, Hazel Okafor and Edith Okafor, each with its meaning. They save three favourites and come back to the list the next evening.
Limits of this generator
The list is a starting point, not every name there is. Popularity changes every year, so check the latest national statistics if you want to know how many babies share a name. Meanings are simplified, and the same name can carry different associations in different families and cultures. The name that feels right to both of you matters more than any meaning in a dictionary.