Baby Name Generator

Pick gender (male or female), pick a style (classic, modern or unique), optionally pick a starting letter, then tap through one name at a time hitting Like or Skip. Each style has 15 names, so a single (gender, style) combination gives you up to 15 to consider; the Like list grows as you go and shows the meaning underneath each saved name. The classic boys' list is full of James, William, Benjamin, Henry, Charles; modern leans into Liam, Noah, Oliver, Elijah; unique pulls from Atlas, Phoenix, Sage, Silas, Orion.

Couples disagree faster on names than on almost any other parenting decision. The fastest way to find common ground is to do separate runs: each partner picks the same gender and style, builds their own Like list, then meets in the middle and looks for the overlap. If your overlap is zero on the first pass (which is normal), swap styles and try again. Two passes through classic and modern usually surfaces 3 to 5 names that survive the cut from both sides.

Classic names (James, William, Mary, Elizabeth) are the safest in professional contexts decades down the line and tend to age extremely well, but they are also the most popular, so expect 1 to 2 other Jameses in primary school. Modern names (Liam, Sophia, Olivia) are the current peak; they sound fresh now but are rapidly becoming the new classics, with Olivia in the UK top 5 every year since 2016. Unique names (Atlas, Phoenix, Aurora) stand out and most have rich meanings ("bearer of the heavens", "reborn", "dawn"), but expect a lifetime of spelling clarifications.

If you swing both ways and want a foot in two camps, give a classic first name and a unique middle (or the other way round). "Eleanor Phoenix" or "James Atlas" lets the child pick what they introduce themselves as in school, university and work. A surprising number of "Phoenix" middles end up on professional CVs as just an initial.

Once you have liked at least one name, the Download Shortlist button generates a JPG you can text to a partner or print and stick on the fridge. Each saved name appears with its meaning where the generator has it (James as "supplanter", Mary as "of the sea", Aurora as "dawn"). The image is gendered in colour: blue for boys, pink for girls. If you want to compare across genders or sift by origin, switch to the [baby name explorer](/baby-name-explorer) which has 500 plus names and origin filters.

Edge case: surnames matter. A 3-syllable first name with a 4-syllable surname is a mouthful in every register call for the next 80 years. Read your shortlist out loud with the surname before committing to anything. The [baby due date countdown](/baby-due-date-countdown) helps with the timing of all this; most parents nail the name in trimester 2.