Name generator
Random names with lifelike frequency, plus birth dates and emails when you need test data.
What to generate
Extra fields
They go into the line and into the CSV — handy when you need test data rather than a plain list of names.
How it works
Patronymics are stored as ready forms rather than derived by rules, because rules break on the most common Russian names.
Russian female surnames are inflected properly: Ivanov becomes Ivanova, Tolstoy becomes Tolstaya. Invariable ones stay as they are.
Frequency follows real life: common surnames come up noticeably more often than rare ones.
Where it helps
What random names are for
Test data. Fill a database before a demo, check how a form behaves with a long surname or a double first name, see how a table looks with realistic records. That is what the birth date, the email and the CSV export are for.
Characters. Names for a book, a script, a board game or a classroom task. Picking from a list of twenty is easier than inventing them one by one.
Examples in documents. A sample application, a form-filling guide, a contract template — anywhere you need a neutral person instead of a real one.
Anonymisation. Replace real names in an export before handing it to a contractor or showing it at a conference.
Careful
What not to do
Do not use them in documents. A generated name in a contract or an application is either a mistake or a forgery. This tool is for examples and tests, not for real paperwork.
Do not treat the data as fictional. A match with a living person is guaranteed, so never publish such names next to addresses, phone numbers or accusations.
Do not use a real domain blindly. example.com is safe; your own domain in a test mailing can send messages to actual people if it resolves.
A note on Russian patronymics
A patronymic comes from the father’s name, so the generator draws a random male name and uses its feminine form: Olga Nikolaevna, Maria Ilyinichna. The pairing of first name and patronymic is independent, just as in life.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Where do the names come from?
From curated lists of the most common given names and surnames, ordered by real-world frequency. The Russian list additionally stores patronymics as ready forms, because rule-based derivation breaks on the most common names.
What does “lifelike frequency” mean?
With the checkbox on, the generator picks from the first fifty surnames more often. Smiths and Johnsons genuinely outnumber rarer names, and for realistic test data that matters. Turn it off and every surname becomes equally likely.
Can I use this data for testing?
That is what it is for. Emails are generated on example.com, a domain reserved by standard for documentation and examples — mail sent there goes nowhere, so you cannot accidentally spam a real person. You can replace it with your own test domain.
Will a generated name match a real person?
It certainly will, and that is unavoidable: John Smith exists in thousands of copies. Do not present such data as belonging to a specific person and do not publish it next to real addresses or phone numbers.
Why are there no patronymics in English?
English naming has no patronymic, so those formats are hidden when you switch the language. Russian keeps the full three-part name, which is what forms and databases usually expect there.
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