Invention Name Generator

One press names a made-up gadget from a real prefix, an everyday thing and an ending, with its job.

Invention Name Generator: 20 invention names

The Aqua-Doghouse-Graph: it dries one dish every hour, on the hour

Padlock: keep a part. Arrows: change only that part.

  • PrefixAqua-
  • DeviceDoghouse
  • Ending-Graph
  • What it doesdries one dish every hour, on the hour
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Every invention name you make is kept here, newest first, up to the last 20. The list stays in this browser.

    Invention Name of the day

     

    1. The Dynamo-Earmuff-Phone: it tells you when the bath is exactly warm enough
    2. The Photo-Teakettle-Phone: it rakes the leaves into the shape of a leaf
    3. The Phono-Kite-Graph: it levels every shelf in the house
    4. The Iso-Sled-Plus: it stamps the date in every book you borrow
    5. The Hypno-Jigsaw-Bot: it turns the page when you sigh
    6. The Semi-Breadbox-Bot: it coils the extension cord without a tangle
    7. The Micro-Pillow-Phone: it turns the page when you sigh
    8. The Mega-Dishpan-Mobile: it reminds the cat it has been fed
    9. The Mono-Calendar-Bot: it carries the umbrella so your hands are free
    10. The Xylo-Teakettle-o-Matic: it squeezes the toothpaste from the bottom, every time
    11. The Luni-Pickle-Phone: it walks the wheelbarrow home by itself
    12. The Baro-Bedpost-Mobile: it stacks the dishes by color
    13. The Phono-Notepad-Bot: it winds the clocks on Sunday night
    14. The Neo-Dishpan-Mate: it carries the umbrella so your hands are free
    15. The Auto-Calendar-Plus: it tucks in the corners of the blanket
    16. The Dynamo-Notepad-3000: it stirs the soup and hums in tune
    17. The Anemo-Eraser-o-Matic: it announces when the mail arrives
    18. The Multi-Shoehorn-Bot: it rolls marbles back from under the couch
    19. The Iso-Lunchbox-Phone: it turns off the light you left on
    20. The Helio-Lunchpail-Graph: it flips pancakes with a small fanfare

    Next step See a real inventionName the robot that runs it

    How it works

    This invention name generator builds a name for a made-up gadget, for a story's inventor or a school invention project: a real prefix, an everyday thing, an ending and a job, as in "The Pneumo-Bookmark-3000: it ties shoelaces, slowly".

    Read the full guide

    Four parts, one gadget

    Press New invention name. Tap a part to lock it, then press again: keep the thing and try prefixes on it, or keep the job and look for the name that fits. It works as a random invention name generator for a whole class: print twenty and hand them out.

    The prefixes mean something

    Hydro- is water, Pneumo- air, Tele- over a distance. The list under the tool gives the meaning of every prefix and where nine of the endings come from, so The Geo-Broom-Scope can be explained as well as said.

    Questions and answers

    How do you come up with a name for an invention?

    This page joins a word part that says how the thing works, such as Thermo- for heat, to an everyday thing, then adds an ending such as -Scope or -Tron and one small job. Press until a name fits your gadget.

    What does -o-matic mean?

    English Wiktionary gives -o-matic as a back-formation from the word automatic. On a gadget name it suggests a machine that does the job by itself.

    Can I use one of these names for a real product?

    This page cannot tell you whether a name is free to use or to register. The names are made up for stories, games and school projects, and nothing here has been checked against real products or trademarks.

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    Prefix: all 51 prefixes

    A 5

    • Aero- Air or aircraft. From the Ancient Greek for air.
    • Anemo- Wind. From the Ancient Greek for wind.
    • Aqua- Water. From Latin aqua.
    • Astro- Stars, planets and space. From the Ancient Greek for a celestial body.
    • Auto- Self. From Ancient Greek.

    B 1

    • Baro- Pressure or weight. From the Ancient Greek for weight.
    Show all 51 prefixes (45 more)

    C 4

    • Chromo- Color. From the Ancient Greek for color.
    • Chrono- Time. From Ancient Greek chronos.
    • Cryo- Cold, freezing. From the Ancient Greek for icy cold.
    • Cyclo- Circle, circular. From the word cycle.

    D 1

    • Dynamo- Power. From the Ancient Greek for power.

    G 2

    • Geo- Earth. From the Ancient Greek for earth.
    • Gyro- Circular or spinning motion. From the Ancient Greek for circle.

    H 5

    • Helio- The sun. From Ancient Greek helios, sun.
    • Hemi- Half. From Ancient Greek.
    • Hydro- Water. From Ancient Greek.
    • Hygro- Moisture. From the Ancient Greek for wet.
    • Hypno- Sleep. From the Ancient Greek for sleep.

    I 1

    • Iso- Equal, the same. From the Ancient Greek for equal.

    K 1

    • Kineto- Motion, movement. Compare kinetic.

    L 1

    • Luni- Moon. From Latin luna.

    M 6

    • Maxi- A larger than usual version. Back-formed from maximum.
    • Mega- Very large. From the Ancient Greek for great.
    • Micro- Very small. From Ancient Greek.
    • Mini- A smaller than usual version. Shortened from miniature.
    • Mono- One, single. From the Ancient Greek for alone.
    • Multi- Many. From Latin multus.

    N 1

    • Neo- New. From the Ancient Greek for new.

    O 2

    • Omni- All. From Latin omnis.
    • Oneiro- Dream. From the Ancient Greek for dream.

    P 7

    • Pan- All. From Ancient Greek.
    • Phono- Sound. From the Ancient Greek for voice or sound.
    • Photo- Light. From the Ancient Greek for light.
    • Pluvio- Rain. From Latin pluvius.
    • Pneumo- Air, and also the lungs. From the Ancient Greek for a lung.
    • Poly- Many. From the Ancient Greek for many.
    • Pyro- Fire, heat. From the Ancient Greek for fire.

    R 3

    • Retro- Back or backward. From Latin retro.
    • Robo- Robot, robotic. From the word robot.
    • Roto- Rotation.

    S 4

    • Seismo- Earthquakes. From the Ancient Greek for earthquake.
    • Semi- Half. From Latin.
    • Somni- Sleep.
    • Sono- Sound. From Latin sonus.

    T 4

    • Tachy- Fast. From the Ancient Greek for swift.
    • Tele- Over a distance. From the Ancient Greek for far off.
    • Thermo- Heat. From the Ancient Greek for warm.
    • Turbo- Formed from turbine; also souped-up.

    U 2

    • Ultra- Beyond. From Latin ultra.
    • Uni- One, single. From Latin unus, one.

    X 1

    • Xylo- Wood. From the Ancient Greek for wood.

    How this list was compiled: 51 real combining forms of English. Own selection; each line follows the definition and etymology of the form's entry in English Wiktionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/, CC BY-SA 4.0), read on 2026-10-03. A line names a language only where the entry does. Vibro- was cut on a second reading. Licence: own selection; meanings from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

    Device: all 77 things

    B 10

    • Backpack
    • Bathmat
    • Bedpost
    • Bedspread
    • Birdbath
    • Blanket
    • Bookmark
    • Bootjack
    • Breadbox
    • Broom
    Show all 77 things (67 more)

    C 4

    • Calendar
    • Coaster
    • Coatrack
    • Corkboard

    D 6

    • Dishpan
    • Dishrag
    • Doghouse
    • Doorbell
    • Downspout
    • Drainpipe

    E 3

    • Earmuff
    • Eggbeater
    • Eraser

    F 3

    • Flowerpot
    • Footrest
    • Footstool

    H 3

    • Hammock
    • Hatbox
    • Headboard

    J 1

    • Jigsaw

    K 3

    • Kettle
    • Kite
    • Kneepad

    L 5

    • Ladle
    • Lampshade
    • Lantern
    • Lunchbox
    • Lunchpail

    M 6

    • Mailbox
    • Matchbox
    • Milkjug
    • Mitten
    • Mousetrap
    • Muffin

    N 3

    • Noodle
    • Notebook
    • Notepad

    P 6

    • Pancake
    • Paperclip
    • Pickle
    • Pillow
    • Pretzel
    • Pushcart

    S 13

    • Sandwich
    • Sawhorse
    • Scarf
    • Shoehorn
    • Shoelace
    • Skateboard
    • Sketchpad
    • Sled
    • Slipper
    • Sock
    • Sprinkler
    • Stapler
    • Stepstool

    T 4

    • Teakettle
    • Teapot
    • Toaster
    • Trowel

    U 1

    • Umbrella

    W 5

    • Waffle
    • Washtub
    • Wheelbarrow
    • Whisk
    • Windowsill

    Y 1

    • Yardstick

    How this list was compiled: Our own list of 77 everyday things, written on 2026-10-03. Each prefix and each ending was read against each thing by script for a rude word across the join. One candidate was cut (a rude word inside or across the join): Teaspoon. Licence: own work

    Ending: all 13 endings

    B 1

    • -Bot From bot, a clipping of robot.

    D 1

    • -Deluxe

    G 1

    • -Graph Something that writes. From the Ancient Greek for "that writes".

    J 1

    • -Junior

    M 2

    • -Mate From the noun mate: a comrade or fellow.
    • -Mobile Formed from automobile.

    O 2

    • -o-Matic Wiktionary gives -o-matic as a back-formation from automatic.
    • -o-Rama From panorama: a wide view of the thing named.
    Show all 13 endings (5 more)

    P 2

    • -Phone A device that makes a sound. From the Ancient Greek for sound or voice.
    • -Plus

    S 1

    • -Scope Names an instrument for viewing or examination. From Ancient Greek.

    T 1

    • -Tron From a Greek suffix for an instrument; used to name electronic devices.

    0–9 1

    • -3000

    How this list was compiled: 13 endings in the habit of real gadget names. Nine carry a line that follows the entry for the suffix in English Wiktionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/, CC BY-SA 4.0), read on 2026-10-03; -3000, -Deluxe, -Junior and -Plus are there for the sound and carry none. Own selection. Nothing was cut. Licence: own selection; meanings from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

    What it does: all 64 jobs

    A 1

    • announces when the mail arrives

    B 2

    • blows the dust off old records
    • butters toast on both sides at once

    C 7

    • carries the umbrella so your hands are free
    • catches a sneeze in a tissue
    • catches crumbs before they land
    • claps politely when you finish your homework
    • coils the extension cord without a tangle
    • counts the stairs so you need not
    • counts the wagons of every passing train
    Show all 64 jobs (54 more)

    D 1

    • dries one dish every hour, on the hour

    F 5

    • finds the corner pieces of any puzzle
    • finds the glove that fell behind the radiator
    • finds the start of the tape
    • flips pancakes with a small fanfare
    • fluffs a pillow to exactly your liking

    H 1

    • hangs up your coat before it hits the floor

    K 4

    • keeps ice cream from dripping
    • keeps one cookie safe for later
    • keeps your place in three books at once
    • knows when the bread is done

    L 4

    • labels every drawer, including this one
    • levels every shelf in the house
    • lines up the dominoes for you
    • looks behind the couch, so you do not have to

    M 2

    • makes the bed, more or less
    • measures how long a nap really was

    O 1

    • opens the jar that nobody else can

    P 4

    • picks a different route to school every Friday
    • picks the green ones out of the mix
    • points north, then politely toward lunch
    • practices the piano when you are tired

    R 5

    • rakes the leaves into the shape of a leaf
    • reads the last page first and keeps quiet about it
    • remembers where you put your keys
    • reminds the cat it has been fed
    • rolls marbles back from under the couch

    S 11

    • saves the bubble wrap for a rainy day
    • says "bless you" in four languages
    • scoops the last of the jam out of the jar
    • shakes the crumbs out of the picnic blanket
    • shows the snail the quick way across the path
    • sorts buttons by how lonely they look
    • sorts the crayons by how much is left
    • squeezes the toothpaste from the bottom, every time
    • stacks the dishes by color
    • stamps the date in every book you borrow
    • stirs the soup and hums in tune

    T 9

    • takes notes during long speeches
    • tells the difference between left and right mittens
    • tells you when the bath is exactly warm enough
    • tells you when the kettle is thinking about boiling
    • tells you which leftovers are still good
    • ties shoelaces, slowly
    • tucks in the corners of the blanket
    • turns off the light you left on
    • turns the page when you sigh

    U 1

    • untangles headphones while you sleep

    W 6

    • walks the wheelbarrow home by itself
    • warms your slippers at exactly seven
    • waters the plant you forgot
    • weighs a backpack and suggests what to leave home
    • whistles when the pie has cooled
    • winds the clocks on Sunday night

    How this list was compiled: Our own list of 64 small jobs for a made-up gadget, written on 2026-10-03. Checked by script against every list on this site and on its sister sites; twelve jobs close to a line on another list were rewritten. 6 candidates were cut (6 on another list of this site), among them rings a small bell when the rain stops, holds the door for the dog, keeps the last slice of pizza warm, writes thank-you notes in neat handwriting, pairs every lid with its jar, keeps score fairly at board games. Licence: own work