How it works
This port town name generator joins a sea word to a real harbor word, such as Quay, Roads or Staithe, then says what kind of port the town is, what it ships and the mark sailors know it by.
Read the full guide
Press, then lock a word
Press New port name. Tap the second word, press its padlock and press again: lock it on Quay and every town has a stone quay. Lock the kind of port to keep a fishing port or a port of call while the name changes.
A port name generator with real harbor words
The list under the tool says what each harbor word means. Roads is sheltered water where ships ride at anchor, and a staithe is an old word for a landing stage. The kinds of port are real too: an entrepot stores goods that will be shipped out again.
Tips
- Fit the second word to your map: Narrows and Sound need a strait, Strand a beach, Tideway a river.
- Print 20 ports at once to stock a whole coast.
Questions and answers
What are good fantasy port town names?
Two plain words work well: a thing of the sea and a harbor word, such as Capstan Quay or Kittiwake Landing. They sound like places sailors named, and they fit any world because no part is tied to one language.
What is the difference between a port and a harbor?
A harbor is a sheltered part of a body of water where ships and boats can be moored. A port is the facilities for loading and unloading ships. Many towns have both, and the two words are often swapped.
What does Roads mean in a harbor name?
Roads, or a roadstead, is a partly sheltered stretch of water near a shore where ships can ride at anchor, often while they wait to enter a port.
Are these real ports?
No. Every name was checked against the towns and villages of eleven English-speaking countries and territories in GeoNames and against Wikipedia titles, and first words behind a real town were cut. A few names still match a real channel, bay or narrows.