Random Pirate Name Generator

One press names one of the crew: a real shipboard rank, an old first name and a sea surname.

Random Pirate Name Generator: 20 pirate names

Sailing Master Nicholas Darkreef

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

  • RankSailing Master
  • First nameNicholas
  • SurnameDarkreef
Saved
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Every pirate name you make is kept here, newest first, up to the last 20. The list stays in this browser.

    Pirate Name of the day

     

    1. Purser Abel Shoalhelm
    2. Cooper Charles Ravensquall
    3. Purser Grace Squallkeel
    4. Cook Sarah Foamkeel
    5. Lookout George Greysail
    6. Boatswain Anne Marlinwake
    7. Master Gunner Frances Shoalhelm
    8. Sailing Master Lydia Foamkeel
    9. Sailing Master Bridget Reefhelm
    10. First Mate Judith Anchorgale
    11. Sailing Master Israel Tidespar
    12. Carpenter Edward Anchorbrine
    13. Captain Francis Coralspar
    14. Captain Constance Greyshoal
    15. Carpenter Elizabeth Brinehelm
    16. Lookout William Anchorgale
    17. Quartermaster Frances Tidehelm
    18. Master Gunner Charlotte Fogshoal
    19. Cooper Alice Rudderwake
    20. First Mate Judith Ternsail

    Next step Name the shipName the island on the map

    How it works

    This random pirate name generator names one member of a pirate crew: a real shipboard rank, an old English first name and an invented sea surname. The rank list under the tool says what each job was.

    Read the full guide

    Sign on a whole crew

    Press New pirate name. Tap the rank to lock it or change it alone, so each press fills another post: a captain, a quartermaster, a boatswain, a cook. Print 20 pirate names gives you the crew list.

    Who did what on a pirate ship

    On an 18th-century pirate ship the crew elected the captain and could vote him out. The quartermaster was elected too, and often held a veto over the captain. The sailing master oversaw the navigation, the boatswain inspected the ship every morning, and the carpenter repaired it.

    Tips
    • Boatswain is said "bosun".
    • Keep one surname and change the first name for a family of pirates.

    Questions and answers

    What are the ranks on a pirate ship?

    Captain, quartermaster, sailing master, boatswain, master gunner, carpenter and mates. Captain and quartermaster typically took the largest shares of a prize, the other officers a little more than one share, and everyone else one share each.

    Is this a real pirate's name?

    No. The ranks and first names are real, but every surname is invented, and each full name was searched in Wikipedia's lists of real and fictional pirates. For the vessel, use the random ship name generator.

    Does it make female pirate names?

    Yes. Half the first names are women's, such as Anne, Mary, Grace and Charlotte, and any rank goes with any name: Captain Grace Stormprow, Sailing Master Mercy Tidewake.

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    Rank: all 12 ranks

    Officers 6

    • Boatswain Supervised the supplies and inspected the ship every morning. Say it "bosun".
    • Captain On a pirate ship the crew elected the captain and could vote him out.
    • First Mate A mate worked under the master, boatswain, gunner or carpenter as an apprentice.
    • Master Gunner Kept the ship's cannons in working order.
    • Quartermaster Elected by the crew to balance the captain, and often given a veto.
    • Sailing Master Oversaw the navigation and sailing of the ship.
    Show all 12 ranks (6 more)

    Crafts and watches 6

    • Carpenter Repaired the ship, and was sometimes its surgeon too.
    • Cook Prepared and served the crew's meals from the galley.
    • Cooper Made the wooden casks, barrels and buckets.
    • Lookout Watched for other ships, land and dangers from high on the mast.
    • Purser In charge of supplies such as food, clothing and bedding.
    • Sailmaker Made and repaired the sails.

    How this list was compiled: 12 real shipboard ranks and posts. What each did was read on 2026-10-01 in the English Wikipedia article named on the item (x.src): Governance in 18th-century piracy for the captain, sailing master, boatswain, master gunner, mate and carpenter, Quartermaster for the pirate quartermaster, and the articles on the cooper, sailmaker, purser, cook and lookout, which describe the post on ships in general and not on pirate ships alone. A script checked that the words behind each line are in its article. The lines are ours. Licence: own work

    First name: all 60 first names

    Traditionally a man's name 30

    • Abel
    • Amos
    • Barnaby
    • Benjamin
    • Caleb
    • Charles
    • Edmund
    • Edward
    Show all 60 first names (52 more)

    Traditionally a man's name, continued

    • Elias
    • Francis
    • George
    • Gideon
    • Henry
    • Isaac
    • Israel
    • Jasper
    • Jeremiah
    • Jonas
    • Josiah
    • Nathaniel
    • Nicholas
    • Reuben
    • Richard
    • Robert
    • Samuel
    • Silas
    • Solomon
    • Thomas
    • Tobias
    • William

    Traditionally a woman's name 30

    • Abigail
    • Alice
    • Anne
    • Bridget
    • Catherine
    • Charlotte
    • Constance
    • Deborah
    • Dorothy
    • Eleanor
    • Elizabeth
    • Esther
    • Frances
    • Grace
    • Hannah
    • Harriet
    • Jane
    • Judith
    • Lydia
    • Margaret
    • Martha
    • Mary
    • Mercy
    • Prudence
    • Rachel
    • Rebecca
    • Ruth
    • Sarah
    • Susanna
    • Tabitha

    How this list was compiled: 60 first names long used in England, 30 men's and 30 women's, each with an English Wikipedia name article of its own that was live on 2026-10-01 (address in x.src). No date of use is claimed, and no name here says who a pirate was. Counted by script: 0 of the 60 are on the first row of random-wizard-name-generator and 0 on the first row of random-medieval-name-generator (the cap is 40 in 100). Licence: own work

    Surname: all 81 surnames

    Colors, metals and depths 20

    • Blackfathom
    • Blackshoal
    • Blackwake
    • Copperhelm
    • Copperkeel
    • Darkfathom
    • Darkreef
    • Darkshoal
    Show all 81 surnames (73 more)

    Colors, metals and depths, continued

    • Deepfathom
    • Deepwake
    • Greysail
    • Greyshoal
    • Greywake
    • Ironfathom
    • Ironkeel
    • Ironprow
    • Longfathom
    • Longspar
    • Redreef
    • Redsail

    Weather 12

    • Fogmast
    • Fogreef
    • Fogshoal
    • Galehelm
    • Galeprow
    • Galewake
    • Squallhelm
    • Squallkeel
    • Squallprow
    • Stormkeel
    • Stormprow
    • Stormspar

    Sea and shore 23

    • Brinehelm
    • Brinekeel
    • Brinewake
    • Coralkeel
    • Coralspar
    • Foamkeel
    • Foamprow
    • Harborgale
    • Harborsquall
    • Kelpreef
    • Kelpwake
    • Reefhelm
    • Reefwake
    • Saltfathom
    • Saltprow
    • Saltspar
    • Shoalhelm
    • Shoalsail
    • Sprayhelm
    • Spraymast
    • Tidehelm
    • Tidespar
    • Tidewake

    Parts of a ship 16

    • Anchorbrine
    • Anchorgale
    • Barnacledeck
    • Barnaclehull
    • Driftkeel
    • Driftspar
    • Keelgale
    • Keelsurf
    • Pitchkeel
    • Pitchmast
    • Plankwharf
    • Ropequay
    • Ruddergale
    • Rudderwake
    • Tarkeel
    • Tarwake

    Birds and fish 10

    • Gullprow
    • Gullspar
    • Gullwake
    • Marlinspar
    • Marlinwake
    • Ravenkeel
    • Ravenprow
    • Ravensquall
    • Ternhelm
    • Ternsail

    How this list was compiled: 81 invented surnames, our own work: two sea words joined (shoal, keel, tide, prow, fathom, spar, helm, wake). Screened by script on 2026-10-01: none is an English Wikipedia page title (the title list of 2026-09-30), a surname in the 2010 United States Census file, a dictionary word, a place in GeoNames, or a name on the villain page, and none spells a rude word across the join. Three more screens the plan asked for: (1) no surname shares its second part with a surname of random-wizard-name-generator (no wick, whistle, quill, mere or hollow); (2) the first-name counts in the first-name list; (3) each of the 4860 first-name-and-surname pairs, and each surname alone, was searched in the text of Wikipedia's List of pirates (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pirates) and List of fictional pirates (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fictional_pirates), fetched that day: no match. Cut by the screen from the first draft: Blackmast, Darktide, Longreef, Targale, Spraydeck and Wavedeck (page titles), Tideswell (a real village), Stormbrine (on the villain page) and every name ending in strand or beginning Gales or Barnacles before s (rude across the join). Hook was left out as a part because of the best-known fictional pirate. A new surname needs the whole screen again. Licence: own work