How it works
This random ship name generator joins one of 21 describing words to one of 21 nouns, for 441 ship names, and adds one of 21 kinds of ship, from a sloop to a galleon.
Read the full guide
Name the ship, then pick the hull
Press until the name fits the crew: The Lucky Gambit for smugglers, The Drowned Bell for a ghost ship, The Windborne Lark for a fast trader. Then lock it and press until the kind of ship fits the story, from a Viking longship to a Chinese junk.
What was screened out
Every name was checked against Wikipedia, including real ships with HMS or USS in front, and 19 pirate, fantasy and science-fiction wikis. The Iron Maiden, The Crimson Tide and The Merry Widow were already taken, so Iron, Tide and Widow went.
Tips
- For a navy ship, pick a loyal-sounding name, such as The Faithful Kestrel.
Questions and answers
Can I use it as a pirate ship name generator?
Yes. Words such as Drowned, Crooked, Tattered and Bitter, with Harpy, Siren or Gambit, sound like pirates. Lock the kind on cutter, a small, fast-sailing vessel.
What is the difference between a schooner, a brigantine and a galleon?
A schooner carries fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts. A brigantine has two masts, fully square-rigged on the front one. A galleon is a large, many-decked sailing ship of the 16th century onward.
Is any of these ship names used somewhere already?
None matched in the lists we searched, but real boats are named every day and no list is complete, so search a name before you paint it on a hull or print it.