# Need lots of random names **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 8, 2006, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-lots-of-random-names/347490 "2006-03-08T03:45:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-lots-of-random-names/347490/1 "2006-03-08T03:45:02Z")
I need to load some database tables with a bunch (range of 1000-3000) phony customer names to test/demonstrate a database application. Is there anywhere on the 'Net where there are large lists of names? Just long lists of first and last names suitable for copy & paste. The names will not be used for anything public, just loaded in to show the prof how it works. The people lookups usually just give you a few at a time. It could be famous people, sports figures, doesn’t matter. Just names. I would rather use realistic names instead of generating random character sequences, which is my fallback plan. (This is for a school assignment but finding names is not part of the assignment so this should pass the SMDB Board of Ethics.) ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-lots-of-random-names/347490/2 "2006-03-08T03:56:35Z")
I Googled “random name generator” and found this: [http://www.xtra-rant.com/gennames/](http://www.xtra-rant.com/gennames/) How’s that? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-lots-of-random-names/347490/3 "2006-03-08T04:01:23Z")
Y’know, I’ve been using the Web for a long time and the SDMB since it was an AOL site, and I’m still amazed at what you can find on the web and how fast someone on SDMB will tell you it’s there. Thanks 1M!!! ---
**Author:** ![rippingtons\_fan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rippingtons_fan/32/11767_2.png) [@rippingtons\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rippingtons_fan)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-lots-of-random-names/347490/4 "2006-03-08T17:19:31Z")
You might also try the website Kate Monk’s Onomastikon. It’s a Dictionary of Names from cultures all over the world. You can find it at: [http://www.gaminggeeks.org/Resources/KateMonk/](http://www.gaminggeeks.org/Resources/KateMonk/) ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-lots-of-random-names/347490/5 "2006-03-08T17:37:56Z")
I’ll throw in a link to a favorite web-thing of mine: [1990 census name files](http://www.census.gov/genealogy/names/names_files.html) ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-lots-of-random-names/347490/6 "2006-03-08T22:12:46Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > I Googled “random name generator” and found this: > [http://www.xtra-rant.com/gennames/](http://www.xtra-rant.com/gennames/) > > How’s that? The first name it gives me is “Eldred Greenawalt.” Now _that’s_ a random name. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-lots-of-random-names/347490/7 "2006-03-09T00:20:27Z")
Another one: [http://www.rinkworks.com/namegen/](http://www.rinkworks.com/namegen/) Also, you could just use random words, which is what spammers seem to do sometimes. I just got one from “Stallion O. Parabola” Wikipedia has some lists of people: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Lists\_of\_people](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Lists_of_people) ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-lots-of-random-names/347490/8 "2006-03-09T00:33:35Z")
> [@TJdude825](#): > > Also, you could just use random words, which is what spammers seem to do sometimes. I just got one from “Stallion O. Parabola” Whaddya mean, “random”? That’s the scion of the Richmond Parabolas – fine old Virginia family.