This cyberpunk name generator makes names for characters in cyberpunk games and stories. It gives a real name with a street handle, such as Mara "Glitch" Okafor, or either part alone. Choose a netrunner, a street fighter or a fixer and the handle changes to suit the work.

Three Kinds of Handle

Kind	Who uses it	Examples
Netrunner or hacker	Characters who break into systems	Glitch, Proxy, Null, Checksum
Street fighter or mercenary	Hired guns, bodyguards and gang members	Razor, Deadbolt, Torque, Gunmetal
Fixer or dealer	Brokers, smugglers and people who know people	Silk, Ledger, Handshake, Midas

Netrunner handles are technical terms, street handles are hard objects and materials, and fixer handles are about money, luck and manners. A handle from the wrong list can be a good joke: a huge bodyguard called Velvet.

Real Name and Street Name

Most cyberpunk characters have two names. The real one is on a birth record somewhere and is used by family and by the police. The handle is used by everyone else. Writing the two together, with the handle in quotation marks between first name and surname, is the usual way to show both. In play, decide who knows the real name. It is a small secret that a game master can use.

Where the Genre Comes From

The word cyberpunk was coined by the writer Bruce Bethke as the title of a short story published in 1983. William Gibson's novel Neuromancer, published in 1984, set the pattern that the genre still follows: powerful corporations, a global computer network, and criminals and outsiders as the heroes. The tabletop game Cyberpunk, first published in 1988, gave players named roles such as the netrunner and the fixer. The handles in this generator follow those roles without using any name from the books or games.

How to Choose a Cyberpunk Name

Keep the handle to one or two syllables. It will be shouted over gunfire and typed in a hurry.
Let someone else have chosen it. A handle given by a crew, for one bad night, is more interesting than one the character picked.
Make the real name plain. The contrast with the handle does the work.
Name the rest of the cast. The Robot Name Generator covers machines and AIs, the Mercenary Company Name Generator names a crew, and the Space Station Name Generator names somewhere to run to.

How to Use the Cyberpunk Name Generator

Choose what you need: Pick a name with a handle, a handle alone or a real name alone.
Choose the kind of handle and a gender: The kind of character decides the handle. The gender decides the first name.
Generate and copy: Each press gives six new names. Use the copy button beside the one you want.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a handle in cyberpunk?

A handle is the name a character goes by on the street or on the net, in place of a legal name. The word came from radio operators and was taken up by early computer hackers. In a cyberpunk story the handle is the name that matters, because it is the one a reputation attaches to.

What makes a good cyberpunk name?

A short handle with one clear idea, and a real name that sounds like a person. Glitch tells you the character breaks systems. Razor tells you something else. Pair the handle with an ordinary name, as in Mara "Glitch" Okafor, and the character has a past as well as a job.

Why do the real names mix different countries?

Cyberpunk cities are imagined as crowded ports where people from everywhere live on top of one another, so a first name from one culture with a surname from another fits the setting. If your character has a specific background, generate until both names match it.

What is a netrunner?

A hacker who works by connecting directly to a network. The word comes from the Cyberpunk tabletop role-playing game. Netrunner handles here are technical words such as Proxy, Null and Checksum.

Can I use these as a username or gamertag?

Yes. The handles are single ordinary words, so many will already be taken on large platforms. Adding a number or joining the handle to a surname usually gets you one that is free.

Are these names from Cyberpunk 2077?

No. The generator does not use characters from any game, film or novel. The names are ordinary first names, surnames and words.