Island Name Generator
Island names for fantasy maps, pirate campaigns and stories, in five styles.
Island Names
Related Name Generators
This island name generator makes names for islands on fantasy maps, in pirate campaigns and in stories. Choose the kind of sea the island lies in and it pairs a describing word with the right word for the land, such as Coral Cay, Gallows Rock or Isle of Standing Stones. A fifth style makes up a proper name, as in Isle of Selimar.
Five Styles of Island Name
| Style | What it suits | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical | Warm seas, reefs and sand | Pelican Cay, Isle of Warm Rain |
| Pirate | Hideouts, wrecks and bad reputations | Marooner's Cove, Isle of Lost Ships |
| Cold and northern | Bare rock, seabirds and wind | Seal Holm, Isle of Broken Ice |
| Fantasy and mythic | Islands with something strange about them | Lantern Isle, Isle of Unfinished Maps |
| Invented name | A name with no meaning in English | Isle of Selimar, Korathos |
Words for an Island
The second word in an island name says what kind of land it is, and the right one places the island on the map.
| Word | Meaning | Where it belongs |
|---|---|---|
| Cay or key | A low, sandy island on a coral reef, from Spanish cayo | Warm seas |
| Atoll | A ring of coral around a lagoon | Warm seas |
| Skerry | A small rocky island or reef, from Old Norse sker | Northern seas |
| Holm | A small island, from Old Norse holmr | Northern seas |
| Stack | A steep pillar of rock cut off from a cliff by the sea | Any rocky coast |
| Isle | Any island, used mostly in names | Anywhere |
How Real Islands Got Their Names
Sailors named islands quickly and for plain reasons, and the same reasons work in fiction. Some are named for the day they were sighted: Easter Island was reached by a Dutch expedition on Easter Sunday in 1722. Some are named for a shape: Tortuga is Spanish for turtle. Some are named for what lived there, or for a captain, a saint or a king. Decide who named your island and why, and the name will follow. For the people who sail there, try the Pirate Name Generator and the Ship Name Generator, and for the realm that claims it, the Kingdom Name Generator.
How to Use the Island Name Generator
- Choose a style: Pick tropical, pirate, cold and northern, fantasy and mythic, or an invented name.
- Generate: Each press gives eight new island names.
- Copy: Use the copy button beside the name you want.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a good fantasy island name?
One clear picture. Lantern Isle, Isle of Sleeping Giants and Gannet Skerry each tell the reader what is there before anyone lands. A name the sailors of your world would have used, for what they saw or feared, is more convincing than a grand one.
What are good names for a pirate island?
Pirate islands are named for what happened on them: Gallows Cay, Mutiny Shoal, Isle of Lost Ships. Possessives work well, as in Smuggler's Cove and Dead Man's Key, because they suggest a story about one person.
What is the difference between an island and an isle?
In meaning, very little. Isle is the older, more poetic word and is mostly used in names. The two words are not related: island comes from Old English, isle from French, and the silent s in island was added later because people assumed they were.
How do I name a group of islands?
Give the group one name and each island its own. Groups are usually plural and plain: the Lantern Isles, the Gannet Skerries. Generate several names in one style and they will sound as if they belong together.
Are these real islands?
The names are common words joined at random. Simple ones, such as Seal Island or Turtle Cay, are bound to exist somewhere, because real sailors named islands the same way. The invented style avoids that.
Can I use these names in a published work?
Yes. A descriptive place name is not something anyone owns. Search for a name before you rely on it, in case it is already the title of something well known.