Pirate Name Generator
Male and female pirate names with nicknames, epithets and ranks, in the style of the Golden Age of Piracy.
Male Pirate Names
Related Name Generators
This pirate name generator makes male and female pirate names in the style of the Golden Age of Piracy. Real pirates had plain names, and the part people remember is the nickname or epithet added to it. Pick a format and the generator pairs a period first name and surname with a nickname, an epithet such as Black or Mad, or a rank on the ship.
Three Ways to Build a Pirate Name
| Format | Example | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Name with a nickname | Samuel "Powder" Harlow | A crew member with a story behind the name |
| Epithet and name | Black Tom Penrose | A pirate known by reputation, as in a wanted notice |
| Rank and name | Captain Josiah Thatcher | Officers of a ship in a campaign or novel |
After an epithet the first name is shortened, because that is how such names were spoken: Black Tom and not Black Thomas, Mad Bess and not Mad Elizabeth.
Real Pirate Names and Their Nicknames
| Known as | Real name | Where the name came from |
|---|---|---|
| Blackbeard | Edward Teach, or Thatch | His long black beard |
| Calico Jack | John Rackham | The calico clothes he wore |
| Black Bart | Bartholomew Roberts | A name given to him after his death |
| The Gentleman Pirate | Stede Bonnet | He was a landowner before he turned pirate |
| Black Sam | Samuel Bellamy | His black hair, worn without a wig |
Most of what is known about these men comes from one book, A General History of the Pyrates, published in London in 1724 under the name Captain Charles Johnson. The Golden Age it describes ran from about 1650 to 1730. The pirates of fiction came later: Long John Silver is from Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, published in 1883, and much of the popular idea of pirate speech and dress comes from that novel and its film versions.
Ranks on a Pirate Ship
A pirate crew chose its own officers. The captain led in a chase or a fight and could be voted out. The quartermaster was elected to look after the crew's interests and shared out the plunder. The bosun, short for boatswain, was responsible for the rigging, sails and deck work, and the gunner for the cannon and powder. Giving a non-player character one of these ranks tells your players at once what that person does aboard. To name the vessel, use the Fantasy Ship Name Generator, and for the island the crew hides on, the Island Name Generator.
How to Use the Pirate Name Generator
- Choose a name format: Pick a name with a nickname, an epithet in front of the name, or a rank and name.
- Set male or female: The first names change. Surnames, nicknames and ranks suit either.
- Generate: Each press gives six new pirate names.
- Copy: Use the copy button beside the name you want.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make a pirate name?
Take an ordinary first name and surname from the period and add one thing that marks the person out: a nickname, an epithet or a rank. Real pirates were called John, Edward, Anne and Mary. What made a name memorable was the addition, as with Calico Jack or Blackbeard.
What is a good pirate nickname?
One that points at something visible or something done. Real nicknames came from clothing (Calico Jack, for his calico clothes), appearance (Blackbeard) or manner (Stede Bonnet was the Gentleman Pirate). For an invented character, an injury, a habit or a famous piece of luck works the same way.
Were there female pirates?
Yes. Anne Bonny and Mary Read sailed with John Rackham and were tried in Jamaica in 1720. Grace O'Malley led ships off the west of Ireland in the sixteenth century, and Zheng Yi Sao commanded a large pirate fleet off southern China in the early 1800s. Choose Female in the generator for names in the same period style.
Did pirates use fake names?
Some did. Blackbeard's real surname is recorded as both Teach and Thatch, and it is not certain either was the name he was born with. A man who had turned pirate had good reason to hide his identity, and to keep his relatives at home out of it.
What did a pirate quartermaster do?
On a pirate ship the quartermaster was elected by the crew and stood beside the captain in authority. He divided plunder, settled disputes and spoke for the crew, while the captain's full command applied in battle. That makes Quartermaster a strong rank for a character who is not the captain.
Does this generator make pirate ship names?
No, it names people. For a vessel, use the Fantasy Ship Name Generator, which covers galleons, warships and pirate ships.