This secret society name generator names hidden organisations for novels, games and campaigns. Choose what the society is for and it gives six names to match: The Lodge of the Veiled Lantern for an occult circle, The Standing Committee for men who run a country quietly, The Fellowship of the Uncut Page for scholars with something to hide. All the names are invented.

Four Kinds of Society

Kind	What it is for	Examples
Occult	Ritual and hidden knowledge	The Lodge of the Sleeping Key, The Waning Conclave
Political	Power exercised out of sight	The Permanent Committee, The Directorate of the Closed Corridor
Scholarly	Learning that is kept from others	The Society of the Uncut Page, The Marginal Reading Room
Sworn order	An oath kept by a few	The Order of the Sleepless Vow, The Faithful Company

Four Patterns

Pattern	Example	Effect
The group of the describing word and symbol	The Circle of the Hollow Hourglass	Formal. The name on the charter.
The describing word and the group	The Quiet Committee	Plain. Could pass for something official.
The symbol and the group	The Lantern Lodge	Short. What members say.
A number and the symbol	The Thirteen Thorns	Suggests a fixed number of seats.

Making the Society Feel Real

Choose the symbol first. Members wear it, draw it and leave it where others of their kind will see it. A key on a ring is easier to hide than a banner.
Give it a boring front. A dining club, a charity or a parish committee. The front has its own name, and that is the one on the door.
Decide how many members there are. The Nine Keys has nine. What happens to the ninth key when a member dies is a plot.
Give it a rival. Two societies that want the same thing make a better story than one that wants everything.

Believers gathered around a prophet are in the Cult Name Generator, and open trade bodies in the Guild Name Generator. The society's hired killers can be named with the Assassin Name Generator, its leader with the Villain Name Generator, and the school it recruits from with the Magic Academy Name Generator.

How to Use the Secret Society Name Generator

Choose the kind of society: Pick occult, political, scholarly or a sworn order.
Generate: Each press gives six names in a mix of four patterns.
Copy the one you want: Use the copy button beside it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes a good secret society name?

It sounds harmless to an outsider and means something to a member. The Standing Committee could be about drains. The Fellowship of the Uncut Page could be a book club. The dullness is the disguise.

How are secret societies usually named?

Most use a word for the group, such as order, lodge or circle, and a symbol that members recognise: a key, a lamp, a shield. This generator follows that pattern and three shorter ones.

What is the difference between a secret society and a cult?

A secret society hides who its members are and often what it does, but its members live ordinary lives. A cult gathers around a belief or a leader and asks for devotion. For the second kind, use the cult generator linked below.

Are these real secret societies?

No. Real societies and those of well-known fiction are left out. The names are built from common words, so check a name before you publish with it.

Can I use a name for a club, a guild or a game clan?

Yes. There is no fee and no credit is needed.

What do members call the society among themselves?

Something shorter. The Order of the Veiled Lantern becomes the Lantern, or just the Order. Decide the short form too, because that is what your characters will say.