Names
Planet Name Generator
Picking from a fixed pool of 18 evocative base names — Veridia, Tharsis, Nyxara, Phaethon and others — the generator applies one of three randomly chosen styles per planet. In 'plain' mode the base name is returned as-is; in 'designation' mode a suffix like Prime, IX, Major, or a lowercase letter is appended with a hyphen; in 'numbered' mode a digit from 1–9 follows the base name with a space. Each planet in the requested batch is assembled independently by this logic, producing a list of up to 30 names. Science fiction writers use this tool when stubbing out star maps and need a spread of names that feel part of the same fictional survey tradition without all sounding alike. Game masters building space-opera campaigns grab a batch to populate sector charts, distinguishing settled homeworlds (plain names) from catalogued outposts (designations) and survey markers (numbers). The three style modes mirror real astronomical naming conventions — TRAPPIST-1b, Kepler-452b — so generated names land in a recognisable register without being derivative.
How to use
- Choose your options above
- Click Generate
- Copy your result
Detailed instructions
- Choose how many planet names you want.
- Click Generate to produce names for fictional worlds.
- Pick names that suit each world's character.
- Group worlds with a shared base name for a star system.
Use Cases
- •Planets and worlds in science fiction
- •Star maps and settings for tabletop campaigns
- •Video-game and visual-novel worlds
- •Naming colonies, outposts, and homeworlds
- •Space-opera and exploration worldbuilding
- •Sci-fi project and server names
Tips
- →Keep names pronounceable so readers can hold them in mind.
- →Use designations and numbers to suggest a charted, scientific galaxy.
- →Share a base name across planets in one star system.
- →Match the name's feel to the world — lush, industrial, or forbidding.
FAQ
How does the generator create each planet name?
Each name is built by picking a base name from a pool of 18 options, then randomly applying one of three styles: plain (the base name alone), designation (base name plus a suffix like Prime, IX, or a letter), or numbered (base name plus a digit 1–9). All three choices happen independently for every name in your batch.
Can the same base name appear more than once in a batch?
Yes. The generator samples with replacement from the pool of 18 base names, so a large batch may produce variants of the same root — for example both 'Cygnus' and 'Cygnus IX'. If you need every planet to be unique, discard duplicates or regenerate until you have enough distinct results.
What kinds of projects benefit most from these names?
The names are most useful for science fiction fiction, tabletop RPG campaigns in space-opera settings, and video game world design where you need a plausible-sounding catalogue of worlds quickly. They are less suited to hard-SF projects where systematic naming (real star catalogue conventions) matters, since the pool is fixed and not procedurally combinatorial.
How do I choose which style suits a given world?
Plain names (Veridia, Halcyon) work well for long-settled, culturally significant worlds with proper names. Designation suffixes (Oberon-Prime, Cygnus IX) suggest official survey or administrative usage. Numbered variants (Tharsis 3) feel like catalogue entries or recently discovered bodies. Mixing styles on the same star map implies different eras or agencies of discovery.
Should planets in the same system share a base name?
Using a shared root with different designation suffixes — Caldera Prime, Caldera b, Caldera Minor — mirrors how real exoplanet naming works and groups worlds into coherent systems at a glance. The generator does not enforce this automatically, but you can select and rename results to apply the pattern once you have a batch to work from.
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