As per Oxford Dictionary, a name is defined as “a word or words that a particular person, animal, place or thing is known by.” In other words, a name is something that’s used for the identification of anything.
What our Random Name Generator creates is called “Personal name.” It’s a word or words used to identify a person. Since times immemorial, personal names are made up of two parts: First name or given name; Last name or family name. Many individuals also use a Middle Name.
Naming conventions and styles vary from region to region and language to language. This random name tool takes all those things into account and produces a variety of names to choose from in different languages. The study of proper names of humans is called anthroponymy. Let’s take a look at some of the important terms related to this field, and human names in general-
Personal Name
Personal name (also called full name) is the name by which an individual is known. In most cultures, a personal name consists of a given name and a surname (family name). In some cultures, personal name only consists of a single name. Interestingly, some tribes (ex: Machiguenga of the Amazon) do no use personal names and refer to each other as to how they are related.
Example: Kelly Kelley, Robert Chapman, George Patton, John James
Given Name
The given name is a part of a personal name that’s used to identify a person. It’s generally given to a person at the time of birth or after some time.
Example: Kelly, Robert, George, John
Surname
A surname is that part of a personal name that’s used to identify the family or community. Some cultures put surnames at the end, some put it at the start. Two or more words, often joined by hyphens, can be found in surnames in some regions.
Example: Chapman, Burton, Porter, Bush
Nickname
Nickname is often an informal, substitute name of a person that’s often given in form of affection.
Example: Champ, Undertaker, Einstein, Firefly
Pseudonym
Pseudonyms are fictional names used by people for different purposes like anonymity or staying out of legal trouble. It also includes pen names, user names, stage names, code names, superhero names, etc.
Example: Wonder Woman, Dr. Seuss, Woody Allen, The Unabomber
Mononym
A mononymous person is one who is known by a single name. In modern times, the usage of Mononyms has declined.
Example: Aristotle, Plato, Cher, Naruhito
