mythnamer

Planet Name Generator

Name a single world or a whole star system. Choose mythic, alien, colony or catalogue-style names and get a world type for each.

Generate planet names

12 names per batch. Lock the ones you like, then generate again to replace only the rest.

  1. KK-2897 gTidally locked world
    What it means
    • KK“survey code (invented)”Catalogue
    • 2897“star catalogue number”Catalogue
    • g“planet letter, b = first planet found”IAU convention
  2. LentiatheaJungle world
    What it means
    • Lentiathea“classical-sounding name (invented)”Invented
  3. DeolmenoraMoonless world
    What it means
    • Deolmenora“classical-sounding name (invented)”Invented
  4. SP-7745 dStorm world
    What it means
    • SP“survey code (invented)”Catalogue
    • 7745“star catalogue number”Catalogue
    • d“planet letter, b = first planet found”IAU convention
  5. SelosJungle world
    What it means
    • Selos“classical-sounding name (invented)”Invented
  6. Whitham's LandingLava world
    What it means
    • Whit“white”Old English hwīt
    • ham“homestead”Old English hām
    • Landing“first landing site”English
  7. KozoqJungle world
    What it means
    • Kozoq“native name (invented)”Invented
  8. New TaubeckLava world
    What it means
    • New“named after a home-world town”English
    • Tauinvented sound, no fixed meaningInvented (Norse-sounding)
    • beck“stream”Old Norse bekkr
  9. Thornwick's LandingOcean world
    What it means
    • Thorn“thorn bush”Old English þorn
    • wick“dwelling, dairy farm (from Latin vīcus)”Old English wīc
    • Landing“first landing site”English
  10. XRN-2596 fOcean world
    What it means
    • XRN“survey code (invented)”Catalogue
    • 2596“star catalogue number”Catalogue
    • f“planet letter, b = first planet found”IAU convention
  11. KZ-8959 gMoonless world
    What it means
    • KZ“survey code (invented)”Catalogue
    • 8959“star catalogue number”Catalogue
    • g“planet letter, b = first planet found”IAU convention
  12. NusMoonless world
    What it means
    • Nus“classical-sounding name (invented)”Invented

Same seed and settings always give the same names, so you can come back to them or share the link. Your atlas is stored in this browser only. Print a d100 table with these settings.

How planets are really named

The planets of our solar system carry the names of Roman gods: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune. Uranus is the odd one out, taken from Greek myth instead. That tradition is why mythic names still sound “right” for a planet. Exoplanets work differently. They are named after their star with a lowercase letter, starting at b for the first planet found. So a planet is often a code before it is ever a name.

This generator gives you both: proper names in several styles, and catalogue designations that follow the real letter convention.

Planet name styles

Mythic

Invented names in a classical register, with Greek and Latin endings like -ion, -is and -ara. They sound like gods that never existed. Use them for the worlds of a golden-age space opera.

Catalogue

A survey code, a catalogue number and a planet letter: KRV-2041 c. These suit hard science fiction, newly discovered worlds and the moment before a planet gets a name. Open “What it means” to see each part.

Colony

Settlers name new worlds after home or after hope. New Ashford, Halden Prime, Providence. The home-town part is built from the same English and Norse roots as the village and town name generator, so your colony names and your old-Earth towns can match.

Alien

Harsh consonants, doubled vowels and the occasional apostrophe for names that do not come from any human tongue. Use these for what the natives call their own world.

Generate a whole star system

Switch Output to a star system and each result becomes a system: a star, then planets b, c, d and onwards, some with proper names, each with a world type such as ocean world, gas giant or tidally locked world. It is a quick way to fill a sector map or a ship’s navigation screen.

Tips for naming sci-fi planets

  • Give one world two names. The survey code on the charts and the name the colonists use. The gap between them is a story.
  • Let world type shape the name. An ice world named Ember is either a joke or a warning.
  • Keep the system consistent. If the star has a mythic name, its planets can follow one myth. If it has a code, most of its planets should too.
  • Name the nations too. Interstellar powers are on the country name generator with the Sci-fi setting.

Example planet names

Mythic worlds

  • Nuxus"classical-sounding name (invented)"
  • Zeora"classical-sounding name (invented)"
  • Hythea"classical-sounding name (invented)"
  • Paara"classical-sounding name (invented)"
  • Meoxthyrus"classical-sounding name (invented)"
  • Tuthara"classical-sounding name (invented)"

Catalogue planets

  • NMX-4796 e"survey code (invented)" + "star catalogue number" + "planet letter, b = first planet found"
  • MN-8482 f"survey code (invented)" + "star catalogue number" + "planet letter, b = first planet found"
  • SKM-6059 c"survey code (invented)" + "star catalogue number" + "planet letter, b = first planet found"
  • FRB-3135 c"survey code (invented)" + "star catalogue number" + "planet letter, b = first planet found"
  • FPC-5294 b"survey code (invented)" + "star catalogue number" + "planet letter, b = first planet found"
  • VC-4242 c"survey code (invented)" + "star catalogue number" + "planet letter, b = first planet found"

Colony worlds

  • New Bastwell"named after a home-world town" + "spring, stream"
  • New Sandbeck"named after a home-world town" + "sand" + "stream"
  • Hope"a hopeful colony name"
  • Dontwell's Landing"spring, stream" + "first landing site"
  • New Jarlbeck"named after a home-world town" + "earl, chieftain" + "stream"
  • Bromwell's Landing"broom (the shrub)" + "spring, stream" + "first landing site"

Alien worlds

  • Zhuq'nish"native name (invented)"
  • Ghuthzho"native name (invented)"
  • Vraath'kosh"native name (invented)"
  • Ku'yuz"native name (invented)"
  • Kraezqox"native name (invented)"
  • Naashyoq"native name (invented)"

Questions

How are real exoplanets named?

By their star plus a lowercase letter. The first planet found around a star is “b”, the next “c”, and so on, in order of discovery rather than distance. The star’s name usually comes from a catalogue or the survey that found the planet. The International Astronomical Union has also run public contests that gave some exoplanets proper names.

Do the catalogue codes match real surveys?

No. The letter codes are invented and checked against a list of real catalogue prefixes, so you will not accidentally name a planet after a real one.

Can I generate a whole star system?

Yes. Set Output to a star system with 3, 5 or 8 planets. You get a star name and a lettered list of planets, some with proper names and each with a world type.

Can I use these planet names commercially?

Yes. Every generated name is free to use.