About us
A Free Tool for Finding Your Samurai Name
Samurai Names helps writers, gamers, role players and fans of Japanese history find warrior names that sound right and mean something.
Why We Built It
Most samurai name generators online glue random syllables together or mix Japanese with Chinese and invented words. The results can look fine to an English reader and strange to anyone who knows Japanese. We wanted something better: a tool where every name is built from real Japanese names, written in correct kanji, with an honest explanation of what each part means.
Samurai Names started from that idea. The generator puts the family name first, the way Japanese names are written, and it borrows patterns that historical warriors actually used, from court titles like Shinano no Kami to battlefield nicknames like the Tiger of Kai.
Alongside the tool we publish guides on how samurai names worked, what clan names and crests mean, and how to name characters without common mistakes.
What it does
Built for People Who Care About Names
Whether you are naming a novel's hero, a game character or your new Shiba Inu, the details matter.
Private by Design
The generator runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded, logged or stored on a server.
Real Names, Real Kanji
Every name and word comes from a curated list of real Japanese names and vocabulary, shown with its kanji and meaning.
Fast and Free
No accounts, no paywalls and no waiting. Generate up to sixty names a batch, as often as you like.
Backed by Guides
Our guides explain how samurai names, clans, titles and crests really worked, so you can choose with confidence.
How We Research Names
Every given name, surname and word in the generator is checked against standard Japanese dictionaries for its kanji and meaning. When a surname's meaning is simply the literal meaning of its characters, we say so, because that is how most Japanese family names formed: from places, landscapes and features of the land.
Our guides stick to well documented history. We avoid repeating legends as facts, we do not invent quotes, and when historians disagree we say that too. Read the full editorial policy to see how articles are researched, reviewed and corrected.
Independent and Honest
Samurai Names is an independent project. We are not affiliated with any game studio, publisher, museum or government. The tool is free, with no account required, and we do not sell or share personal data. If you spot an error in a name, a kanji or an article, please tell us. Corrections make the site better for everyone.
Respect for the Culture
Samurai history belongs to Japan and to the Japanese people. We treat it with care: names are presented accurately, history is told without exaggeration, and our tool is meant for creativity and learning, not for mockery or stereotypes.
Find Your Name
Open the generator, pick one of twelve styles and meet your samurai self.