---
id: getname
version: "0.1.1"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# getname — Get popular cat/dog/superhero/supervillain names

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 148.7K/mo

## What it is and what it does

GetName is a lightweight utility that generates random names from four curated lists: cats, dogs, superheroes, and supervillains. It wraps data originally compiled by @sindresorhus into a single Python package with both a programmatic API and a CLI. The API function `random_name()` accepts a type (cat, dog, superhero, or supervillain), optional gender filter for dogs, and a flag to return all names instead of a random one. The CLI provides commands for each category with similar options.

The package has no runtime dependencies and is simple to use for generating placeholder or test names. However, it has been abandoned since August 2015 and explicitly targets Python 2.7 and 3.3–3.4, making it unsuitable for modern Python environments without verification and likely modification.

Use it for:

- Generate random pet names for testing or demo applications that need placeholder animal names.
- Create random superhero or supervillain names for games, creative writing tools, or character generators.
- Populate test fixtures or mock data with realistic-sounding names from curated lists.
- Build a CLI tool that needs quick access to popular pet or character names without external API calls.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Provides random name generation for cats, dogs, superheroes, and supervillains via Python API or command-line interface.

No. The package is abandoned (last release 2015-08-23) and targets obsolete Python versions (2.7, 3.3–3.4). High install friction combined with no maintenance signal means compatibility with modern Python is unknown and likely broken. Unless you are maintaining legacy Python 2 code, choose an actively maintained alternative or implement name generation directly.

## Install

pip install getname
uv add getname
poetry add getname

## Installing getname

Before you install: High install friction and abandoned maintenance status (last release 2015-08-23, no updates for over a decade). The package targets Python 2.7 and Python 3.3–3.4, which are long obsolete; compatibility with modern Python versions is unverified.

License in practice: MIT license is permissive and poses no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution.

Quickstart:

pip install getname

from getname import random_name
print(random_name('cat'))
print(random_name('dog', gender='female'))
print(random_name('superhero', showall=True))

Package targets Python 2.7 and 3.3–3.4; compatibility with modern Python versions is not documented.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package actually installs and runs on Python versions released after 2015.
- Whether the underlying name datasets (from @sindresorhus's repositories) remain current and complete.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: high
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 148.7K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

random name generator, cat dog names, superhero name generator, supervillain names, name generation utility, name-generation, abandoned

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/getname) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/getname/)