names
Generate random names
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, with caution. The package is simple, has no dependencies, and works for basic name generation in test or development contexts. However, it is dormant since 2013-05-14 and untested on modern Python versions—verify compatibility before using in production. The 1990 Census data may not reflect current name distributions. Best suited for throwaway test data, not for applications requiring up-to-date or representative name samples.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- No runtime dependencies, but package is source-only and dormant; compatibility with Python versions beyond 3.3 is unverified.
- High install friction due to source distribution only (names-0.3.0.tar.gz).
- Package is dormant—last release was 2013-05-14 with no updates since then, though the repository remains active with a recent commit on 2023-10-16.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license is permissive; you can use this freely in commercial and private projects. The underlying name data (dist.all.last, dist.female.first, dist.male.first) is public domain, derived from 1990 Census data.
last release 2013-05-14 (4840 days) · last repo commit 2023-10-16 · 470 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 621,368 downloads/mo, #5,716 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install names
import names
names.get_full_name()
names.get_full_name(gender='male')
names.get_first_name(gender='female')
names.get_last_name()- Whether the package works reliably on Python versions released after 2013 (3.4+, 3.10+, etc.)
- Whether the 1990 Census name data is still representative or acceptable for current use cases
- Performance characteristics when generating large batches of names
What it is and what it does
Names is a lightweight random name generator that produces realistic human names from census data. It works both as a standalone command-line tool (run `names` to get a random full name) and as a Python library with functions to retrieve full names, first names, or last names, with optional gender filtering.
The package bundles public-domain name frequency data from the 1990 US Census, making it useful for generating test data, mock user records, or placeholder names in applications. It has no external dependencies and is straightforward to integrate, though the codebase has been dormant since its 2013-05-14 release and has not been updated for modern Python versions.
Use it for
- Generate realistic test user data and fixtures for unit tests or integration tests
- Create mock datasets for development and staging environments without real personal data
- Populate demo applications or prototypes with plausible placeholder names
- Build randomized synthetic datasets for data science or machine learning experiments
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, with caution.
The package is simple, has no dependencies, and works for basic name generation in test or development contexts. However, it is dormant since 2013-05-14 and untested on modern Python versions—verify compatibility before using in production. The 1990 Census data may not reflect current name distributions. Best suited for throwaway test data, not for applications requiring up-to-date or representative name samples.
Install
names on PyPI
Before you install
High install friction due to source distribution only (names-0.3.0.tar.gz). Package is dormant—last release was 2013-05-14 with no updates since then, though the repository remains active with a recent commit on 2023-10-16.
No runtime dependencies, but package is source-only and dormant; compatibility with Python versions beyond 3.3 is unverified.
License in practice
MIT license is permissive; you can use this freely in commercial and private projects. The underlying name data (dist.all.last, dist.female.first, dist.male.first) is public domain, derived from 1990 Census data.
Quickstart
pip install names
import names
names.get_full_name()
names.get_full_name(gender='male')
names.get_first_name(gender='female')
names.get_last_name()Verify before relying
- Whether the package works reliably on Python versions released after 2013 (3.4+, 3.10+, etc.)
- Whether the 1990 Census name data is still representative or acceptable for current use cases
- Performance characteristics when generating large batches of names
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | High. Source build required |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Dormant 4,840 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 621,368 / month, #5,716 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 4 - BetaEnvironment :: ConsoleLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.2Programming Language :: Python :: 3.3Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPy |
Evidence: names-0.3.0.tar.gz
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See also getname · gender-guesser · names-dataset · Genderize · model-mommy · streamlit-faker · faker-enum · coolname · friendlywords · pep8-naming