Rough-charming names for captains, quartermasters and the barnacled crew, each with a surname that sounds like a reputation earned at sea.
Say it: BA-roar-sy RUM-a-ne-man
Meaning: bar sandbar · sy sly · rum · mane shaggy mane · man fellow
Say it: MO-rar-reen RED-hook
Meaning: mor the deep · een wee · red · hook
Say it: RE-dea-ley DRIFT-ide
Meaning: red · ley leeward · drift drifting · tide
Say it: KI-ti-a-tsy SCAR-heart
Meaning: kit sea chest · sy sly · scar · heart
Say it: GRI-match-vell GRIM-tooth
Meaning: grim fierce · vell silk sash · tooth
Say it: GA-roard-beth DRIFT-gale
Meaning: gar garfish · beth home port · drift drifting · gale strong wind
Say it: RE-du-crest I-ron-tooth
Meaning: red · crest wave crest · iron · tooth
Say it: WE-se-beth I-ron-mane
Meaning: wes west wind · beth home port · iron · mane shaggy mane
Say it: BRIT-grace GOLD-ey-e
Meaning: grace · gold · eye
Say it: WE-sai-vell RUM-tide
Meaning: wes west wind · vell silk sash · rum · tide
Say it: WE-sytte DEAD-gale
Meaning: wes west wind · ette darling · dead deadly · gale strong wind
Say it: HAR-koak-noble GRIM-hook
Meaning: hark listen · noble gold coin · grim fierce · hook
Meanings come from this genre's invented word list, made for the generator: they aren't real-world etymology.
Pirate first names are clipped, as if salt and wind had rubbed the ends off. Openings like Bar, Hark, Kit, Quill, Rook and Tam lead into short barked vowels and close on -ck, -tch or a rolling -rr.
Endings stay homely: -ette, -een and -beth for many women, -rick, -eb and -iah for men, -kin and -ow (barnacled, says the glossary) for anyone. Kit, Nell, Ned and Silas, from the hand-picked examples, show how plain the best ones are.
Here a surname is closer to a nickname. It stacks a colour, a scrap of weather or something you would find on board (Black, Salt, Rum, Ragged, Scar) on to beard, hook, eye, tide or wake. Ironhook, Saltmane and Redtide each suggest a story.
Work out what that story is. Did Nell Deadeye earn her name with a spyglass or at cards? The answer gives you a scene, and a reason for the rest of the crew to tease her.
Let the tone fit the job. A captain wants powerful (storm, iron, drake), the ship's cook soft (bell, mae), and a rival from a ghost ship mysterious, with mist and shroud. Chaotic brings wreck, squall and krak, short for kraken, for the crew member who causes most of the trouble.
Orders get shouted from the crow's nest, so keep most first names to one or two syllables.
Hand-picked names first, then more from the generator, each with how to say it and what its parts mean.
Kit Redtide, Meg Saltmane, Nell Deadeye, Anwen Hooke, Bess Reef, Ned Deadeye, Silas Reef, Tom Ironhook, Barlow Gale, Rourke Tide, Wren Bones, Marlin Reef, Sable Crow, Ash Redhand, Kestrel Gale
Stenerrcrest Rumhand
Say it: STE-nerr-crest RUM-hand
sten “stern” · crest “wave crest” · rum · hand
Quillyrdie Stormwake
Say it: QUIL-lyr-di-e STORM-wake
quill “feather pen” · ie “little” · storm · wake “ship's wake”
Dreadedvell Scarhook
Say it: DREA-ded-vell SCAR-hook
dread · vell “silk sash” · scar · hook
Jackemont Raggedwake
Say it: JAC-ke-mont RAG-ged-wake
jack “sailor” · mont “mountain” · ragged “tattered” · wake “ship's wake”
Nellibella Rumheart
Say it: NEL-li-bel-la RUM-heart
nell “lantern light” · ella “pearl” · rum · heart
Fenontmont Redhook
Say it: FE-nont-mont RED-hook
fen “fenland” · mont “mountain” · red · hook
Stenaellvell Scarhook
Say it: STE-naell-vell SCAR-hook
sten “stern” · vell “silk sash” · scar · hook
Tamulie Grimbones
Say it: TA-mu-li-e GRIM-bo-nes
tam “drumbeat” · ie “little” · grim “fierce” · bones
Kitybard Bonegale
Say it: KI-ty-bard BONE-gale
kit “sea chest” · ard “hardy” · bone · gale “strong wind”
Kitiacrest Grimhand
Say it: KI-ti-a-crest GRIM-hand
kit “sea chest” · crest “wave crest” · grim “fierce” · hand
Garib Seatooth
Say it: GA-rib SEA-tooth
gar “garfish” · eb “ebb” · sea “open sea” · tooth
Redian Grimane
Say it: RE-di-an GRIM-ane
red · on “the stout” · grim “fierce” · mane “shaggy mane”
Quilloan Redbeard
Say it: QUIL-loan RED-beard
quill “feather pen” · on “the stout” · red · beard
Baryrro Barbshark
Say it: BA-ryr-ro BARB-shark
bar “sandbar” · o “the bold” · barb “barbed point” · shark
Rookonoble Saltbeard
Say it: ROO-ko-noble SALT-beard
rook “swindler” · noble “gold coin” · salt · beard
Jackeeto Blackhook
Say it: JAC-kee-to BLACK-hook
jack “sailor” · o “the bold” · black · hook
Morowell Saltbones
Say it: MO-ro-well SALT-bo-nes
mor “the deep” · well “spring” · salt · bones
Kitamley Raggedmane
Say it: KI-tam-ley RAG-ged-mane
kit “sea chest” · ley “leeward” · ragged “tattered” · mane “shaggy mane”
Moreen Scarshark
Say it: MO-reen SCAR-shark
mor “the deep” · en “salt-worn” · scar · shark
Redearmont Ironheart
Say it: RE-dear-mont I-ron-heart
red · mont “mountain” · iron · heart
Fenol Rumtooth
Say it: FE-nol RUM-tooth
fen “fenland” · el “of the keel” · rum · tooth
Quilleckow Driftbeard
Say it: QUIL-lec-kow DRIFT-beard
quill “feather pen” · ow “barnacled” · drift “drifting” · beard
Redaingrace Goldgale
Say it: RE-dain-grace GOLD-gale
red · grace · gold · gale “strong wind”
Grimeavell Stormtide
Say it: GRI-mea-vell STORM-tide
grim “fierce” · vell “silk sash” · storm · tide
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