Aboriginal Name Generator
Aboriginal Australian names from Kirra to Pemulwuy
Generate Aboriginal Australian names: language-derived given names like Kirra, Jarrah, Alinta and Yindi, Noongar words used as names, Warlpiri and Pintupi skin names, Tiwi and Anmatyerr family names, surnames from Aboriginal communities across the country, and the names of historical figures such as Bennelong, Truganini and Yagan.
About Aboriginal names
There is no single Aboriginal language: before 1788 Australia had more than 250 languages, so an Aboriginal name always belongs to a place. The given names most Australians recognise are words that entered general use from particular languages: Kylie (karli, a boomerang, Noongar), Jarrah (the Noongar tree djarraly), Kirra, Alinta (fire), Yindi (sun), Tarni, Killara, Bindi and Jedda, the last made famous by a 1955 film. Noongar words such as Maali (black swan), Djinda (star), Koolbardi (magpie) and Kaya (hello) are increasingly chosen as names in Western Australia.
Modern Aboriginal names usually look like any Australian name on paper, a given name plus a surname, but the surnames carry history. In the Western Desert the eight skin names that organise kinship are used as surnames, which is why so many artists are named Napaljarri, Nungarrayi, Tjapaltjarri or Tjungurrayi. Anmatyerr families use Kngwarreye, Petyarre and Pwerle, Tiwi families Tipungwuti and Puruntatameri, and Ngarrindjeri families in South Australia Kartinyeri, Rigney and Trevorrow. In the south-east, surnames such as Briggs, Lovett, Atkinson, Onus and Bamblett are shared across large Aboriginal families, while Ah Kit and Bin Salleh reflect Chinese and Malay heritage in the north.
The list adds historical figures, from Bennelong, Pemulwuy and Yagan to David Unaipon and Vincent Lingiari; the tips note where cultural protocols apply. The names and meanings on this page have not been checked by speakers of any Aboriginal language. If you need a real name from a particular language, contact that community's own language centre.
How to choose Aboriginal names
- Name the country, not just the continent. A Noongar name from Perth, a Warlpiri name from the Tanami and a Wiradjuri name from central New South Wales come from languages as different as English and Greek, so decide where your character or story is set before choosing.
- For a contemporary character, pair a language-derived given name with a real community surname (Kirra Briggs, Jarrah Collard, Alinta Napaljarri); that is how most Aboriginal names actually read today, and it avoids the cliché of a single 'exotic' word.
- Skin names such as Napaljarri or Tjapaltjarri are kinship terms, not random surnames: everyone with the same skin name is classed as sibling, so keep them consistent within a fictional family.
- Many Aboriginal communities avoid speaking or writing the name of someone who has recently died, and some sacred words and ancestral names are restricted. The historical names here are well-known public figures; do not attach the name of a living or recently deceased person to a fictional character.
- Online lists of 'Aboriginal baby names' often give meanings without a language. When a meaning matters to you, check it against a dictionary of the specific language (Noongar, Kaurna, Yolngu Matha, Warlpiri) or ask the relevant language centre.
Frequently asked questions
What are common Aboriginal names used in Australia today?
Kylie, Kirra, Jarrah, Alinta, Jedda, Yindi, Tarni, Killara, Bindi, Talia, Allira, Kiah, Marlee and Nerida are all in general Australian use and have Aboriginal-language origins or associations, though some of them came through films, place names or early settler spellings rather than directly from a community.
Did Aboriginal people have surnames before colonisation?
No; surnames arrived with colonisation and were taken from stations, missions, employers or relatives. In the Western Desert the subsection or skin names (Napaljarri, Nungarrayi, Tjapaltjarri, Tjupurrula and so on) became surnames, Tiwi and Arnhem Land families use clan-based surnames, and families in the south-east mostly carry English surnames that have been Aboriginal family names for six or seven generations.
Is it appropriate to use Aboriginal names for characters or babies?
Language-derived given names in general use (Kirra, Jarrah, Alinta) are widely used by Australians of all backgrounds. Be more careful with sacred terms, ancestral names, names of the recently deceased, and clan-specific Yolngu or Arnhem Land names, which belong to particular families. If you are writing an Aboriginal character, research the specific nation and, where possible, consult its community or language centre. The names and meanings on this page have not been checked by speakers of any Aboriginal language. If you need a real name from a particular language, contact that community's own language centre.
Who are the historical figures in this generator?
Bennelong, Barangaroo, Pemulwuy and Patyegarang were Eora people who dealt with the first Sydney colony; Yagan and Midgegooroo were Noongar leaders; Windradyne was Wiradjuri; Truganini, Mannalargenna and Walyer were Tasmanian Aboriginal people; Jandamarra led resistance in the Kimberley. David Unaipon, Albert Namatjira, William Cooper, Vincent Lingiari, Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Charles Perkins and Neville Bonner are twentieth-century inventors, artists, activists and politicians.
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All 500 Aboriginal names
A: 38 names
- Akala
- Akala Gollan
- Akala Walley
- Albert Namatjira
- Aleeta
- Aleeta Hampton
- Aleeta Narkle
- Alinta
- Alinta Harrison
- Alinta Lovett
- Alinta Nungarrayi
- Alira
- Alira Bennell
- Alira Dodd
- Alkina
- Alkina Wanganeen
- Alkira
- Alkira Bamblett
- Alkira Bell
- Alkira Pengarte
- Allambee
- Allambee Davis
- Allambee Hart
- Allira
- Allira Kemarre
- Allira Moffatt
- Allira Nelson
- Allira Newry
- Amarina
- Amarina Dodson
- Amarina Wonaeamirri
- Anthony Martin Fernando
- Araluen
- Araluen Agius
- Araluen Garlett
- Aroona
- Aroona Carter
- Aroona Jerrard
B: 51 names
- Balun
- Balun Hunter
- Balun Japanangka
- Balun Newchurch
- Barangaroo
- Bardi
- Bardi Ward
- Barega
- Barega Lyons
- Baringa
- Baringa King
- Bennelong
- Bilin Bilin
- Bill Onus
- Bilya
- Bilya Collard
- Binda
- Binda Lovett
- Bindi
- Bindi Dunn
- Bindi Moore
- Bindi Nangala
- Bindi Onus
- Binna
- Binna Craigie
- Binna Pascoe
- Biraban
- Birak
- Birak Bennell
- Birak Mippy
- Birrani
- Birrani Copley
- Birrani Tjakamarra
- Birrani Tucker
- Bob Maza
- Boori
- Boori Hayes
- Bunda
- Bunda Miller
- Bunda Trevorrow
- Bundara
- Bundara Mason
- Bundilla
- Bundilla Kartinyeri
- Bundilla Ugle
- Bungaree
- Burnum
- Burnum Burnum
- Burnum Dixon
- Burnum Kropinyeri
- Bussamarai
C: 18 names
- Calyute
- Carinya
- Carinya Colbung
- Carinya Lindsay
- Charles Perkins
- Cooinda
- Cooinda Gilbert
- Cooinda Kropinyeri
- Coorah
- Coorah Munkara
- Coorah Pearce
- Cora Gooseberry
- Coreen
- Coreen Bropho
- Coreen Milera
- Corinna
- Corinna Rankine
- Corinna Stanley
D: 30 names
- Daku
- Daku Ross
- Dalaipi
- Darana
- Darana Scott
- Darri
- Darri Rigney
- Darri Wright
- David Unaipon
- Delba
- Delba Kickett
- Delba Moreton
- Derain
- Derain Webb
- Dick Roughsey
- Djarra
- Djarra Jampijinpa
- Djarra Little
- Djarra Sumner
- Djilba
- Djilba Bodney
- Djilba Walley
- Djinda
- Djinda Bellear
- Djinda Humphries
- Djinda Lawton
- Djinda Puruntatameri
- Djiti Djiti
- Doug Nicholls
- Dundalli
E: 9 names
- Elanora
- Elanora Jarrett
- Ellin
- Ellin Fejo
- Ellin Sumner
- Eloura
- Eloura Pickett
- Eloura Weetra
- Eumarrah
F: 2 names
- Fanny Cochrane Smith
- Fred Maynard
G: 4 names
- Galmahra
- Ganan
- Ganan Day
- Gidgee
H: 1 name
- Harold Blair
I: 6 names
- Illira
- Illira Humphries
- Illira Newchurch
- Iluka
- Iluka Simms
- Iluka Tipungwuti
J: 33 names
- Jack Davis
- Jack Patten
- Jakamarra
- Jampijinpa
- Jandamarra
- Jangala
- Japaljarri
- Japanangka
- Japangardi
- Jarli
- Jarli Timbery
- Jarli Tipiloura
- Jarrah
- Jarrah Jupurrurla
- Jarrah Koolmatrie
- Jarrah Saunders
- Jedda
- Jedda Atkinson
- Jedda Austin
- Jedda Nakamarra
- Jiemba
- Jiemba Trevorrow
- Jiemba Wanganeen
- Jimmy Clements
- Jindi
- Jindi Buckskin
- Jindi Russell
- Jindi Tjungurrayi
- Jirra
- Jirra Dargin
- Jirra Page
- Jungarrayi
- Jupurrurla
K: 67 names
- Kaiya
- Kaiya Burgoyne
- Kaiya Wilson
- Kalina
- Kalina Gower
- Kalina Ingram
- Kalinda
- Kalinda Kelly
- Kalinda Ngale
- Kambarang
- Kambarang Hansen
- Kambarang Narkle
- Kantilla
- Karla
- Karla Nannup
- Karri
- Karri Stewart
- Karri Tjapangati
- Kaya
- Kaya Kennedy
- Kaya Kickett
- Kaya Penangke
- Kaya Towney
- Kemarre
- Kerinaiua
- Kevin Gilbert
- Kiah
- Kiah Clarke
- Kiah Nungurrayi
- Kiah Patten
- Kiandra
- Kiandra Rigney
- Kiari
K, continued
- Kiari Japangardi
- Kiari Johnson
- Kiari Rigney
- Killara
- Killara Firebrace
- Killara Nampijinpa
- Killara Nangan
- Killara Nicholls
- Kirra
- Kirra Ah Mat
- Kirra Briggs
- Kirra Mullett
- Kirra Napaljarri
- Kirri
- Kirri Gollan
- Kirri Young
- Kirrily
- Kirrily Connors
- Kirrily Kirby
- Kngwarreye
- Koolbardi
- Koolbardi Garlett
- Koort
- Koort Narkle
- Kulan
- Kulan Fuller
- Kura
- Kura Wanganeen
- Kura Winmar
- Kyeema
- Kyeema Collard
- Kyeema O'Loughlin
- Kylie
- Kylie Foley
L: 6 names
- Lirra
- Lirra Bonner
- Lowanna
- Lowanna Fisher
- Lowanna Hayes
- Lowanna Napaltjarri
M: 66 names
- Maali
- Maali Eades
- Maali Gibbs
- Maali Napangati
- Maali Weldon
- Mallee
- Mallee Munro
- Mallee Varcoe
- Mandu
- Mandu Grant
- Mannalargenna
- Margaret Tucker
- Marlee
- Marlee Ferguson
- Marlee Nampitjinpa
- Marlee Walker
- Marlu
- Marlu Agius
- Marlu Jangala
- Marlu Quinn
- Marri
- Marri Vincent
- Maulboyheenner
- Merinda
- Merinda Portaminni
- Merinda Ridgeway
- Miak
- Miak Garlett
- Miak Woods
- Midgegooroo
- Mindi
- Mindi Motlop
- Mindi Varcoe
M, continued
- Minjarra
- Minjarra Copley
- Minjarra Jetta
- Miro
- Miro Ives
- Mirrabooka
- Mirrabooka Briggs
- Mirragin
- Mirragin Nannup
- Mirragin Rathman
- Mirri
- Mirri Donovan
- Mirri Perrurle
- Mirrin
- Mirrin Atkinson
- Mokare
- Monah
- Monah Rankin
- Monah Woods
- Monti
- Monti Kemp
- Moodjar
- Moodjar Bropho
- Multuggerah
- Mundi
- Mundi Dodd
- Mundi Tjapaltjarri
- Mundi Watson
- Munkara
- Musquito
- Myee
- Myee Anderson
- Myee Pwerle
N: 34 names
- Nakamarra
- Nampijinpa
- Nampitjinpa
- Nangala
- Napaljarri
- Napaltjarri
- Napanangka
- Napangardi
- Napangati
- Napurrula
- Nara
- Nara Brady
- Nara Cook
- Narelle
- Narelle Kerinaiua
- Narelle Lester
- Nemarluk
- Nerida
- Nerida Petyarre
- Nerida Williams
- Neville Bonner
- Ngale
- Ningali
- Ningali Krakouer
- Ningali Sansbury
- Nioka
- Nioka Bowie
- Nioka Pitt
- Nullah
- Nullah Japaljarri
- Nullah Lindsay
- Nullah Thorpe
- Nungarrayi
- Nungurrayi
O: 3 names
- Oodgeroo Noonuccal
- Orana
- Orana Pearson
P: 20 names
- Panyana
- Panyana Mippy
- Panyana Rigney
- Patyegarang
- Pearl Gibbs
- Pemulwuy
- Penangke
- Pengarte
- Percy Mumbulla
- Perrurle
- Petyarre
- Pindan
- Pindan Nolan
- Pindari
- Pindari Egan
- Pindari Sansbury
- Pindari Tjupurrula
- Portaminni
- Puruntatameri
- Pwerle
T: 46 names
- Talia
- Talia Chatfield
- Talia Cox
- Talia Murray
- Talia Napangardi
- Tallara
- Tallara Coe
- Tallara Kngwarreye
- Tanami
- Tanami Farmer
- Tanami Koolmatrie
- Taree
- Taree Rankine
- Taree Wilson
- Tarni
- Tarni Cooper
- Tarni Cruse
- Tarni Napanangka
- Tarni Roe
- Tarwin
- Tarwin Oakley
- Tathra
- Tathra Buckskin
- Tathra Yarran
- Tedbury
- Tipiloura
- Tipungwuti
- Tirranna
- Tirranna Bodney
- Tirranna Sparrow
- Tjakamarra
- Tjampitjinpa
- Tjangala
- Tjapaltjarri
- Tjapanangka
- Tjapangati
- Tjungurrayi
- Tjupurrula
- Tommy Windich
- Truganini
- Tuan
- Tuan Hampton
- Tuan Long
- Tuart
- Tuart Taylor
- Tunnerminnerwait
V: 1 name
- Vincent Lingiari
W: 38 names
- Waalitj
- Waalitj Bennell
- Walyer
- Wandi
- Wandi Nannup
- Wandoo
- Wandoo Collard
- Waratah
- Wardan
- Wardan Colbung
- Wardong
- Wardong Walley
- Warrigal
- Warrigal Fitzgerald
- Warrigal Jungarrayi
- Warrigal Moreton
- Warrin
- Warrin Harris
- Warrin Tjangala
- Warrin Weetra
- William Cooper
- William Ferguson
- Windradyne
- Wirra
- Wirra Bostock
- Wirra Fernando
- Wirrin
- Wirrin Peters
- Wirrin Tjampitjinpa
- Wonaeamirri
- Wongai
- Wongai Yates
- Woollarawarre Bennelong
- Woureddy
- Wylie
- Wyuna
- Wyuna Blair
- Wyuna Kartinyeri