Name Generator Central

Archipelago Name Generator

Island Chains, Atolls and Scattered Isles

Places & Geography500 curated namesUpdated Free · no sign-up

Tap a name to copy it500 names in this generator

Generate archipelago names the way real island groups are named: after explorers, saints, shapes and sea conditions, in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Polynesian and invented styles. Built for fantasy maps, pirate campaigns, sailing stories and worldbuilding.

About archipelago names

Real archipelagos are usually named in one of five ways. Sailors describe what they saw or felt: the Windward and Leeward Islands, the Dry Tortugas (no fresh water), Îles Éparses (the Scattered Isles), the Halligen. Explorers name them after patrons and saints: Queen Elizabeth Islands, Islas de San Telmo, Îles des Saintes. Counting names such as the Thousand Islands, Kepulauan Seribu ('thousand islands' in Indonesian) and the Seven Sisters are common because groups are hard to count. Native names describe the sea or the ancestors: Tuamotu, Ha'apai, Haida Gwaii ('islands of the people'). And Greek geographers gave us Cyclades ('circular') and Sporades ('scattered'), a pattern fantasy maps borrow constantly.

The form-word matters as much as the descriptor. English offers Isles, Islands, Cays, Keys, Skerries and Holms; Spanish Islas; Portuguese Ilhas; French Îles; Italian Isole; Indonesian Kepulauan; and Polynesian names often carry motu (islet) or fenua (land). Atoll, Ring and Group signal coral formations rather than volcanic peaks.

A strong fictional archipelago name pairs a form-word with a single vivid image or a plausible historical origin: the Broken Crescent, Islas de la Tormenta, the Twelve Lamps. Skip gemstone-of-the-week names and think about who named it and why: a fisherman, a conquistador, a cartographer or the people who lived there first.

Tips for choosing a name

  • Decide who named the islands in-world (locals, colonizers, sailors) and pick the language and form-word to match; a chain called both 'Motu Rangi' and 'the Ember Isles' by different peoples adds instant history.
  • Use a shape or count for the whole group (the Broken Crescent, the Ninety Islands) and give the individual islands their own names; that mirrors real charts.
  • Choose the form-word for the geology: Cays and Keys for low sandy islets, Atolls and Rings for coral, Skerries and Holms for rocky northern waters, Isles for anything volcanic and dramatic.
  • Read the name aloud as a sailor would say it; short names like Lofoten, Exumas and Skelligs get used, while long ornamental names get shortened.
  • For pirate or naval campaigns, name a group after a hazard (the Broken Teeth, Islas de la Tormenta) so the name itself becomes a warning on the map.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an archipelago, an island chain and an atoll?

An archipelago is any group of islands. A chain is an archipelago strung out in a line, usually along a volcanic hotspot or fault (Hawaii, the Aleutians). An atoll is a ring of coral islets around a lagoon, and a group of atolls (the Maldives, Tuamotu) is also an archipelago.

How are archipelagos named in real life?

Most are named for a description (Windward Isles, Scattered Isles), a count (Thousand Islands), a saint or patron (Queen Elizabeth Islands, Islas de San Telmo), an indigenous word (Tuamotu, Haida Gwaii) or the largest island in the group (Socotra Archipelago, Kodiak Archipelago).

Can I use real archipelago names in a game or story?

Yes; geographic names are not copyrighted, and using or adapting a real name is common in fiction. The invented names here (the Broken Crescent, Islas de la Esperanza, Motu Rangi) are free for commercial use too.

How do I name a fantasy archipelago so it doesn't sound generic?

Anchor it in a specific image or event rather than an adjective: the Drowned Isles, the Isles of Nine Winds, the Twelve Lamps. Then borrow a real form-word (Cays, Skerries, Kepulauan) to give it a place in your world's languages.

All 500 archipelago names

Browse the full list
  • The Windward Isles
  • The Leeward Chain
  • The Scattered Isles
  • The Broken Crescent
  • The Thousand Sisters
  • The Seven Sisters
  • The Drowned Isles
  • The Kelp Islands
  • The Gull Islands
  • The Fog Islands
  • The Storm Isles
  • The Ember Isles
  • The Ash Islands
  • The Coral Ring
  • The Bone Isles
  • The Marrow Isles
  • The Isles of Sorrow
  • The Isles of Anchor
  • The Shoal Islands
  • The Sleeping Isles
  • The Wandering Isles
  • The Ninety Islands
  • The Twelve Lamps
  • The Compass Isles
  • The Cinder Atolls
  • The Halcyon Isles
  • The Sapphire Cays
  • The Pearl Cays
  • The Loggerhead Cays
  • The Manatee Keys
  • The Cormorant Isles
  • The Frigatebird Isles
  • The Tern Islands
  • The Sandpiper Cays
  • The Serpent Isles
  • The Skerry Chain
  • The Whitewater Skerries
  • The Northern Holms
  • The Grey Holms
  • The Reef of Kings
  • The Broken Teeth
  • The Dragon's Spine
  • The Giant's Causeway Isles
  • The Sea Wolf Isles
  • The Isles of Old Faith
  • The Isles of Nine Winds
  • Islas de las Perlas
  • Islas del Sol
  • Islas Encantadas
  • Islas de la Bahía
  • Islas Corales
  • Islas de San Telmo
  • Islas de la Cruz
  • Islas de la Ballena
  • Islas de los Frailes
  • Islas Doradas
  • Islas de la Esperanza
  • Islas de la Concepción
  • Ilhas dos Açores
  • Ilhas Desertas
  • Ilhas Selvagens
  • Ilhas do Sal
  • Ilhas dos Ventos
  • Ilhas de Santa Marta
  • Ilhas das Tartarugas
  • Ilhas da Lua
  • Îles du Vent
  • Îles de la Madeleine
  • Îles Chausey
  • Îles Éparses
  • Îles de la Petite Terre
  • Îles Glorieuses
  • Îles Kerguelen
  • Isole Eolie
  • Isole Egadi
  • Isole Pelagie
  • Isole Tremiti
  • Isole Pontine
  • Isole Sirene
  • Isole di Vento
  • Fenua Manu
  • Motu Rangi
  • Motu Tapu
  • Nuku Hiva Chain
  • Tuamotu
  • Tokelau
  • Manihiki Atolls
  • Fakarava Ring
  • Rangiroa
  • Ha'apai Group
  • Vava'u Group
  • Lau Group
  • Yasawa Islands
  • Mamanuca Islands
  • Kadavu Group
  • Marshall Atolls
  • Kiribati Chain
  • Nomuka Group
  • Rotuma Isles
  • Nukufetau
  • Aoraki Isles
  • Moturoa Isles
  • Waiheke Group
  • Kepulauan Seribu
  • Kepulauan Banda
  • Kepulauan Kei
  • Kepulauan Sangihe
  • Kepulauan Togean
  • Kepulauan Wakatobi
  • Kepulauan Anambas
  • Kepulauan Natuna
  • Kepulauan Raja Ampat
  • Ryukyu Islands
  • Ogasawara Islands
  • Goto Islands
  • Izu Islands
  • Yaeyama Islands
  • Oki Islands
  • Kerama Islands
  • Zhoushan Archipelago
  • Penghu Islands
  • Wanshan Archipelago
  • Miaodao Islands
  • Sulu Archipelago
  • Calamian Islands
  • Cuyo Islands
  • Babuyan Islands
  • Batanes Islands
  • Nicobar Islands
  • Lakshadweep
  • Maldive Atolls
  • Chagos Archipelago
  • Amirante Isles
  • Aldabra Group
  • Comoro Islands
  • Bijagós Archipelago
  • Bissagos Isles
  • Dahlak Archipelago
  • Farasan Islands
  • Socotra Archipelago
  • Kuria Muria Islands
  • Musandam Isles
  • Cyclades
  • Sporades
  • Dodecanese
  • Saronic Islands
  • Balearic Isles
  • Columbretes
  • Medes Isles
  • Frisian Islands
  • Ertholmene
  • Åland Islands
  • Kvarken Archipelago
  • Stockholm Skerries
  • Lofoten
  • Vesterålen
  • Faroe Islands
  • Orkney
  • Shetland
  • The Hebrides
  • The Small Isles
  • The Summer Isles
  • The Skelligs
  • The Blaskets
  • The Aran Islands
  • Magdalen Islands
  • Thousand Islands
  • Sea Islands
  • Outer Banks
  • Florida Keys
  • Dry Tortugas
  • Channel Islands
  • Farallon Islands
  • Gulf Islands
  • Haida Gwaii
  • Alexander Archipelago
  • Kodiak Archipelago
  • Aleutian Islands
  • Belcher Islands
  • Sverdrup Islands
  • Queen Elizabeth Islands
  • Galápagos
  • Juan Fernández Islands
  • Chiloé Archipelago
  • Falkland Islands
  • South Sandwich Islands
  • South Orkney Islands
  • Kerguelen Isles
  • Crozet Islands
  • Tristan da Cunha Group
  • Fernando de Noronha
  • Abrolhos Islands
  • Los Roques
  • Bocas del Toro Islands
  • Bay Islands
  • Grenadines
  • Exumas
  • Abacos
  • Berry Islands
  • Turks and Caicos
  • The Lantern Isles
  • The Isles of Salt
  • The Isles of Rust
  • The Cinder Sisters
  • The Hollow Isles
  • The Bell Islands
  • The Isles of Quiet Water
  • The Widow's Cays
  • The Hangman's Skerries
  • The Isles of the Drowned Bell
  • The Nine Anchors
  • The Forty Thieves
  • The Three Brothers
  • The Five Fingers
  • The Isles of Low Tide
  • The Slack-Water Isles
  • The Ebb Islands
  • The Riptide Cays
  • The Fathom Isles
  • The Sounding Isles
  • The Whistling Skerries
  • The Isles of Mist and Kelp
  • The Green Holms
  • The Black Skerries
  • The Red Cays
  • The White Sands Chain
  • The Amber Isles
  • The Copper Isles
  • The Iron Islands
  • The Tin Isles
  • The Isles of Slate
  • The Chalk Islands
  • The Flint Isles
  • The Granite Sisters
  • The Basalt Chain
  • The Isles of Glass
  • The Mirror Isles
  • The Isles of Bright Water
  • The Sunward Cays
  • The Moonward Isles
  • The Isles of Long Dusk
  • The Isles of First Light
  • The Dawnward Chain
  • The Duskward Holms
  • The Isles of Endless Wind
  • The Trade Wind Isles
  • The Doldrum Isles
  • The Isles of Slack Sails
  • The Isles of Good Harbour
  • The Safe Anchorage Isles
  • The Isles of False Harbour
  • The Wrecker's Cays
  • The Isles of Lost Ships
  • The Graveyard Isles
  • The Isles of Bones and Salt
  • The Whalebone Isles
  • The Isles of the Grey Whale
  • The Sealskin Skerries
  • The Walrus Holms
  • The Puffin Isles
  • The Gannet Skerries
  • The Kittiwake Isles
  • The Petrel Cays
  • The Albatross Isles
  • The Pelican Keys
  • The Osprey Cays
  • The Booby Islands
  • The Shearwater Isles
  • The Skua Skerries
  • The Heron Isles
  • The Turtle Cays
  • The Iguana Isles
  • The Isles of the Sea Lion
  • The Dolphin Chain
  • The Marlin Cays
  • The Barracuda Keys
  • The Isles of Old Nets
  • The Fisherman's Sisters
  • The Cockle Isles
  • The Oyster Cays
  • The Mussel Skerries
  • The Sponge Keys
  • The Isles of the Nine Saints
  • The Isles of St. Brendan
  • The Isles of the Bishop
  • The Abbot's Isles
  • The Pilgrim Cays
  • The Chapel Isles
  • The Isles of the Old Monastery
  • The Hermit Isles
  • The Isles of the Sea Kings
  • The Admiral's Chain
  • The Governor's Isles
  • The Isles of the Lost Fleet
  • The Isles of Two Flags
  • The Border Isles
  • The Isles of Treaty
  • The Isles of the Old Watch
  • The Beacon Isles
  • The Signal Cays
  • The Lighthouse Chain
  • The Isles of the Broken Mast
  • The Barnacle Isles
  • The Keelhaul Cays
  • The Isles of Slow Fever
  • The Quarantine Isles
  • The Isles of Blue Smoke
  • The Steaming Isles
  • The Isles of Hot Springs
  • The Geyser Chain
  • The Isles of the Sleeping Fire
  • The Cauldron Isles
  • The Isles of Falling Ash
  • The Pumice Cays
  • The Half-Moon Atolls
  • The Sickle Isles
  • The Horseshoe Chain
  • The Ring of Nine
  • The Isles of the Wide Lagoon
  • The Inner Ring
  • The Outer Ring
  • The Isles of the Long Reef
  • The Necklace Isles
  • The Isles of Scattered Pearls
  • The Isles of Bright Coral
  • The Sunken Ring
  • The Isles of Low Palms
  • The Coconut Cays
  • The Breadfruit Isles
  • The Mangrove Chain
  • The Isles of Tall Cane
  • The Cedar Isles
  • The Isles of Wild Goats
  • The Isles of the Wild Boar
  • The Rat Islands
  • The Fox Islands
  • The Isles of the Sea Otter
  • The Isles of Bright Frost
  • The Isles of Floating Ice
  • The Isles of the Long Night
  • The Midnight Sun Isles
  • The Isles of Wind and Stone
  • The Isles of Old Snow
  • The Skerries of Sorrow
  • The Isles of Cold Comfort
  • The Isles of the Wandering Star
  • The Isles of the North Star
  • The Isles of the Southern Cross
  • The Isles of Seven Stars
  • The Pleiades Cays
  • The Isles of the Morning Star
  • Islas de la Tormenta
  • Islas del Viento
  • Islas de la Niebla
  • Islas de los Pescadores
  • Islas de las Tortugas
  • Islas de la Luna
  • Islas de las Garzas
  • Islas del Coral
  • Islas de los Santos
  • Islas de San Andrés
  • Islas de Santa Clara
  • Islas de la Trinidad
  • Islas de los Reyes
  • Islas del Almirante
  • Islas de la Fortuna
  • Islas Perdidas
  • Islas Olvidadas
  • Islas de la Sal
  • Islas de Fuego
  • Islas de la Ceniza
  • Islas de los Lobos
  • Islas de las Focas
  • Islas de las Gaviotas
  • Islas de los Pelícanos
  • Islas de la Aurora
  • Islas del Ocaso
  • Islas de la Paz
  • Islas del Diablo
  • Islas de los Ángeles
  • Islas del Silencio
  • Islas de la Soledad
  • Islas de la Virgen
  • Islas de la Misericordia
  • Islas de Todos los Santos
  • Islas del Rosario
  • Islas de San Bernardo
  • Islas de la Plata
  • Islas Marías
  • Islas Coronado
  • Islas Revillagigedo
  • Islas Cíes
  • Islas Chafarinas
  • Islas de Barlovento
  • Islas de Sotavento
  • Islas de la Bahía Escondida
  • Ilhas de São Tomé
  • Ilhas de Santa Cruz
  • Ilhas da Boa Fortuna
  • Ilhas Formosas
  • Ilhas da Coroa
  • Ilhas Verdes
  • Ilhas Brancas
  • Ilhas das Aves
  • Ilhas de Cabo Verde
  • Ilhas Cagarras
  • Ilhas Berlengas
  • Ilhas Tinhosas
  • Ilhas Primeiras
  • Ilhas Segundas
  • Ilhas Quirimbas
  • Îles de la Tempête
  • Îles du Brouillard
  • Îles des Pêcheurs
  • Îles Sainte-Marguerite
  • Îles Perdues
  • Îles des Phoques
  • Îles du Couchant
  • Îles de la Toussaint
  • Îles d'Argent
  • Îles Lavezzi
  • Îles Sanguinaires
  • Îles d'Hyères
  • Îles de Lérins
  • Îles Frioul
  • Îles du Salut
  • Îles Loyauté
  • Îles Australes
  • Îles Gambier
  • Îles Sous-le-Vent
  • Isole della Nebbia
  • Isole dei Santi
  • Isole Perdute
  • Isole di Fuoco
  • Isole dei Gabbiani
  • Isole del Tramonto
  • Isole d'Argento
  • Isole Borromee
  • Isole di Brissago
  • Isole Cheradi
  • Îles des Saintes
  • Isles of Scilly
  • Farne Islands
  • St Kilda
  • Treshnish Isles
  • Flannan Isles
  • Shiant Isles
  • Vestmannaeyjar
  • Vega Archipelago
  • Svalbard
  • Franz Josef Land
  • Kuril Islands
  • Commander Islands
  • Pribilof Islands
  • Andaman Islands
  • Mergui Archipelago
  • Kepulauan Mentawai
  • Kepulauan Aru
  • Kepulauan Tanimbar
  • Kepulauan Karimunjawa
  • Kepulauan Derawan
  • Kepulauan Talaud
  • Amakusa Islands
  • Tokara Islands
  • Koshikijima
  • Ionian Islands
  • Kornati Archipelago
  • Elaphiti Islands
  • Brijuni Islands
  • Turku Archipelago
  • Solovetsky Islands
  • Louisiade Archipelago
  • Bismarck Archipelago
  • Trobriand Islands
  • D'Entrecasteaux Islands
  • Torres Strait Islands
  • Whitsunday Islands
  • Furneaux Group
  • Recherche Archipelago
  • Chatham Islands
  • Kermadec Islands
  • Society Islands
  • Marquesas
  • Line Islands
  • Phoenix Islands
  • Caroline Islands
  • Corn Islands
  • San Blas Islands
  • Islas del Cisne
  • Los Testigos
  • Motu Ora Chain
  • Fenua Tahi
  • Nuku Ono Atolls
  • Motu Ahi Ring
  • Tokamaru Group
  • Rangi Atolls
  • Kepulauan Bintang
  • Kepulauan Mutiara
  • Kepulauan Karang Naga
  • Hoshi-shotō

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