Inuit Name Generator

Inuit names come from a family of closely related languages spoken from Alaska across Arctic Canada to Greenland, so an 'Inuit name' can be Inupiaq, Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun or Kalaallisut. Traditional given names are usually unisex and often describe the natural world: Nanuq (polar bear), Siku (sea ice), Aput (snow on the ground), Ukpik (snowy owl), Tulugaq (raven), Siqiniq (sun) and Taqqiq (moon). Names are also passed down through the custom of naming a child after a recently deceased relative or respected person, which is why the same names recur across generations and communities.

Surnames are a newer layer. In Nunavut, families took Inuktitut surnames during Project Surname in 1970, typically a grandparent's given name, giving family names like Kilabuk, Qamaniq, Ipeelie, Tunnillie and Pootoogook. Many Canadian Inuit also carry Christian given names rendered in Inuktitut, such as Elisapee, Pauloosie, Jamesie and Mosesie. In Greenland, Kalaallit given names like Pipaluk, Ivalu, Minik, Aqqalu and Paninnguaq sit alongside Danish-era surnames such as Lynge, Kleist and Motzfeldt, while Alaskan Inupiaq families use names like Ahmaogak, Nageak and Nayokpuk.

The list mixes all three regions so you can find a single traditional name, a realistic full name for a character, or a name with a meaning that fits a child, pet or story.