Ninja Nickname Generator

Epithets, code names and bynames for shadow warriors

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Generate ninja nicknames, epithets and code names: English bynames like Silent Fang, Night Heron and the Ghost of Iga, Japanese words with a gloss like Tasogare (Twilight), tool names like Indigo Hood and party names like Captain Tiptoe.

About this generator

A ninja nickname is the name other people use for someone whose real name they never learned: an epithet, a code name or a byname. That makes this page different from the ninja name and shinobi name generators, which deal Japanese given names and clan names. Nothing here is a full personal name. Every entry is something a rival, a handler or a dojo friend would call you.

Most of the list is in English and built the way these nicknames work in fiction. Epithets pair a quiet adjective with a small, concrete noun (Silent Fang, Ash Step, Loose Tile). Animal names favor night hunters and creatures that get into houses unseen, such as Night Heron and Ceiling Gecko. "The ... of ..." bynames tie a figure to a place, often Iga or Koga, the two regions most closely linked with shinobi in Japanese history and legend. Tool names and numbered callsigns suit squads and game handles.

About one name in six is a Japanese word or phrase with its English gloss in parentheses, such as Kagerō (Heat Haze) or Jigokumimi (Sharp Ears). A few, like Kusa (Grass) and Nokizaru (Eaves Monkey), are period words for spies. The rest of the list is for birthday parties and kids' classes: Captain Tiptoe, Noodle Ninja and Backflip Ben.

Tips for choosing a name

  • Choose by use. A story character suits an epithet or a place byname (Hollow Reed, the Crow of Negoro), a game handle suits one word (Hush, Penumbra, Inkblot) and a kids' party suits the funny group (Sock Slider, Thunder Toes).
  • Keep it short enough to whisper. Two or three beats work best, because a nickname is what other characters actually say out loud.
  • Pair the nickname with a given name from the ninja or shinobi generator for a full character, in the form "Kasumi, called Night Heron".
  • If you pick a Japanese byname, keep the gloss with it so readers get the meaning. The macron marks a long vowel; where your game cannot show one, write Kagero or Fukuro instead.
  • For a team, draw from one style so the members sound like one clan: all animals, all tools, or all callsigns such as Crow Nine, Fox Four and Heron Six.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good ninja nickname?

For a serious character try Silent Fang, Pale Lantern, The Third Shadow or the Ghost of Iga. For a Japanese byname look at Kurokaze (Black Wind) or Tasogare (Twilight). For something light, Captain Tiptoe and Sir Sneaks-a-Lot are hard to beat.

Did historical ninja really have nicknames like these?

Reliable records of shinobi are thin, and much of the popular picture comes from later plays, novels and films. What the sources do show is spies working under disguises and cover identities. The epithets on this page follow the fiction tradition and do not come from any historical roll.

Are the Japanese nicknames real words?

Yes. Each one is an ordinary Japanese word or phrase with a plain English gloss in parentheses, such as Mikazuki (Crescent Moon) or Shinobiashi (Stealthy Footsteps). They are bynames and not personal names, so for given and clan names use the ninja name or shinobi name generator.

Are there ninja nicknames for kids and parties?

Yes. One group is written for birthday parties and kids' martial arts classes, with names like Pillow Ninja, Dumpling Dasher and Freeze Tag Legend. Another gives alliterative dojo nicknames such as Tiptoe Tina and Quick Kenji, and the whole list is family friendly.

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All 500 names

This is the complete list the generator above draws its random batches from, sorted A to Z and grouped by first letter.

Plain text, one name per line.

A: 7 names

  • Accidental Ninja
  • Agent Origami
  • Alibi
  • Alley Cat
  • Arashi (Storm)
  • Asagiri (Morning Mist)
  • Ash Step

B: 23 names

  • Backflip Ben
  • Backyard Shadow
  • Bamboo One
  • Bamboo Viper
  • Banana Peel
  • Bedtime Escape Artist
  • Bent Needle
  • Bird Call
  • Bitter Plum
  • Blank
  • Blanket Fort Sentinel
  • Blind Corner
  • Blowdart
  • Blue Smoke
  • Blunt Arrow
  • Blur
  • Bo Staff
  • Borrowed Face
  • Bramble
  • Broken Bell
  • Bubble Wrap Walker
  • Bull in a Dojo
  • Burnt Cedar

C: 22 names

  • Caltrop
  • Camo Cam
  • Captain Tiptoe
  • Cartwheel Cora
  • Cat Claws
  • Cedar Owl
  • Cedar Twenty
  • Ceiling Gecko
  • Centipede
  • Chain Sickle
  • Chimney Swift
  • Climbing Claws
  • Closed Fan
  • Clouded Leopard
  • Clumsy Ninja
  • Cold Ember
  • Cold Tea
  • Cold Trail
  • Cormorant
  • Creaky Knees
  • Cricket Box
  • Crow Nine

D: 12 names

  • Decoy
  • Deep Well
  • Denkō Sekka (Quick as Lightning)
  • Dim Star
  • Dojo Base
  • Double Blank
  • Drifting Smoke
  • Drizzle
  • Dry Leaf
  • Ducking Dan
  • Dumpling Dasher
  • Dusk Bat

E: 9 names

  • Early Dusk
  • Eaves
  • Echo
  • Eddy
  • Eel in the Moat
  • Eggshell Bomb
  • Ellipsis
  • Ember Five
  • Empty Sleeve

F: 22 names

  • Falling Leaf
  • False Floor
  • False Trail
  • Far Bell
  • Feather Step
  • Feint
  • Firecracker
  • First Frost
  • Flash Powder
  • Flicker
  • Flint
  • Flip Kick Finn
  • Flying Squirrel
  • Folding Saw
  • Footnote
  • Four-Point Star
  • Fox Four
  • Freeze Tag Legend
  • Fridge Raider
  • Fubuki (Blizzard)
  • Fukumen (Masked)
  • Fukurō (Owl)

G: 12 names

  • Ghost Crab
  • Ghost Eleven
  • Gingitsune (Silver Fox)
  • Ginrō (Silver Wolf)
  • Glide
  • Glint
  • Gloam
  • Goisagi (Night Heron)
  • Gone by Dawn
  • Goshawk
  • Grapple Hook
  • Gray Silk

H: 18 names

  • Half Seen
  • Hayate (Gale)
  • Hermit Crab
  • Heron Six
  • Hiccup
  • Hidden Stair
  • Hidden Thorn
  • High Branch
  • High Kick Hiro
  • Hinge
  • Hollow Reed
  • Hollow Staff
  • Homework Dodger
  • Horseshoe Bat
  • Hotaru (Firefly)
  • Hungry Ninja
  • Hush
  • Hush-Hush Hana

I: 12 names

  • Iga no Karasu (Crow of Iga)
  • Inazuma (Lightning)
  • Indigo Cloak
  • Indigo Hood
  • Ink Lotus
  • Ink Octopus
  • Ink Sparrow
  • Inkblot
  • Invisible Izzy
  • Iron Fan
  • Iron Petal
  • Izayoi (Sixteenth-Night Moon)

J: 5 names

  • Jackdaw
  • Jigokumimi (Sharp Ears)
  • Juice Box Ninja
  • Jumping Jun
  • Jumping Spider

K: 26 names

  • Kagebōshi (Silhouette)
  • Kagefumi (Shadow Tag)
  • Kagerō (Heat Haze)
  • Kamaitachi (Sickle Weasel)
  • Kamakiri (Mantis)
  • Kamikakushi (Hidden by the Spirits)
  • Karasu (Crow)
  • Karasu Tengu (Crow Goblin)
  • Karate Chopsticks
  • Kazakiri (Wind Cutter)
  • Kemuri (Smoke)
  • Keyhole
  • Kingfisher
  • Kitsunebi (Foxfire)
  • Kōga no Kumo (Spider of Koga)
  • Kogarashi (Winter Wind)
  • Kogarasu (Little Crow)
  • Koi in the Dark
  • Kōmori (Bat)
  • Kurama no Kaze (Wind of Kurama)
  • Kurayami (Darkness)
  • Kurokaze (Black Wind)
  • Kuroko (Stagehand in Black)
  • Kuroneko (Black Cat)
  • Kuroshio (Black Current)
  • Kusa (Grass)

L: 20 names

  • Lantern Moth
  • Lantern Zero
  • Last Candle
  • Latch
  • Late Snow
  • Lattice
  • Leaf Mantis
  • Leaping Lena
  • Light Step
  • Lightfoot Lucy
  • Little Owl
  • Lockpick
  • Long Reach
  • Loose Tile
  • Lotus Three
  • Loud Sneeze
  • Low Sweep Lou
  • Low Tide
  • Lucky Shuriken
  • Lull

M: 24 names

  • Maboroshi (Illusion)
  • Mamushi (Pit Viper)
  • Marsh Firefly
  • Marsh Harrier
  • Masked Max
  • Master of Hide and Seek
  • Mayonaka (Midnight)
  • Metsuke (Watcher)
  • Midnight Mia
  • Midnight Snacker
  • Mighty Mika
  • Mikazuki (Crescent Moon)
  • Mirage
  • Mist Crane
  • Mist Eight
  • Moon Bear
  • Moss Toad
  • Moth Two
  • Mountain Hawk
  • Mudskipper
  • Mugon (Wordless)
  • Mumei (Nameless)
  • Murmur
  • Mutō (No Sword)

N: 26 names

  • Nagareboshi (Shooting Star)
  • Nanashi (No Name)
  • Narrow Gate
  • Near Miss
  • Negoro no Taka (Hawk of Negoro)
  • Nekome (Cat's Eye)
  • Nettle
  • Never There
  • Night Heron
  • Nightingale Floor
  • Nightjar
  • Nightshade
  • Nimble Nora
  • Nine Knots
  • Ninja Grandma
  • Ninja Nugget
  • Ninja Pants
  • Ninth Crane
  • No Creak
  • No-Noise Noah
  • Nobody Home
  • Nokizaru (Eaves Monkey)
  • Noodle Ninja
  • Nukiashi (Creeping Step)
  • Null
  • Number None

O: 10 names

  • Oborozuki (Hazy Moon)
  • Office Ninja
  • Ōkami (Wolf)
  • Onibi (Will-o'-the-Wisp)
  • Oniwaban (Garden Guard)
  • Onmitsu (Covert Agent)
  • Onyx
  • Open Hand
  • Origami
  • Owl Forty

P: 13 names

  • Paddy Frog
  • Pajama Shadow
  • Pale Lantern
  • Paper Crane
  • Paper Wall
  • Paper Wasp
  • Part-Time Ninja
  • Patient Stone
  • Pause
  • Penumbra
  • Pepper Dust
  • Pillow Ninja
  • Pine Marten

Q: 3 names

  • Quick Kenji
  • Quiet Quinn
  • Quiet Thunder

R: 21 names

  • Raccoon Dog
  • Rafters
  • Rain Step
  • Ramen Raider
  • Rat Snake
  • Red Panda
  • Red Thread
  • Reed Pipe
  • Reed Ten
  • Reed Warbler
  • Revolving Wall
  • Rice Paper
  • River Otter
  • Rolling Ren
  • Roof Cat
  • Rooftop Actual
  • Rooftop Riley
  • Rope Ladder
  • Rumor
  • Rustle
  • Rusty Shuriken

S: 58 names

  • Sazanami (Ripple)
  • Sealed Letter
  • Second Shadow
  • Seijaku (Stillness)
  • Senkō (Flash)
  • Senrigan (Thousand-League Eyes)
  • Shadow Sadie
  • Shadow Seven
  • Shard
  • Shiden (Violet Lightning)
  • Shigure (Passing Autumn Rain)
  • Shinobiashi (Stealthy Footsteps)
  • Shirogitsune (White Fox)
  • Shirohebi (White Snake)
  • Shiver
  • Shunsoku (Swift Feet)
  • Side Window
  • Sidestep Sid
  • Signal Fire
  • Silent Fang
  • Silk Knife
  • Silkworm
  • Sir Sneaks-a-Lot
  • Skeleton Key
  • Skim
  • Slate
  • Sleeping Blade
  • Sleeping Dust
  • Sleepy Ninja

S, continued

  • Sliding Sora
  • Sliver
  • Slow River
  • Smoke Bomb
  • Smoke Screen
  • Smudge
  • Snack Attack
  • Sneaky Pete
  • Snow Leopard
  • Snow Monkey
  • Sock Slider
  • Soft Rain
  • Somersault Sal
  • Soot
  • Soyokaze (Gentle Breeze)
  • Spaghetti Shuriken
  • Split Bamboo
  • Squeaky Shoes
  • Static
  • Stealth Mode
  • Stealthy Steve
  • Stick Insect
  • Still Water
  • Storm Petrel
  • Streak
  • Suzumebachi (Hornet)
  • Swift Sam
  • Swift Sandal
  • Sword Cane

T: 124 names

  • Taka (Hawk)
  • Taka no Me (Hawk's Eye)
  • Tasogare (Twilight)
  • Tatami
  • Tatsumaki (Tornado)
  • Temple Fox
  • Temple Mouse
  • The Basket Hat
  • the Bat of Odawara
  • The Borrowed Name
  • the Cat of Kanazawa
  • the Charcoal Burner of Tanba
  • The Clean Exit
  • The Cookie Bandit
  • the Crab of Awaji
  • the Crow of Negoro
  • the Draft Under the Door
  • the Drifter of the Nakasendo
  • the Eel of the Sumida
  • the Empty Palanquin
  • The Empty Sandal
  • The Extra Shadow
  • the Face in the Crowd
  • The Falling Petal
  • the Ferryman of the Kiso River
  • the Fisherman of Sado
  • The Flute Monk
  • the Footprint in the Snow
  • The Forgotten Guest
  • the Fox of Koga
  • the Frost of Shinano

T, continued

  • The Gap in the Wall
  • the Ghost of Iga
  • the Guest Nobody Invited
  • The Hallway Ghost
  • the Hand Behind the Screen
  • the Hawk of Kai
  • the Heron of Lake Biwa
  • The Hidden Seam
  • the Hole in the Roof
  • The Hour of the Ox
  • The Hour of the Rat
  • the Knock at Midnight
  • The Lantern Bearer
  • the Lantern of Old Kyoto
  • The Last Lantern
  • The Leftover Bandit
  • The Long Wait
  • The Loose Thread
  • The Missing Hour
  • the Mist of Yoshino
  • the Monk of Mount Koya
  • the Monkey of Hida
  • The Moonless Night
  • the Moth of Kamakura
  • the Mouse of Edo Castle
  • The Night Gardener
  • The Night Porter
  • the Nightingale of Nijo
  • The Ninth Bell
  • the One Who Wasn't There
  • The Open Window

T, continued

  • The Overlooked
  • the Owl of Nara
  • The Painted Screen
  • The Patient One
  • the Peddler of the Tokaido
  • the Pilgrim of Kumano
  • the Puppeteer of Awa
  • The Quiet One
  • the Rain of Suruga
  • The Rooftop Monk
  • The Seventh Step
  • the Shadow of Himeji
  • the Shadow on the Shoji
  • the Smoke of Mount Asama
  • the Snow of Echigo
  • The Snuffed Wick
  • The Soft Landing
  • the Sound of One Step
  • the Spider of Osaka
  • The Still Pond
  • The Street Juggler
  • The Tea Master
  • the Tea Seller of Uji
  • the Tengu of Mount Kurama
  • The Third Shadow
  • the Thorn of Satsuma
  • the Thunder of Dewa
  • the Tide of Tosa
  • The Unanswered Knock
  • The Uninvited
  • The Unlit Candle

T, continued

  • The Unseen
  • The Unwritten Name
  • the Whisper of Togakushi
  • the Wind of Sekigahara
  • the Wolf of Kiso
  • the Woodcutter of Kurama
  • The Wrong Servant
  • Thin Moon
  • Third Lantern from the Left
  • Thistle
  • Throwing Star
  • Thunder Toes
  • Tile Thirteen
  • Tinder
  • Tiny Ninja
  • Tiptoe Tina
  • Tofu Thunder
  • Togakushi no Yuki (Snow of Togakushi)
  • Torn Scroll
  • Trapdoor
  • Trapdoor Spider
  • Tree Frog
  • Trip Wire
  • Tsuchigumo (Earth Spider)
  • Tsuki no Kage (Shadow of the Moon)
  • Tsukikage (Moonlight)
  • Tsurara (Icicle)
  • Tumbling Tomo
  • Twice Gone
  • Twin Kunai
  • Two-Step Tess

U: 4 names

  • Umbra
  • Undertow
  • Unit Hush
  • Utsusemi (Cicada Shell)

V: 4 names

  • Vanishing Ink
  • Vanishing Val
  • Vapor
  • Velcro Shoes

W: 16 names

  • Wall-Run Wes
  • Warm Ash
  • Wasabi Surprise
  • Water Spider
  • Water Strider
  • Weasel in the Wall
  • Weekend Ninja
  • Wet Stone
  • Whisper
  • Whisper Twelve
  • Whispering Will
  • White Breath
  • Wick
  • Winter Hare
  • Wisp
  • Wrong Name

Y: 7 names

  • Yami no Tsume (Claw of Darkness)
  • Yamiyo (Dark Night)
  • Yoake (Daybreak)
  • Yogarasu (Night Crow)
  • Yogiri (Night Fog)
  • Yoru no Tobari (Curtain of Night)
  • Yūrei (Ghost)

Z: 2 names

  • Zero Footprints
  • Zigzag Zoe