Pirate Island Name Generator

Skull cays, treasure atolls and marooning rocks

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Generate pirate island names for treasure maps, sea campaigns and party games: gallows and bone islands like Jawbone Island, treasure names like Doubloon Atoll, captains' islands like Kidd's Folly, and Spanish Main names like Isla de los Ahogados.

About pirate Island names

A pirate island is named by the people who use it, and they name it for what happened there. Someone was hanged, so it is Gallows Tree Isle. Someone buried a chest, so it is Doubloon Atoll or Forty Paces Islet. A captain lost a ship or a wager, and the chart says Dray's Despair or Whitlock's Wager. The second word matters too: a cay or key is a low island of sand and coral, an atoll is a ring of reef around a lagoon, and a rock or sandbar is where a crew maroons the man who broke its articles.

The list runs through ten kinds of island: skull, bone and gallows names, treasure and coin names, islands named for captains, nearly all invented, Spanish, French and Dutch names of the Spanish Main such as Isla de los Ahogados, Île des Naufragés and Dodemanseiland, marooning rocks, sea-monster and curse islands, rum, smuggling and wrecker islands, hidden lagoons, island groups such as The Seven Thieves, and comic names for treasure hunts.

Ten entries are real islands with a pirate history or a treasure legend: Tortuga, Île Sainte-Marie, New Providence, Roatán, Île-à-Vache, Ocracoke Island, Gardiners Island, Cocos Island, Oak Island and Norman Island. Three are islands of fiction: Treasure Island, Skull Island and Monkey Island. Everything else is new.

How to choose pirate Island names

  • Match the island word to the map. Use Cay, Key or Sandbar for a low strip of sand, Atoll for a hidden lagoon, Rock for a place to maroon someone and Island or Isle for anything big enough to hide a crew.
  • Let the name carry a story the players can ask about. Bexley's Blunder, The Navigator's Error and Moreau's Mistake each promise a tale before anyone lands.
  • Use language to place the island. Spanish names such as Cayo Doblón suit the mainland coast and the treasure routes, French names such as Île des Flibustiers suit buccaneer waters, and Dutch names such as Smokkelaarseiland suit trading posts.
  • For a treasure map, pair a grim island name with plain landmarks: a lone palm, a skull-shaped rock, a number of paces. The contrast makes the map easy to read and fun to follow.
  • For a children's party pick from the comic names, such as Chocolate Coin Island or Dig Here Island, and keep the gallows and curse names for older players.

Frequently asked questions

What are good names for a pirate island?

Grim classics work best on a map: Jawbone Island, Gallows Tree Isle, Sitting Skeleton Island and Coffin Lid Cay. For treasure, try Doubloon Atoll, Seven Chests Island or Nine Paces Island. An island named for a captain, such as Kidd's Folly or Mad Meg's Island, gives your setting a bit of history as well.

Are any of these islands real?

Ten are: Tortuga, Île Sainte-Marie, New Providence, Roatán, Île-à-Vache, Ocracoke Island, Gardiners Island, Cocos Island, Oak Island and Norman Island all have a pirate history or a treasure legend. Treasure Island, Skull Island and Monkey Island are fictional and belong to their own stories. The other names are new, though with so many small islands in the world one may match a real place by chance.

What do the Spanish, French and Dutch names mean?

They follow each language's usual pattern for island names. Isla de los Ahogados is the island of the drowned, Île des Naufragés is the island of the castaways, Île du Pavillon Noir is the island of the black flag, and the Dutch Schateiland and Dodemanseiland are treasure island and dead man's island. Cayo is the Spanish word for a cay.

Which names suit a treasure hunt or a pirate party?

The comic names were written for that: Chocolate Coin Island, Captain Wobblebeard's Island, Dig Here Island, Here Be Snacks Island and Peg Leg Polly's Picnic Island. They read well on a hand-drawn map and keep the mood light for younger pirates. The island groups, such as The Spilled Doubloons, also work if your hunt has several stops.

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All 500 pirate Island 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: 3 names

  • Admiral's Shame
  • Already Dug Up Island
  • Arrack Island

B: 32 names

  • Back Door Island
  • Backbone Isle
  • Backstaff Cay
  • Banishment Isle
  • Baptiste's Islet
  • Barebones Sandbar
  • Behind the Reef Island
  • Belaying Pin Island
  • Bexley's Blunder
  • Birthday Treasure Island
  • Black Barnaby's Isle
  • Black Bottle Cay
  • Black Cat Key
  • Black Fog Island
  • Black Market Island
  • Blackheart Isle
  • Bleached Ribs Sandbar
  • Bleached Skull Cay
  • Blind Eye Island
  • Blood Moon Island
  • Blue Hole Island
  • Blunderbuss Island
  • Boarding Axe Island
  • Bonepile Island
  • Bottleneck Atoll
  • Brandy Keg Key
  • Broadside Island
  • Broken Keel Shoal
  • Broken Ring Atoll
  • Bumbo Island
  • Buried It Somewhere Island
  • Burning Water Atoll

C: 42 names

  • Cabin Boy's Cay
  • Candlestick Key
  • Captain Crowe's Nest Island
  • Captain Fishbreath's Cay
  • Captain Graves Island
  • Captain Harrow's Island
  • Captain No-Beard's Isle
  • Captain Wobblebeard's Island
  • Captain's Nap Cay
  • Cardboard Cutlass Cay
  • Carrow's Cache
  • Caye au Trésor
  • Cayo Cañonazo
  • Cayo de la Botella
  • Cayo del Traidor
  • Cayo del Vigía
  • Cayo Doblón
  • Cayo Esqueleto
  • Cayo Maldito
  • Cayo Sable
  • Cayo Tiburón

C, continued

  • Chain Shot Islet
  • Chocolate Coin Island
  • Cob Coin Key
  • Cocos Island
  • Coffin Lid Cay
  • Coffin Nail Key
  • Coin Toss Isle
  • Collarbone Cay
  • Contraband Isle
  • Corkscrew Key
  • Crab King Island
  • Crabtree's Comeuppance
  • Cracked Skull Key
  • Crooked Will's Cay
  • Crossed Palms Cay
  • Crossed Swords Cay
  • Crow's Feast Island
  • Crown Jewel Isle
  • Culpepper's Isle
  • Cursed Compass Island
  • Cursed Doubloon Cay

D: 22 names

  • Dark Lantern Isle
  • De Drie Gezusters
  • De Rojas Island
  • Dead Albatross Cay
  • Dead Calm Isle
  • Dead Hand Island
  • Death's Head Island
  • Devil's Spyglass Cay
  • Devil's Teeth Rocks
  • Dig Here Island
  • Digger's Cay
  • Dodemanseiland
  • Doodshoofdeiland
  • Doubloon Atoll
  • Dray's Despair
  • Drowned Crater Island
  • Dry Bones Island
  • Dry Cask Island
  • Drying Rock
  • Ducat Island
  • Dunmore's Doom
  • Dutchman's Curse Island

E: 10 names

  • Eight Arms Island
  • Eight Reales Key
  • El Dorado Cay
  • Emerald Cross Island
  • Empty Bottle Island
  • Equal Shares Island
  • Escudo Island
  • Evil Eye Island
  • Exile Island
  • Eyepatch Island

F: 11 names

  • False Beacon Shoal
  • False Bottom Island
  • False Light Island
  • Fiddler's Green Island
  • Finch's Folly
  • Fool's Gold Cay
  • Footprint Island
  • Forgot the Map Isle
  • Forgotten Man Cay
  • Forty Paces Islet
  • Freetrader's Key

G: 22 names

  • Galgenklip
  • Galleon Gold Island
  • Gallows Bird Cay
  • Gallows Tree Isle
  • Gardiners Island
  • Garrick's Grave
  • Gentleman Jim's Key
  • Ghost Light Skerry
  • Ghost Ship Island
  • Gilded Anchor Isle
  • Godforsaken Rock
  • Gold Dust Island
  • Gold Foil Doubloon Cay
  • Golden Hoard Island
  • Governor of Nothing Cay
  • Grappling Hook Cay
  • Gravedigger's Cay
  • Great Squid Island
  • Green Flash Cay
  • Greybeard's Rock
  • Grinning Skull Island
  • Guinea Gold Island

H: 22 names

  • Haaieneiland
  • Half a Map Isle
  • Half-Tide Rock
  • Halloran's Haul
  • Hanging Tree Key
  • Hardly Any Treasure Island
  • Here Be Snacks Island
  • Hermit Crab Cay
  • Het Verloren Eiland
  • Hidden Cache Cay
  • Hidden Lagoon Island
  • Hideaway Atoll
  • High Tide Rock
  • Hobb's Hazard
  • Hogshead Island
  • Hollow Crown Atoll
  • Hollow Eye Island
  • Holloway's Hideout Isle
  • Holystone Cay
  • Horizon Watch Rock
  • Horseshoe Lagoon Island
  • Hullbreaker Rock

I: 59 names

  • Idol's Eye Island
  • Île aux Canons
  • Île aux Doublons
  • Île aux Perroquets
  • Île aux Squelettes
  • Île de la Boussole Folle
  • Île de la Dernière Chance
  • Île de la Jambe de Bois
  • Île de la Mauvaise Étoile
  • Île de la Potence
  • Île des Boucaniers
  • Île des Contrebandiers
  • Île des Écumeurs
  • Île des Flibustiers
  • Île des Naufragés
  • Île des Trois Gibets
  • Île du Borgne
  • Île du Corsaire
  • Île du Dernier Sou
  • Île du Pavillon Noir
  • Île du Rhum
  • Île du Trésor Maudit
  • Île Sainte-Marie
  • Île-à-Vache
  • Ill Omen Isle
  • Iron Bess Island
  • Iron Chest Island
  • Ironbeard's Isle
  • Isla de la Bandera Negra

I, continued

  • Isla de la Brújula
  • Isla de la Calma Chicha
  • Isla de la Espada Rota
  • Isla de la Media Luna
  • Isla de la Pata de Palo
  • Isla de la Última Esperanza
  • Isla de las Monedas
  • Isla de las Tres Cruces
  • Isla de los Ahogados
  • Isla de los Bucaneros
  • Isla de los Contrabandistas
  • Isla de los Loros
  • Isla de los Siete Pecados
  • Isla de Nadie
  • Isla del Abordaje
  • Isla del Ancla
  • Isla del Botín
  • Isla del Cañón
  • Isla del Capitán Muerto
  • Isla del Catalejo
  • Isla del Cofre Vacío
  • Isla del Corsario
  • Isla del Galeón Hundido
  • Isla del Oro Maldito
  • Isla del Patíbulo
  • Isla del Tesoro Perdido
  • Isla del Timonel
  • Isla del Tuerto
  • Isla Sin Regreso
  • Isle of Arrr

J: 3 names

  • Jawbone Island
  • Jinxed Anchor Cay
  • Jonah's Island

K: 8 names

  • Kanonneneiland
  • Kidd's Folly
  • King's Fifth Key
  • King's Pardon Island
  • King's Ransom Cay
  • Knee-Deep Sandbar
  • Knucklebone Islet
  • Kraken's Cradle Island

L: 24 names

  • Lagan Shoal
  • Landlubber Island
  • Langtry's Landfall
  • Lantern Lagoon Atoll
  • Las Tres Viudas
  • Last Drop Isle
  • Last Flask Island
  • Last Words Island
  • Lay-Low Island
  • Le Roux's Rock
  • Left at the Palm Tree Isle
  • Left Behind Island
  • Les Trois Sœurs
  • Letter of Marque Island
  • Leviathan's Back
  • Linstock Key
  • Logwood Cay
  • Lonesome Rock
  • Los Tres Hermanos
  • Lost Crown Island
  • Lost Lagoon Atoll
  • Lost Souls Cay
  • Low Tide Only Sandbar
  • Low Water Sandbar

M: 22 names

  • Mad Meg's Island
  • Maelstrom Island
  • Mangrove Gate Cay
  • Mangrove Maze Island
  • Map Upside Down Island
  • Map's Edge Island
  • Marooned Man's Key
  • Mermaid's Comb Cay
  • Mermaid's Mirror Island
  • Message Bottle Cay
  • Midas Island
  • Midnight Landing Island
  • Mirror Lagoon Atoll
  • Moderately Cursed Cay
  • Moidore Island
  • Molasses Key
  • Monkey Island
  • Mooncusser Island
  • Moonlit Cargo Island
  • Moonpool Island
  • Moreau's Mistake
  • Mother Lode Island

N: 12 names

  • Needle's Eye Atoll
  • New Providence
  • Nine Curses Island
  • Nine Paces Island
  • Nine Skulls Atoll
  • No Chart Atoll
  • No Prey, No Pay Island
  • No Running on the Plank Island
  • No Sail Island
  • No Water Islet
  • Norman Island
  • Notched Stick Island

O: 16 names

  • O'Dowd's Island
  • Oak Island
  • Ocracoke Island
  • Off the Chart Island
  • Old Barnaby's Rock
  • Old Davy's Isle
  • Old Roger Island
  • Old Scratch Island
  • On the Account Cay
  • One Bottle Islet
  • One Day's Water Rock
  • One Pistol Island
  • One Shot Cay
  • One-Eyed Finn's Cay
  • One-Eyed Parrot Isle
  • Owler's Key

P: 28 names

  • Paddling Pool Atoll
  • Papegaaieneiland
  • Parched Rock
  • Parrot's Opinion Island
  • Party Hat Pirate Isle
  • Passing Sail Islet
  • Pearl Diver Isle
  • Peg Leg Polly's Picnic Island
  • Peg Leg Tom's Island
  • Pengelly's Penance
  • Penhallow's Pride
  • Phantom Sail Island
  • Piastre Cay
  • Pieces of Ate Island
  • Pirate's Pocket Atoll
  • Pirateneiland
  • Pistole Key
  • Plate Fleet Island
  • Plate Wreck Shoal
  • Pocket Lagoon Island
  • Pointing Skeleton Cay
  • Polgrave's Key
  • Polly Wants a Cracker Cay
  • Powder Horn Cay
  • Prize Money Isle
  • Punchbowl Island
  • Puncheon Island
  • Pyke's Folly

Q: 2 names

  • Quartermaster's Cut Island
  • Quill's Reckoning

R: 16 names

  • Raft's End
  • Red Annie's Islet
  • Red Tide Shoal
  • Red X Island
  • Redgrave's Island
  • Revenue Dodger's Cay
  • Rib Cage Rock
  • Roatán
  • Rocher du Banni
  • Rogues' Archipelago
  • Round Robin Isle
  • Rourke's Ruin
  • Ruby Eye Island
  • Rum Cask Cay
  • Rumfustian Isle
  • Rustbeard's Cay

S: 61 names

  • Sable's Isle
  • Safe Anchor Atoll
  • Sail-on-Friday Island
  • Sailors' Graveyard Island
  • Salt Pork Spit
  • Saltbeard's Island
  • Sandbox Cay
  • Santiago's Sorrow
  • Scallywag Isle
  • Schateiland
  • Scurvy Dog Isle
  • Sea Chest Isle
  • Sea Dragon Island
  • Sea Serpent Island
  • Sea Witch Island
  • Secret Lagoon Cay
  • Secret Passage Isle
  • Serpent's Coil Atoll
  • Serpent's Tooth Rock
  • Set Ashore Sandbar
  • Seven Chests Island
  • Shinbone Sandbar
  • Shiver Me Timbers Isle
  • Short Drop Island
  • Short Rations Island
  • Signal Fire Island
  • Signet Ring Islet
  • Silk and Lace Island
  • Silver Ingot Island
  • Single Palm Sandbar

S, continued

  • Single Shot Sandbar
  • Siren Song Isle
  • Siren's Lure Island
  • Sitting Skeleton Island
  • Skeleton Crew Cay
  • Skull Island
  • Skullcap Key
  • Sleeping Lagoon Island
  • Slightly Haunted Isle
  • Smoke Signal Isle
  • Smokkelaarseiland
  • Smuggler's Lantern Island
  • Snug Berth Island
  • Soggy Boots Island
  • Spade and Lantern Island
  • Spanish Silver Island
  • Spilled Rum Cay
  • Splintered Mast Cay
  • St. Elmo's Island
  • Stash Key
  • Stillwater Atoll
  • Storm Hag Island
  • Strongbox Key
  • Sugar Thief Island
  • Sunken Gold Atoll
  • Sunken Idol Island
  • Sunstroke Spit
  • Swain's Sorrow
  • Swashbuckler's Cay
  • Sweet Trade Island
  • Swivel Gun Island

T: 64 names

  • Tafia Cay
  • Tally Mark Rock
  • Tapped Keg Cay
  • Tea Chest Islet
  • Ten Paces North Cay
  • The Anchor Flukes
  • The Ballast Stones
  • The Barnacle Backs
  • The Bosun's Grave
  • The Bosun's Knuckles
  • The Bosun's Pipes
  • The Brethren Isles
  • The Captain's Daughters
  • The Commodore's Folly
  • The Cooper's Hoops
  • The Devil's Dice
  • The Devil's Stepping Stones
  • The Drunken Sisters
  • The Filibuster Cays
  • The Five Fathoms
  • The Four Hangmen
  • The Hangman's Knots
  • The Helmsman's Fingers
  • The Lost Anchors
  • The Marooned Men
  • The Monkey's Fist Cays
  • The Navigator's Error
  • The Pair of Dice
  • The Purser's Pennies
  • The Quarrelsome Brothers
  • The Salt Thieves
  • The Scattered Coins

T, continued

  • The Sea Beggar Isles
  • The Serpent's Teeth
  • The Seven Gallows
  • The Seven Thieves
  • The Spilled Doubloons
  • The String of Pearls
  • The Three Cutlasses
  • The Three Sheets
  • The Twelve Doubloons
  • The Weevils
  • The Widow's Tears
  • Thighbone Key
  • Thirsty Man's Sandbar
  • Thirteenth Island
  • Thorne's Revenge Island
  • Threadgold's Luck
  • Ticklish Shark Island
  • Tide Gate Island
  • Tide-Bound Rock
  • Tobacco Bale Island
  • Tolliver's Trove
  • Tombstone Islet
  • Torn Map Island
  • Tortuga
  • Treasure Chest Island
  • Treasure Island
  • Treasure Trove Atoll
  • Tregarthen's Rock
  • Turtle Soup Island
  • Two Left Boots Island
  • Two Palm Islet
  • Tyburn Islet

U: 2 names

  • Unlucky Sixpence Cay
  • Unmarked Grave Island

V: 2 names

  • Van der Meer Island
  • Varga's Vault Island

W: 13 names

  • Wailing Widow Cay
  • Walk the Plank Island
  • Waterspout Isle
  • Whale's Maw Island
  • Whistle-Up-a-Wind Island
  • White Whale Shoal
  • Whitlock's Wager
  • Whoops Wrong Beach Isle
  • Will-o'-Wisp Island
  • Windless Atoll
  • Wishbone Island
  • Witch's Cauldron Atoll
  • Wrecker's Lantern Cay

Y: 4 names

  • Yardarm Island
  • Yarrow's End
  • Yellow Jack Island
  • Yo Ho Ho Island