Test Subject Name Generator

Lab designations and codenames for experimental subjects

Sci-Fi500 namesUpdated Sep 2026Free · no sign-up

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Generate test subject names for sci-fi, horror and superhero stories: numbered designations, Greek-letter and NATO call signs, project codenames, lab serials and the nicknames subjects give themselves when the number is all they have.

About test subject names

A test subject's name does a lot of work in fiction: it tells the reader that a person has been reduced to a line in a ledger, and the moment they choose a real name for themselves is often the turning point of the story. Stranger Things' Eleven, Portal's Chell, Mass Effect's Subject Zero and the numbered children of countless secret-program plots all follow the same logic. The designation is cold, the nickname is human, and the gap between them is the character.

Real labs use a predictable grammar you can borrow: a role word (subject, specimen, patient, candidate, participant, donor, host), a number that may be padded with zeros or broken into groups, and an optional letter, Greek letter or phonetic-alphabet word to mark the batch or arm of the study. Secret-project fiction adds a codename layer on top, so a subject belongs to Project Nightjar or the Lambda cohort, and clinical language contributes control arms, placebo groups, cohorts and rechallenges that sound chillingly procedural when applied to a person.

The list mixes all of these: bare numbers and spelled-out numbers, Greek and NATO designations, Roman numerals, alphanumeric serials, project codenames with a subject number, descriptive labels like the Boy in Tank Nine, and pairs that put the official designation beside the name the subject actually answers to.

How to choose test subject names

Pick the lab's grammar once and keep it consistent; if the facility says Specimen 88-C for one character, every other subject should follow the same role word and number format.
Zero-padding (Subject 009) implies a large program, while a bare low number (Subject 7) implies a small, intimate one; use the format to hint at scale.
Give your protagonist both a designation and a chosen name, and decide which one other characters use; who says Eleven and who says El is characterization.
Greek letters and NATO words sound military and clinical, project codenames sound secretive, and spelled-out numbers feel like names; mix them across factions so the reader can tell whose lab a subject came from.
Avoid famous canon designations like 626 or 89P13 unless you are writing in that universe; a fresh number reads as original rather than referential.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of test subject names does this generator include?

Numbered designations (Subject 17, Specimen 88-C, Patient Zero), Greek-letter and NATO call signs (Theta-2, Echo-11), Roman numerals, alphanumeric lab serials (TS-0917, KV-2 Dash 6), project codenames with a subject number, descriptive labels, and pairs that combine the designation with the subject's chosen name.

How do I make a test subject designation sound realistic?

Use a role word plus a number, add a batch marker if the program is large, and keep the format uniform across the facility. Real research labels subjects by study arm and enrollment order, so Cohort B, Participant 23 sounds more authentic than something decorative.

Can I use these names for D&D, superhero or horror characters?

Yes. The designations suit escaped experiments, super-soldier programs, clone batches, cryo sleepers and asylum patients in any genre, and the nickname pairs give you a ready-made arc from number to name.

Are any of these references to existing characters?

Subject Zero, Patient Zero and Eleven are included as familiar touchstones, but everything else is original, so you can use the serials, codenames and nicknames without stepping on an existing franchise.

More like this

Browse categoryAll Sci-Fi

All 500 test subject 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: 20 names

Aconite 09
Admission 0319
AE-14
Alpha Cohort Stowaway
Alpha Prime
Alpha Twins
Andromeda Subject 3
Antigone 07
Archive Subject 0
Argus Trial 12
Ariadne Unit 9
Ashfall Candidate 22
Asset 3 (Kit)
Asset 31
Asset 9 (Wolfe)
Asset Kestrel
Asset XXVII
Atlas Participant 1
Aurelie, Volunteer 3
AX-7

B: 26 names

B-Line 6
Barcode 00-1
Barcode 4417
Baseline
Basilisk Candidate 8
Batch 3 Survivor
Batch 4-Delta
Batch Zero
Bed 12
Belladonna 04
Bellwether 9
Beta Stock 4
Beta Trio
Beta-2 Survivor
Bix, Host 4
Black Tag Zero
Blackthorn Unit 6
Blank
Blind Arm Subject 5
Blue Tag Seven
Bramble Unit 5
Bravo Seven
Brood 7
Brood Seven Stray
Build 0.3
Build 14

C: 42 names

Candidate 0419
Candidate 06
Candidate 9 (Sable)
Candidate III-B
Candidate LX
Candidate Twelve
Carrier 12
Carrier 25 (Lux)
Carrier 8 (Rook)
Case 2291
Case 31 (Vale)
Case 49 (Onyx)
Cassandra Trial 13
CE-9-9
Cell 0-0-7
Cell 19
Cell Block D Subject 3
Cerberus Subject 3
Chair 4
Chamber 0-2
Chamber Seven
Charlie-16
Charon Candidate 4
Chimera Stock 12
Cipher
Clone 0-1
Clone 88
Clone Nine
Cobalt Subject 1
Cohort B
Cohort Delta Eldest
Cohort Gamma Runt
Cohort Nine
Coldharbour 07
Control Arm, Seat 9
Control Group B
CR-13
Cradle Nine
Crossover Seven
Cryo 0-0-1
Cryo 14
Cryo Pod 14

D: 15 names

Daedalus Candidate 1
Delta Seven
Delta Squad Subject 2
Delta-Delta
Donor 104
Donor 13 (Flint)
Donor 66
Donor 7 (Fen)
Donor XII
Dose Group Three
Double Zero
Dov, Intake Forty-Four
Draco Trial 1
Draft Four
DT-0-0-2

E: 13 names

E-14 Sigma
Echo
Echo Cohort Elder
Echo Group Survivor
Echo-11
Eighty-Eight
Eighty-Eight Red
Eleven
Eleven-B
Elysium Donor 14
Ember Hollow 12
Epsilon-11
Erebus Subject 7

F: 7 names

Firstborn of Batch C
Five-Five-Five
Follow-Up Nineteen
Forty
Forty-Two Alpha
Foxglove Candidate 5
Foxtrot-0

G: 14 names

Gamma Pair
Gamma Ray Subject 9
Gemini Twin B
Gen 5 Survivor
Generation Two
Ghost Nine
Glass
Glasswater Specimen 3
Gold Tag 3
Green Tag Twelve
Greenhouse Nine
Grey Tag 0-1
Greyhollow 7
Griffin Trial 19

H: 20 names

Halcyon Prototype 2
Halcyon's Only Survivor
Halvard, Donor 12
Harrow Batch 2 Survivor
Hatch 12
Hatch Twelve Firstborn
Hecate Candidate 6
Hemlock Trial 11
High-Dose Nine
HL-12
Host 11 (Juno)
Host 17 (Yael)
Host 3
Host XL
HS-21 Blue
HX-12
Hyacinth Subject 2
Hydra Donor 5
Hyperion 09
Hypnos Participant 9

I: 11 names

Icarus-9
Incubator Six
Ines of Ward B
Intake 44
Intake Eleven
Iota Nine
Ironwood Subject 2
Isolation Nine
Isolation's Child
Iteration Eleven
IW-8

J: 4 names

Janus Twin A
Janus Twin B
Juniper of Batch Zero
Juno Prototype 5

K: 7 names

K-091
Kappa Four
Kestrel 14
Kestrel's Second Hatch
Kit from Pod Seven
KT-81
KV-2 Dash 6

L: 19 names

Lantern Subject 9
Larkspur Trial 2
Last of the Lambda Cohort
Lazarus Candidate 3
Ledger Entry 409
Lethe Sample 3
Leviathan Sample 7
Lima Nine
Linnea, Recruit 9
Litter Four
Little Ten
LM-8
LO-7 Blue
Long-Term Four
Longshore Candidate 9
Lot 9 Sample 4
Lotte, Specimen 0-0-4
Low-Dose Two
Lyra Specimen 8

M: 14 names

Mandrake Sample 5
Manticore Unit 2
Mark I
Mark IV
Mark VII
Marrow Trial 6
Mirror Subject A
Mirror Subject B
Monkshood 12
Morpheus Subject 12
Morrow Batch 4
Moth, Subject 51
Mu Seven
MX-19

N: 21 names

NB-0-3
Needle, Specimen 7
Nemesis 11
Nettle Specimen 10
NF-1 Kappa
Nightingale Candidate 8
Nightjar's Last
Nightshade Batch 2
Nine
Nine, who calls herself Mara
Nine-Prime
Nineteen Dash Three
Nought
November Subject 5
Nu-6
Null
Number Nine
Number Three
Number Zero
Numberless
Nyx Trial 2

O: 14 names

Oh-Nine
Oleander Subject 6
Omega Candidate
Omega-0
Open-Label Fourteen
Orange Tag 22
Orestes Subject 4
Orion Batch 2
Orphan of Project Cinder
Orpheus Trial 7
Oscar-3
Ottoline, Participant 19
Overflow Ward Subject 2
OZ-12

P: 38 names

P-0
Pale Horse Subject 1
Pandora Sample 0
Participant 17 (Thistle)
Participant 23
Participant 4402
Patient 113
Patient 12 (Bryn)
Patient 30 (Vesper)
Patient 9 (Dusk)
Patient 9, Transferred
Patient CI
Patient of Record 77
Patient Thirteen
Patient Zero
PB-9 Delta
Pebble, Patient 14
Penelope Candidate 2
Perseus Batch 5
Phase Three
Phi Batch 7
Phoenix Batch 1
Pilot Study Six
PL-7 Tau
Placebo
Placebo Arm, Seat 4
Pod 18
Pod 7
Pod Nine
Pod Zero
Pre-Series Two
Project Cinder Unit 3
Project Nightjar Subject 4
Project Sparrowhawk 7
Project Thornback Subject 9
Prometheus Batch C
Prototype Halcyon
Psi Subject 5

Q: 3 names

Q-Prime
QL-404
Quarantine 12

R: 16 names

R-7
Rechallenge Eight
Recruit 6 (Wick)
Red Tag Nine
Redcap Specimen 3
Redline Candidate 7
Release Candidate 2
Revision Six
Rho-19
Ro from Tank Zero
Romeo-6
Room 4-B
Rue Candidate 3
Runt of Litter Four
RV-88
RX-4

S: 75 names

Saltmarsh Candidate 9
Sample 44-C
Sample 9B
Sample B-6
Sample Theta
Saturn Specimen 7
Scrap, Lot 19 Survivor
Second Litter, Third Pup
Second-Generation Nine
Seraph Prototype 2
Serial 0092
Serial 7-Tango
Serial Kilo-4
Series B
Seven-Point-Two
SG-17
Shelf Nine Sample
Sierra 14
Silver Tag 9
Silverline Subject 11
Six, who answers to Sixer
Sixty-Four Blue
SJ-44-Delta
Sleeper Four
Sorrel Batch 9
Sparrow, Candidate 0-2
Specimen 1 (Zed)
Specimen 12, Relabelled
Specimen 19 (Moss)
Specimen 27 (Sorrel)
Specimen 4 (Ash)
Specimen 7-A
Specimen 88-C
Specimen Delta
Specimen Echo-3
Specimen Held in Reserve
Specimen Omicron

S, continued

Specimen Theta-2
Specimen XIV
Specimen XLII
Specimen Zero
Stage Two
Stasis 9
Stasis Twelve
Static, Asset 27
Stillwater Unit 4
Strain 19
Strain 4
Strain Omega
Styx Unit 8
Subject 0
Subject 0 (Lark)
Subject 0-4-1
Subject 01
Subject 1138
Subject 14, Decommissioned
Subject 16 (Reed)
Subject 17
Subject 22 (Wren)
Subject 5, Pending Review
Subject 71 (Hollis)
Subject 8, called Ada
Subject 88 (Yarrow)
Subject Alpha-9
Subject Delta-Nine
Subject Fen of Cohort B
Subject IX
Subject Kilo-22
Subject Lambda-03
Subject Seventeen-B
Subject Sigma
Subject Thirty, Reassigned
Subject XXIII
Subject Zero
Survivor of Trial Seven

T: 79 names

T-17 Rho
Tabula
Tag 0419
Tag 7-7-1
Tango Three
Tank 0
Tank Nine-A
Tank Seven
Tank Twelve
Tantalus Specimen 8
Tartarus Subject 6
Tau Candidate 2
Teodor, Case 0-8
Test Subject 009
Test Subject 2 (Jett)
Test Subject 42
Test Subject 44 (Pip)
Thanatos 00
The Backup
The Bad Batch
The Blank Slate
The Boy in Tank Nine
The Control
The Control's Twin
The Copy
The Cradle Nine Twin
The Donor
The Escaped Specimen
The First Success
The Fourth Clone
The Fourth Draft
The Girl from Pod Zero
The Good Batch
The Lambda Child
The Last One
The Late Bloomer
The Ninth
The Ninth Survivor
The Omega Man

T, continued

The One Who Woke Early
The Original
The Placebo
The Prototype's Shadow
The Quiet One
The Redacted
The Returned
The Second Attempt
The Seventh
The Sibling Study Pair
The Sigma Boy
The Sleeper in Cryo 14
The Spare
The Stray from Lot 19
The Survivor
The Template
The Theta Girl
The Thirty-First Intake
The Twelfth
The Unfiled
The Unmarked Subject
The Unnumbered
The Zero Patient
Third Attempt at Seven
Thirteenth Volunteer
Tidewater Subject 14
Titan Stock 4
Tock, Unit 30
Trial IX Survivor
Trial Zero Holdout
Triple Seven
Triplet C
TS-0917
TU-0-6
Twelve
Twin Seventeen
Twin Study Left
Twin Study Right
Twin Zero
Typhon Specimen 4

U: 6 names

Unit 0-3-0
Unit 15 (Tam)
Unit III
Unit VII
Upsilon Twelve
UV-66

V: 14 names

Valerian Trial 8
Vault 13
Vault Seven
Version 0.9
Version 2.1
Vesper 03
Vessel 1 (Mercy)
Vessel 5 (Slate)
Vessel Seven
Victor 3-1
Volunteer 13
Volunteer 2 (Quill)
Volunteer XIX
VS-23

W: 12 names

Ward 7 Bed 2
Ward B Subject 12
Ward C Bed 9
Ward C's Quiet One
Washout Twelve
WD-9
Wend, Host 21
Whiskey 9
White Tag One
Widow's Peak Trial 4
Wolfhound Subject 3
Wormwood Subject 8

X: 2 names

X-Ray 21
Xi Specimen 1

Y: 4 names

Y-0-1
Yankee-2
Yarrow Unit 1
Yellow Tag Four

Z: 4 names

Zero-One-Zero
Zeta-4
ZN-3
Zulu Subject 1