Tough Guy Name Generator

Tough guy names work on sound before meaning. Nearly every memorable hard man in film and fiction has a short, closed first name that stops on a hard consonant: Jack, Rex, Brock, Duke, Buck, Dirk, Hank, Mack, Cole, Vince. One syllable reads as decisive; two syllables at most. Surnames then add weight, either through literal toughness (Steele, Stone, Granite, Hardcastle, Ironside) or through a working-class ethnic ring that suggests a guy who grew up fighting, which is why Irish, Italian, Polish and Slavic surnames like Brannigan, Russo, Kowalski and Volkov dominate the genre.

The second tradition is the nickname in quotes, borrowed from boxing, wrestling and the mob: Frank "Two-Fists" Dolan, Vinnie "The Hammer" Russo. The nickname should describe a weapon, a tool, an injury or a disaster, and it should alliterate or nearly alliterate with the real name. A third style drops the given name entirely for a handle such as Tank, Sledge, Brick or Mad Dog, which suits bouncers, henchmen and wrestlers.

When you pick one, say it as a threat. If it can be growled in under a second and still sounds like a person rather than a cartoon, it is doing its job.