Name Generator Central

Wild West Gang Name Generator

Outlaw Gangs, Posses, and Frontier Crews

Organizations & Teams500 curated namesUpdated Free · no sign-up

Tap a name to copy it500 names in this generator

Generate Wild West gang names in the style of the real frontier outlaws: family gangs like the Daltons, hideout gangs like the Hole-in-the-Wall, and cattle-town crews like the Cowboys of Tombstone. Ideal for western fiction, RDR2 posses, tabletop campaigns, and screenplays.

About wild west gang names

Real Wild West gangs were almost never named the way movies name them. Newspapers and Pinkerton reports simply used the leader's or family's surname (the Dalton Gang, the James-Younger Gang, the Reno Brothers), or the place they hid (the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang, the Robbers' Roost bunch), or a nickname the press picked up (the Wild Bunch, the Innocents, the Cowboys of Cochise County). Words like "bunch," "boys," "riders," and "gang" were the working vocabulary; "road agents" meant stagecoach robbers and "rustlers" meant cattle thieves.

That gives you three reliable structures for a believable outlaw gang name: a surname plus Gang, Boys, Brothers, or Bunch; a leader's nickname possessive (Black Jack Ketchum's Gang, Curly Bill's Cowboys); or a geographic name drawn from a river, gulch, canyon, or cattle town (the Cimarron Gang, the Powder River Riders). Animal names (Copperheads, Sidewinders, Buzzards) and gambling references (Aces and Eights, the Dead Man's Hand) work for a slightly more stylized, dime-novel feel, which is exactly the tone Red Dead Redemption 2's Van der Linde and O'Driscoll gangs borrow.

This list mixes historical gangs with period-accurate inventions, so you can drop one straight into a western novel, a Deadlands or Boot Hill campaign, or an RDR2 Online posse without it sounding modern. Match the name to your gang's specialty: train robbers, rustlers, border bandits, or vigilante "regulators."

Tips for choosing a name

  • Pick the naming structure that matches your gang's origin: a family surname for a blood-related crew, a hideout name for a loose alliance of drifters, and a leader's nickname for a gang built around one charismatic outlaw.
  • Use period vocabulary. "Bunch," "boys," "road agents," "rustlers," "regulators," and "owlhoots" all sound right for 1865-1900; "crew," "squad," and "syndicate" sound modern.
  • Anchor the name to a real or invented place. Rivers, gulches, cattle towns, and territories (Powder River, Alder Gulch, the Nations) instantly ground the gang in a map.
  • For a Mexican-border or Californio gang, a Spanish name like Los Lobos Grises or Los Hermanos Ortega adds authenticity to Southwest and Texas settings.
  • In fiction, let the gang's name come from a newspaper or a lawman rather than the outlaws themselves; that is how most historical gang names actually stuck.

Frequently asked questions

How were real Wild West gangs named?

Mostly by newspapers, lawmen, and detective agencies rather than by the outlaws. Names came from the leader's or family's surname (Dalton Gang, Younger Brothers), the hideout (Hole-in-the-Wall Gang), or a nickname that stuck in print (the Wild Bunch, the Innocents, the Cowboys).

Which of these are real historical gangs?

The Wild Bunch, Hole-in-the-Wall Gang, Dalton Gang, James-Younger Gang, Reno Brothers, Rufus Buck Gang, Doolin-Dalton Gang, Sam Bass Gang, Bald Knobbers, Innocents, Cowboys, Regulators, Red Sash Gang, and Ketchum Gang were all real. The rest are invented in the same style.

Are these good for a Red Dead Redemption 2 posse name?

Yes. RDR2's gangs (Van der Linde, O'Driscoll, Lemoyne Raiders, Del Lobo, Murfree Brood) follow the same surname, place, and nickname patterns, so names like The Colter Gang, The Sweetwater Gang, or Los Lobos Grises fit right in. Check the game's character limit for posse names.

Can I use these gang names in a published book or game?

The invented names are free to use. Historical gang names are public domain facts, but be careful about implying real people did things they didn't; for fiction, an invented surname gang is safer than putting words in the Daltons' mouths.

All 500 wild west gang names

Browse the full list
  • The Wild Bunch
  • The Hole-in-the-Wall Gang
  • The Cowboys
  • The Regulators
  • The Red Sash Gang
  • The Innocents
  • The Rufus Buck Gang
  • The Doolin-Dalton Gang
  • The Bald Knobbers
  • The Ketchum Gang
  • The Blackjack Gang
  • The Dalton Gang
  • The James-Younger Gang
  • The Younger Brothers
  • The Reno Brothers
  • The Sam Bass Gang
  • The Burrow Gang
  • The Cook Gang
  • The Christian Brothers Gang
  • The Jennings Gang
  • The High Fives Gang
  • The Cassidy Bunch
  • The Slade Boys
  • The Tolliver Gang
  • The Ransom Gang
  • The Wilder Brothers
  • The Cutter Gang
  • The Whitlock Bunch
  • The Callahan Gang
  • The Blackwood Brothers
  • The Garrity Boys
  • The Vance Gang
  • The Ashby Bunch
  • The Pruett Gang
  • The Muldoon Gang
  • The Colter Gang
  • The Rourke Boys
  • The Ketterman Gang
  • The Ballard Bunch
  • The Halloran Boys
  • The Skinner Gang
  • Bloody Bill's Raiders
  • Black Jack Ketchum's Gang
  • Cutthroat Charlie's Bunch
  • One-Eyed Jack's Boys
  • Kid Curry's Crew
  • Dutch Henry's Horse Thieves
  • Rattlesnake Sam's Gang
  • Old Man Clanton's Boys
  • Curly Bill's Cowboys
  • Cherokee Bob's Riders
  • Doc Hollister's Bunch
  • Mad Dog McCready's Gang
  • Three-Fingered Frank's Bunch
  • The Widow Harlow's Boys
  • Judge Cobb's Regulators
  • The Hole-in-the-Rock Gang
  • The Robbers' Roost Riders
  • The Brown's Park Bunch
  • The Cimarron Gang
  • The Pecos Gang
  • The Red River Gang
  • The Brazos Riders
  • The Powder River Gang
  • The Sweetwater Gang
  • The Bitter Creek Boys
  • The Cripple Creek Gang
  • The Cheyenne Gang
  • The Dodge City Gang
  • The Deadwood Gang
  • The Tombstone Gang
  • The Bannack Road Agents
  • The Alder Gulch Road Agents
  • The Coffeyville Gang
  • The Lincoln County Riders
  • The Pleasant Valley Bunch
  • The Sonora Bunch
  • The Chihuahua Riders
  • The Border Bunch
  • The Rio Grande Rustlers
  • The Cochise County Cowboys
  • The Panhandle Gang
  • The Staked Plains Bunch
  • The Badlands Bunch
  • The Black Hills Road Agents
  • The Sierra Bandidos
  • The Mesa Grande Gang
  • The Dry Gulch Gang
  • The Dead Horse Canyon Bunch
  • The Hangman's Gulch Gang
  • The Rattlesnake Gulch Gang
  • The Broken Spoke Gang
  • The Crooked Creek Riders
  • The Sagebrush Bunch
  • The Mesquite Riders
  • The Rimrock Boys
  • The Long Riders
  • The Night Riders
  • The Rustlers
  • The Road Agents
  • The Vigilance Committee
  • The Border Ruffians
  • The Bushwhackers
  • The Jayhawkers
  • The Redlegs
  • The Horse Thieves of the Nations
  • The Cherokee Strip Bunch
  • The Indian Territory Boys
  • The Comancheros
  • The Bandidos of the Bravo
  • Los Diablos Tejanos
  • Los Lobos Grises
  • Los Cuervos
  • Los Hermanos Ortega
  • The Ghost Riders
  • The Pale Riders
  • The Boot Hill Boys
  • The Rope and Rifle Gang
  • The Dead Man's Hand
  • The Aces and Eights
  • The Snake Eyes Gang
  • The Card Sharps
  • The Faro Bank Gang
  • The Whiskey Row Gang
  • The Copperhead Gang
  • The Diamondbacks
  • The Sidewinders
  • The Scorpions
  • The Coyotes
  • The Lobos
  • The Buzzards
  • The Crows
  • The Mustangers
  • The Mavericks
  • The Drifters
  • The Wanted Men
  • The Dead or Alive Gang
  • The Five Hundred Dollar Gang
  • The Ex-Confederates
  • The Missouri Boys
  • The Clay County Boys
  • The Ozark Bunch
  • The Blue Cut Gang
  • The Northfield Bunch
  • The Express Car Gang
  • The Southern Pacific Gang
  • The Overland Trail Bunch
  • The Stage Road Riders
  • The Wells Fargo Boys
  • The Iron Horse Gang
  • The Silver Spur Gang
  • The Rusty Spur Bunch
  • The Black Hat Gang
  • The Red Bandanas
  • The Dusters
  • The Tumbleweed Gang
  • The Dust Devils
  • The Sundowners
  • The Owlhoots
  • The Owlhoot Trail Bunch
  • The Hardcases
  • The Hideout Gang
  • The Seven Rivers Warriors
  • The Jesse Evans Gang
  • The John Kinney Gang
  • The Horrell Brothers
  • The Marlow Brothers
  • The Espinosa Brothers
  • The Farrington Brothers
  • The Sontag Brothers
  • The Evans-Sontag Gang
  • The Kilpatrick Brothers
  • The Musgrove Gang
  • The McCanles Gang
  • The Cherokee Bill Gang
  • The Starr Gang
  • The Blue Duck Gang
  • The Apache Kid's Band
  • The Tom Bell Gang
  • The Rattlesnake Dick Gang
  • The Murrieta Band
  • The Vasquez Gang
  • The Jack Powers Gang
  • The Plummer Gang
  • The Sydney Ducks
  • The Hounds
  • The Bummers
  • The Whitecaps
  • The Selman Scouts
  • The Mason County Hoodoos
  • The Sutton Faction
  • The Taylor Party
  • The Bill Miner Gang
  • The Wilson Gang
  • The Ruggles Brothers
  • The Poe Gang
  • The Verdigris Bunch
  • The Wyatt-Black Gang
  • The Rio Bonito Regulators
  • The Tunstall Men
  • The Dolan Faction
  • The Murphy-Dolan Men
  • The House
  • The Santa Fe Ring Riders
  • The Casey Gang
  • The Miller Boys
  • The Kimball Gang
  • The Harlan Brothers
  • The Doolittle Bunch
  • The Prescott Boys
  • The Everett Gang
  • The Sutter Boys
  • The Ferris Gang
  • The Langdon Brothers
  • The Radford Bunch
  • The Coleman Gang
  • The Bishop Boys
  • The Corbett Gang
  • The Fenwick Brothers
  • The Amos Boys
  • The Dorsey Gang
  • The Sheridan Bunch
  • The Kincaid Gang
  • The Buckley Brothers
  • The Doherty Gang
  • The Flanagan Boys
  • The O'Rourke Bunch
  • The McCallister Gang
  • The McBride Boys
  • The McCoy Brothers
  • The Gallagher Gang
  • The Delaney Bunch
  • The Donnelly Boys
  • The Sweeney Gang
  • The Rafferty Bunch
  • The Kavanagh Gang
  • The Hollister Boys
  • The Bassett Gang
  • The Tanner Brothers
  • The Wheeler Bunch
  • The Crowley Gang
  • The Devlin Boys
  • The Wakefield Gang
  • The Beckett Bunch
  • The Larkin Brothers
  • The Sawyer Gang
  • The Thorne Boys
  • The Whitfield Bunch
  • The Harrow Gang
  • The Bracken Boys
  • The Talbot Brothers
  • The Yancey Gang
  • The Pickett Bunch
  • The Barlow Boys
  • The Hatfield Bunch
  • The Trask Gang
  • The Colby Brothers
  • The Stroud Boys
  • The Ainsley Gang
  • The Baxter Bunch
  • The Denning Gang
  • The Faulkner Boys
  • The Gaines Gang
  • The Hardin Boys
  • The Jessup Bunch
  • The Kessler Gang
  • The Lowry Boys
  • The Mabry Bunch
  • The Nolan Gang
  • The Oakes Boys
  • The Pettigrew Gang
  • The Quaid Bunch
  • The Redding Boys
  • The Stanton Gang
  • The Tucker Brothers
  • The Upshaw Bunch
  • The Varner Gang
  • The Weems Boys
  • The Yates Bunch
  • The Zeller Gang
  • The Grissom Gang
  • The Sledge Brothers
  • The Hollis Bunch
  • The Vickers Gang
  • The Bragg Boys
  • The Merritt Bunch
  • The Kearney Gang
  • The Rawlins Boys
  • The Loomis Bunch
  • The Culpepper Gang
  • The Talley Boys
  • The Blevins Bunch
  • The Graham Boys
  • The Tewksbury Faction
  • The Hashknife Outfit
  • The Spade Bit Boys
  • The Circle Bar Riders
  • The Lazy S Boys
  • The Rocking H Bunch
  • The Bar None Riders
  • The Diamond T Bunch
  • The Broken Arrow Boys
  • The Bar Cross Bunch
  • The Flying W Boys
  • The Long Rail Bunch
  • The Running Iron Gang
  • The Maverick Brand Bunch
  • Big Nose George's Gang
  • Snake River Pete's Bunch
  • Whiskey Jim's Boys
  • Deacon Bill's Riders
  • Sundown Sam's Bunch
  • Silent Joe's Gang
  • Preacher Tate's Boys
  • Cattle Annie's Bunch
  • Little Britches' Gang
  • Two-Gun Tom's Riders
  • Long Tom Riley's Bunch
  • Comanche Jack's Boys
  • Yellow Dog Slade's Gang
  • Cross-Eyed Nick's Bunch
  • Lame Johnny's Boys
  • Deaf Charley's Riders
  • Peg-Leg Pete's Gang
  • Buckskin Frank's Boys
  • Texas Red's Bunch
  • Missouri Kate's Riders
  • Sagebrush Sally's Boys
  • Panhandle Pete's Gang
  • Cactus Jack's Bunch
  • Billy's Boys
  • The Bonney Riders
  • The Antrim Boys
  • Dutchy Kramer's Gang
  • Rawhide Rawlins' Bunch
  • Iron Mike Malone's Boys
  • Broken Nose Kelly's Gang
  • Blackie Doyle's Riders
  • Colonel Bly's Irregulars
  • Major Tolbert's Riders
  • Captain Rusk's Rangers
  • Sheriff Doak's Deputies
  • The Widow Cotter's Boys
  • Mother Reilly's Bunch
  • Grandpa Beale's Boys
  • Old Ike's Bunch
  • Ol' Ezra's Riders
  • Handsome Harry's Gang
  • Gentleman Jim's Bunch
  • Reverend Slocum's Sinners
  • Doc Fenner's Boys
  • Kiowa Jim's Bunch
  • Apache Joe's Riders
  • Frenchy Duval's Boys
  • Dutchman Vogel's Bunch
  • Swede Larsen's Riders
  • Cornishman Trewin's Boys
  • The Cimarron Cutoff Bunch
  • The Arkansas River Gang
  • The Canadian River Boys
  • The Platte River Riders
  • The Green River Bunch
  • The Snake River Gang
  • The Yellowstone Riders
  • The Big Horn Bunch
  • The Wind River Boys
  • The Musselshell Gang
  • The Gila River Bandits
  • The Salt River Bunch
  • The Verde Valley Riders
  • The Colorado River Gang
  • The Purgatoire Bunch
  • The Picketwire Boys
  • The Nueces Strip Riders
  • The Sabine Bottom Boys
  • The Trinity River Bunch
  • The Concho Riders
  • The Llano Gang
  • The Devil's River Boys
  • The San Saba Bunch
  • The Frio Canyon Riders
  • The Uvalde Bunch
  • The Laredo Gang
  • The El Paso Road Agents
  • The Mesilla Valley Boys
  • The Tularosa Bunch
  • The Jornada Riders
  • The White Sands Gang
  • The Ruidoso Boys
  • The Bosque Redondo Bunch
  • The Raton Pass Riders
  • The Trinidad Gang
  • The Pueblo Boys
  • The Leadville Bunch
  • The Creede Gang
  • The Silverton Riders
  • The Durango Boys
  • The Telluride Bunch
  • The Virginia City Gang
  • The Carson Valley Boys
  • The Comstock Bunch
  • The Bodie Boys
  • The Mother Lode Gang
  • The Sacramento Road Agents
  • The Placerville Bunch
  • The Hangtown Riders
  • The Sonoma Boys
  • The Salinas Bunch
  • The Tehachapi Gang
  • The Mojave Riders
  • The Death Valley Boys
  • The Panamint Bunch
  • The Humboldt Sink Gang
  • The Ruby Valley Riders
  • The Owyhee Bunch
  • The Boise Basin Boys
  • The Bitterroot Riders
  • The Missoula Gang
  • The Judith Basin Boys
  • The Milk River Riders
  • The Little Missouri Gang
  • The Medora Boys
  • The Belle Fourche Bunch
  • The Spearfish Riders
  • The Rapid Creek Gang
  • The Whitewood Boys
  • The Lead Bunch
  • The Bismarck Road Agents
  • The Abilene Gang
  • The Ellsworth Boys
  • The Hays City Bunch
  • The Newton Riders
  • The Wichita Gang
  • The Caldwell Boys
  • The Fort Griffin Bunch
  • The Flat Boys
  • The Mobeetie Gang
  • The Tascosa Riders
  • The Ogallala Bunch
  • The Sidney Gang
  • The Julesburg Boys
  • The Fort Laramie Riders
  • The Medicine Bow Bunch
  • The Rock Springs Gang
  • The Evanston Boys
  • The Ogden Bunch
  • The Bear River Boys
  • The Cache Valley Riders
  • The Circleville Boys
  • The Kanab Riders
  • The Lees Ferry Gang
  • The Tonto Basin Bunch
  • The Mogollon Rim Riders
  • The Wickenburg Bunch
  • The Bisbee Boys
  • The Galeyville Bunch
  • The Charleston Boys
  • The Skeleton Canyon Gang
  • The Guadalupe Canyon Riders
  • The Animas Valley Bunch
  • The Shakespeare Boys
  • The Silver City Gang
  • The Kingston Riders
  • The Hillsboro Bunch
  • The Magdalena Boys
  • The Socorro Gang
  • The Belen Cutoff Riders
  • The Las Vegas Bunch
  • The Vermejo Riders
  • The Sangre de Cristo Gang
  • The Wagon Mound Boys
  • The Ash Hollow Bunch
  • The Wolf Creek Gang
  • The Coyote Creek Riders
  • The Bear Creek Bunch
  • The Deer Creek Boys
  • The Blackwater Gang
  • The Bitterwater Bunch
  • The Sourdough Gulch Riders
  • The Tin Star Killers
  • The Dynamite Dicks
  • The Fence Cutters
  • The Buffalo Skinners
  • Big Steve Long's Bunch
  • The Nightriders of Bear Paw
  • The Coal Camp Boys
  • The Deadfall Saloon Crowd
  • The Wolfers
  • The Sodbuster Gang
  • The Tin Cup Bunch
  • The Copper Camp Riders
  • The Bunco Men
  • The Ditch Riders
  • The Freight Road Bandits
  • The Assay Office Gang
  • Lucky Ned's Bunch
  • One-Thumb Delaney's Riders
  • The Palo Duro Bunch
  • The Cinch Ring Gang
  • The Cattle Kate Crowd

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