Name Generator Central

Zombie Virus Name Generator

Pathogens, strains, and the plagues that end the world

Magic & Supernatural500 curated namesUpdated Free · no sign-up

Tap a name to copy it500 names in this generator

Generate zombie virus names in the styles real outbreak fiction uses: clinical lab designations (T-Virus, KV-1, Solanum), medical syndrome names, place-of-origin strains, and the grim street names survivors give the plague.

About zombie virus names

Real diseases get their names four ways: from the lab (H1N1, SARS-CoV-2), from the symptoms (yellow fever, hemorrhagic fever), from the place they were first found (Marburg, Ebola, Zika), or from the people who suffer them ("the sweats," "the flu"). Zombie fiction copies all four. Resident Evil's T-Virus and Umbrella's G-Virus and Las Plagas are lab designations; World War Z's Solanum and Left 4 Dead's Green Flu sound medical; The Last of Us went with a real fungus, Ophiocordyceps, and let the science do the horror; 28 Days Later's Rage Virus and Supernatural's Croatoan Virus are pure symptom and legend.

The naming style tells your audience what kind of story they're in. Alphanumeric strains (ZV-7 Recombinant, Strain 88-Omega, Compound Z-9) signal a conspiracy, a lab leak, and scientists in hazmat suits. Long clinical syndromes (Acute Postmortem Reanimation Syndrome, Necrotizing Encephalitis Type Z) work for the CDC briefing scene and for found-footage realism. Place-of-origin names (the Kinshasa Strain, the Permafrost Plague) ground the outbreak in geopolitics. Survivor slang (the Bite, the Turn, the Shakes, Zed Flu) is what people actually say once the TV stops broadcasting.

Most good outbreak stories use two or three of these at once: an official name nobody uses, a nickname everybody does.

Tips for choosing a name

  • Give the virus an official name and a street name; the government calls it HRV-2, the survivors call it the Shakes, and the gap between them is free worldbuilding.
  • For hard-science realism, build the name from real medical roots: necro (death), encephalitis (brain inflammation), ambulatory (walking), prion, cordyceps.
  • Alphanumeric codes are strongest with a hint of history attached: Strain 88-Omega implies 87 failures, ZV-7 Recombinant implies someone spliced it.
  • Place-of-origin names carry real-world weight, so invent or generalize the location (the Permafrost Plague, the Trench Pathogen) if you don't want to point at an actual city.
  • Avoid names that only sound scary (Doom Death Virus); the most chilling names in the genre are the flattest ones, like Solanum or the Green Flu.

Frequently asked questions

What are famous zombie viruses called in movies and games?

Well-known examples include the T-Virus and G-Virus (Resident Evil), Solanum (World War Z), the Rage Virus (28 Days Later), the Green Flu (Left 4 Dead), Cordyceps Brain Infection (The Last of Us), the Croatoan Virus (Supernatural), the Kellis-Amberlee virus (Newsflesh), and Trixie (The Crazies).

How do I make a fictional zombie virus sound realistic?

Copy real virology naming: a short lab code (HZV-1, Strain 44), a medical syndrome built from Greek and Latin roots (Necrotizing Encephalitis Type Z), and a place or reservoir of origin (the Bat Cave Strain, the Kinshasa Strain). Real diseases almost never have dramatic adjectives in their names.

Should a zombie plague be a virus, a fungus, or a prion?

It depends on the tone: viruses (fast spread, bites) are the default; fungi like Cordyceps offer body horror and slow spread; prions or Kuru-style diseases suit stories where the outbreak has been quietly incubating for years.

Can I use these virus names in my own book, game, or film?

The invented names are free to use commercially. Franchise names such as T-Virus, Solanum, Green Flu and Las Plagas are listed for reference and remain the property of their creators.

All 500 zombie virus names

Browse the full list
  • Necrovirus-X
  • Mortis Strain
  • Necrosis-117
  • Reanimation Pathogen Z
  • Zombification Strain Alpha
  • Resurrection Virus-9
  • Necroplague-23
  • Decay Pathogen Delta
  • Lazarus Pathogen
  • Revenant Pathogen
  • Necrophage Virus
  • Necromorph Virus
  • The Crimson Plague
  • The Gray Rot
  • The Walking Death
  • The Hunger Virus
  • The Bite
  • The Turn
  • The Infected
  • The Contagion
  • The Outbreak
  • The Blight
  • The Corruption
  • The Hollow Plague
  • The Rotter's Plague
  • The Wasting Syndrome
  • Rigor Mortis Syndrome
  • Corpse Reanimation Syndrome
  • Undeath Syndrome
  • Carrion Plague
  • Corpse Fever
  • Ghoul Fever
  • Bone Rot Disease
  • Flesh Rot Virus
  • Putrefaction Virus
  • Extinction Virus
  • Doomsday Strain
  • Solanum
  • T-Virus
  • G-Virus
  • C-Virus
  • Las Plagas
  • Uroboros
  • KV-1
  • Cordyceps Brain Infection
  • Ophiocordyceps unilateralis hominis
  • Rage Virus
  • The Green Flu
  • Trixie
  • Wildfire
  • The Croatoan Virus
  • The Kellis-Amberlee Virus
  • The Necroa Virus
  • The Zed Strain
  • Z-Strain
  • ZV-1
  • ZV-7 Recombinant
  • ZN-8 Variant
  • HZV-1
  • HRV-2 (Human Reanimation Virus)
  • NRV-3
  • NCV-19
  • RVX-4
  • MRV-Delta
  • Strain 44
  • Strain 88-Omega
  • Strain Alpha-1
  • Strain Sigma
  • Variant Kilo
  • Variant Omega
  • Lot 17
  • Sample 7
  • Compound Z-9
  • Serum 114
  • Agent Lazarus
  • Agent Orpheus
  • Project Lazarus
  • Project Revenant
  • Project Wraith
  • Project Hollowman
  • Protocol Zero
  • Pathogen Erebus
  • Pathogen Thanatos
  • Pathogen Nyx
  • Pathogen Osiris
  • Pathogen Charon
  • Pathogen Styx
  • Pathogen Hades
  • Pathogen Anubis
  • Pathogen Morrigan
  • Necrotizing Encephalitis Type Z
  • Acute Postmortem Reanimation Syndrome
  • Post-Mortem Reanimation Disorder
  • Human Reanimation Syndrome
  • Progressive Cortical Necrosis
  • Cortical Death Syndrome
  • Feral Encephalopathy
  • Rabies Variant Z
  • Hyper-Rabies
  • Ambulatory Necrosis
  • Ambulatory Cadaver Disease
  • Post-Vital Motor Syndrome
  • Reanimative Encephalitis
  • Neurotropic Necrovirus
  • Necrotic Prion Disease
  • Prion Z
  • Kuru-Z
  • Necrospongiform Encephalopathy
  • Hominid Cordyceps Syndrome
  • Ophiocordyceps Z
  • Mycelial Encephalitis
  • Spore Fever
  • The Fungal Plague
  • The Bloom
  • The Cordyceps Outbreak
  • The Marburg-Z Outbreak
  • The Ebola-Z Strain
  • Hemorrhagic Reanimation Fever
  • Necrotic Hemorrhagic Fever
  • The Black Fever
  • The Red Fever
  • The White Death
  • The Green Death
  • The Grey Plague
  • The Ash Plague
  • The Weeping Plague
  • The Screaming Sickness
  • The Hungry Sickness
  • The Shakes
  • The Twitch
  • The Stare
  • The Hunger
  • The Rot
  • The Turning
  • The Rising
  • The Quickening
  • The Z-Word
  • Z-Fever
  • Zed Flu
  • Zombie Flu
  • Walker Fever
  • Walker's Disease
  • Shambler's Syndrome
  • Biter's Disease
  • Deadman's Fever
  • Deadman's Syndrome
  • Lazarus Fever
  • Lazarus Syndrome
  • Orpheus Syndrome
  • Golem Syndrome
  • Revenant Syndrome
  • Draugr Fever
  • The Kinshasa Strain
  • The Raccoon City Strain
  • The Atlanta Strain
  • The Manila Strain
  • The Novosibirsk Strain
  • The Yakutsk Permafrost Strain
  • The Svalbard Strain
  • The Antarctic Strain
  • The Amazon Basin Strain
  • The Congo Fever
  • The Bering Strain
  • The Pripyat Strain
  • The Sarcophagus Strain
  • The Permafrost Plague
  • The Ice Core Pathogen
  • The Meteor Sickness
  • The Deep Sea Strain
  • The Trench Pathogen
  • The Cave Fever
  • The Bat Cave Strain
  • The Pig Farm Strain
  • The Slaughterhouse Strain
  • The Cruise Ship Strain
  • The Hospital Strain
  • The Cemetery Strain
  • The Lab Leak
  • The Meat Sickness
  • Persistent Vegetative Aggression
  • Vector Prime
  • The Biter's Rot
  • The Yucatán Strain
  • The Exclusion Zone Strain
  • The Amber Strain
  • The Hot Spring Strain
  • Necrophrenia
  • Project Exodus
  • Progressive Necrotic Encephalopathy
  • The Refugee Camp Strain
  • Ophiocordyceps Rabiosa
  • Project Charon
  • The Satellite Strain
  • The Border Strain
  • The Red Hunger
  • Omega Virus
  • Necrosis Sanguinea
  • The Detroit Strain
  • Feral Rabies Variant
  • The Slow Rot
  • Cadaverine Virus
  • Hematophagic Rabies
  • The Grave Rot
  • The Airborne Strain
  • The Bloodborne Strain
  • The Ulaanbaatar Strain
  • Acute Cannibalistic Encephalitis
  • The Canyon Strain
  • The Frenzy
  • Epsilon Strain
  • Project Cerberus
  • The Summer Camp Strain
  • The Reservoir Strain
  • The Lockjaw
  • The Wakening
  • The Nemesis Strain
  • Necrotizing Neuropathy Z
  • The Landfill Strain
  • Protocol Winter
  • The Bikini Atoll Strain
  • The Houston Strain
  • Encephalitis Lazari
  • The Fourth Horseman
  • The Istanbul Strain
  • Project Second Life
  • The Shambling Death
  • Ophiocordyceps Sapiens
  • The Aquifer Strain
  • Strain 33
  • The Tantalus Hunger
  • Lot 9
  • Toxoplasma Ferox
  • The Asylum Strain
  • The Snarl
  • The Bone Strain
  • The Wight Fever
  • KV-X
  • The Stumbles
  • XN-4
  • The Corpse Cough
  • Pathogen Zero
  • Omicron-Z
  • The Blackthorn Strain
  • The Chattering
  • The Timbuktu Strain
  • The Canine Strain
  • The Carnival Strain
  • Cortical Reanimation Disorder
  • Strain Gamma-9
  • The Proving Ground Strain
  • The Crematorium Strain
  • The Violet Strain
  • Zombivirus
  • The Obsidian Strain
  • The Bloodlust
  • Project Abaddon
  • The Wrath
  • Z-19
  • Project Moloch
  • The Golem Strain
  • The Stillness
  • The Returning
  • Henipavirus Necroticus
  • Strain 117
  • The Deadman's Walk
  • The Quarry Strain
  • The Checkpoint Strain
  • H5Z1
  • The Bloodrot
  • The Ross Ice Shelf Strain
  • The Pilgrimage Strain
  • The Yellow Strain
  • The Portland Strain
  • The Fast Rot
  • The Nairobi Strain
  • Encephalitis Necrotica
  • Necrosis Ultima
  • The Delta Strain
  • The Osaka Strain
  • Batch 13
  • Poxvirus Necroticus
  • The Rat Strain
  • Pathogen Hel
  • Clostridium Reanimaticum
  • The Dead Sweat
  • The Yellowing
  • The Dead Rage
  • Project Legion
  • Post-Vital Ambulation Disorder
  • The Volcano Strain
  • Q-Virus
  • The Shrieking
  • The Tomb Fever
  • The Ghoul's Hunger
  • Pathogen X
  • PRV-Z
  • The Berlin Strain
  • Cerebrophagia
  • Project Lullaby
  • Human Prion Reanimation Disease
  • The Lich Rot
  • Protocol Silence
  • The Cathedral Strain
  • The Europa Strain
  • Project Meat Puppet
  • Ophiocordyceps Ambulans
  • Agent Styx
  • The Bog Strain
  • The Tremors
  • The Yellowknife Strain
  • The Mall Strain
  • The Draugr Plague
  • Agent Hemlock
  • Agent Chimera
  • The Nightshade Strain
  • Project Nightfall
  • The Convention Strain
  • The Trawler Strain
  • Project Cain
  • The Black Hunger
  • The Cistern Strain
  • The Festival Strain
  • Project Cold Storage
  • The Rail Yard Strain
  • The Walking Rot
  • The Solstice Strain
  • The Nerve Strain
  • The Peat Strain
  • The Cleveland Strain
  • The Kabul Strain
  • The Reactor Strain
  • The Cadaver Flu
  • SARS-CoV-Z
  • Pathogen Lilith
  • Project Babel
  • The Walker's Curse
  • The Warsaw Strain
  • The Fiji Strain
  • The Prison Strain
  • Project Sleepwalker
  • The Space Station Strain
  • Project Golgotha
  • Serum 313
  • The Pale Rider
  • The Hot Zone Strain
  • Project Afterlife
  • The Anubis Fever
  • The Medusa Strain
  • T-Abyss
  • The Tickborne Strain
  • The Lagos Strain
  • The Crimson Strain
  • Project Leviathan
  • Variant Sierra
  • The Casino Strain
  • XZ-9
  • Necrovirus-Beta
  • Project Carcosa
  • The Carrion Flu
  • The Baltimore Strain
  • The Bloodshot
  • Zeta Strain
  • The Second Death
  • The Barracks Strain
  • HZV-3
  • The Lima Strain
  • The Hollowing
  • The Ski Lodge Strain
  • The Peeling
  • The Swine Strain
  • The Sample Return Strain
  • Pathogen Ereshkigal
  • Mycelial Reanimation Syndrome
  • The Kamchatka Strain
  • The Auckland Strain
  • Necrotic Rabies
  • Necrotic Motor Syndrome
  • Strain 7
  • Compound Z-19
  • The Blood Bank Strain
  • The Pale Sickness
  • The Outpost Strain
  • The Simian Strain
  • The Coffin Cough
  • The Chihuahua Strain
  • The Theme Park Strain
  • The Long Hunger
  • The Funeral Strain
  • Postmortem Neural Reactivation Syndrome
  • Necrosis Rubra
  • The Harbor Strain
  • The Unending
  • The Emptying
  • Necrolepsy
  • ZV-11
  • Cortical Rabies
  • The Wormwood Strain
  • Variant November
  • The Jakarta Strain
  • Human Necrotic Encephalopathy
  • Rapid Onset Reanimation Syndrome
  • The Lazarus Curse
  • Specimen 21
  • The Marrow Rot
  • The Sapporo Strain
  • Postmortem Motor Reactivation
  • The Marseille Strain
  • Reanimative Prion Disease
  • Necrosis Alba
  • The Cinder Strain
  • Progressive Feral Degeneration
  • Project Sleeper
  • The Blackening
  • Variola Necrotica
  • The Waterborne Strain
  • The Sporing
  • The Salt Flat Strain
  • The Sewer Strain
  • The Vostok Strain
  • The Dig Site Strain
  • The Okinawa Strain
  • The Ossuary Strain
  • The Bushmeat Strain
  • Variant Bravo
  • The Khartoum Strain
  • The Hydra Strain
  • Mortis-7
  • The Hospice Strain
  • Acute Feral Encephalitis
  • Fungal Feral Encephalopathy
  • Feral Prion Disease
  • The Patagonia Strain
  • Z-Prime
  • PrP-Ferox
  • Specimen 88
  • The Clicking
  • The Pyongyang Strain
  • KV-3 Airborne
  • The Second Waking
  • The Transplant Strain
  • The Cairo Strain
  • Marburg-Z2
  • The Pestilence Strain
  • The Denver Strain
  • Chronic Necrotizing Ambulation
  • The Crypt Fever
  • The Glasgow Strain
  • The Vegas Strain
  • Necropox
  • The Bone Ache
  • The Garrison Strain
  • RZV-1
  • Project Persephone
  • The Prometheus Strain
  • The White Eye
  • ZSV-7 (Salivary)
  • Prion Omega
  • Lambda Strain
  • The Winter Strain
  • Prion Necrotica
  • Reanimavirus
  • The Consumption
  • Anthropophagic Prion Disease
  • CRV-8
  • The Gnawing
  • Rictus Fever
  • The Graveside Cough
  • Postmortem Locomotor Syndrome
  • The Undertow Strain
  • Strain 61-Kappa
  • The Ferry Terminal Strain
  • Cadaveric Encephalitis
  • The Whisperer's Plague
  • Necrotizing Rabies Type C
  • The Sinkhole Strain
  • Batch 4 Contaminant
  • The Dockworker's Fever
  • Vector Nightjar
  • Compound Erebus-2
  • The Bilebound Plague
  • Rotmouth Disease
  • The Slow Waking
  • Corpsebloom Fungus
  • The Winter Rot
  • Sample 12-Delta
  • The Highway Rest Stop Strain
  • Rigor Vitae Syndrome
  • The Cold Storage Strain
  • Necroencephalitis Ferox
  • The Bogwater Fever
  • Grave Breath
  • Project Wintersleep
  • The Chapel Strain
  • Delirium Necroticum
  • Feral Onset Encephalopathy
  • The Locust Hunger
  • The Ferryman's Fever
  • The Cannery Strain
  • Salt Rot
  • The Quarantine Ward Strain

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