A good dinosaur name is built from Greek and Latin word parts that describe the animal: Velociraptor means "swift thief" and Triceratops "three-horned face". The Dinosaur Name Generator makes up new dinosaurs the same way and tells you what each name means. Pick realistic, fantasy or funny, or make a dinosaur from your own first name.
Eight good dinosaur names
All eight came from the generator, two from each kind:
- Nyctovenator: "night hunter", a predator that comes out after dark.
- Macronychus: "long claw", short and believable, like a real genus.
- Titanodrakon: "titan dragon", for a fantasy world where dragons and dinosaurs meet.
- Sapphirodrakon custos: a jewel-coloured dragon with a Latin species name meaning "guardian".
- Biscuitodon: "biscuit-toothed", a funny name built the proper way.
- Hiccup Rex: "the hiccup king", a joke on Tyrannosaurus rex.
- Samosuchus viridis: "Sam's green crocodile", made from a first name.
- Priyaraptor tonans: Priya's thundering thief.
How dinosaurs get their names
The word dinosaur was coined by the anatomist Richard Owen in 1842, from the Greek deinos, "terrible", and sauros, "lizard". Every dinosaur since has been named from word parts like these, most of them Greek or Latin:
- -saurus, lizard: Stegosaurus, the "roof lizard".
- -raptor, thief, and -venator, hunter, for predators.
- -onychus, claw: Deinonychus is the "terrible claw".
- -mimus, mimic: Gallimimus, the "chicken mimic", was named for looking like a giant bird.
- -tops, face, and -ceratops, horned face: Triceratops.
- -titan, for the giants: Patagotitan, one of the biggest sauropods ever found, is the titan of Patagonia.
A full scientific name has two parts. The genus comes first, with a capital letter, and the species second, in lower case, both in italics: Tyrannosaurus rex, "tyrant lizard king". Species names often describe the animal or honour a person or place, and scientists can have a sense of humour. Masiakasaurus knopfleri is named after Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, whose music was playing while the team dug it up.
One thing the generator never calls a dinosaur: a Pterodactyl. Pterosaurs flew alongside the dinosaurs but weren't dinosaurs themselves. Here -dactyl, "finger", is only used in the funny names.
Using your dinosaur
- Choose the format. With its meaning is best for a story or a school project, Full species sounds like a museum label, and Name only is quickest.
- Make one from your name. Type a first name and choose From my name. It's a good way to get children interested in how scientific names work.
- Draw it. The meaning tells you what to draw: a "frost-footed lizard" or a "rose-crested titan" practically designs itself.
For other creatures, try the Dragon Name Generator or the Monster Name Generator.
For more animals, real and imagined, see all the animal name generators.