Three forms, all catalog-style
This tool makes survey designations, not invented words like Arrakis. It picks one of 35 opening words, then uses one of three layouts with equal odds:
| Layout | Results such as |
|---|---|
| Word and number (1 to 9) | Castor 6, Rigel 4, Gamma 9 |
| Word and tag, with a hyphen | Astra-V, Zenith-VIII, Terra-beta |
| Word, number and tag | Tau 2 draconis, Sirius 5 ultima, Beta 1 IV |
The opening words are a mix: Greek letters (Alpha, Sigma, Tau, Psi and others), real star or constellation names (Rigel, Vega, Sirius, Castor, Draco, Orion, Lyra, Cygnus), and generic sci-fi prefixes such as Neo, Exo, Terra and Cosmo. The 30 tags include Latin words (secundus, tertius, minor, major, ultima, australis, borealis), Roman numerals IV to X, and English number words.
Know the rough edges
The three parts are chosen independently, so some results are clumsy. The tag can repeat the number, giving Orion 2 two or Phi 3 three, and a Roman numeral after a digit, as in Solaris 4 VIII, reads like a typo. Prefixes such as Neo and Cosmo feel more like product names than stars. Treat those as prompts to edit: drop the redundant tag and you have Orion 2, or keep only the opener. The number never goes above 9, and nothing checks that a tag suits the opener, so a tag like orionis can land on any opener.
How real designations work
The style comes from astronomy. A confirmed exoplanet is named for its host star plus a lowercase letter starting at b, so Kepler-452b is the first planet found around Kepler-452; the letter a is left for the star. The solar system planets (other than Earth) are named for Greek and Roman gods, and the International Astronomical Union approves official names, having run public naming votes for some exoplanets. Moons often follow a theme, which is a trick worth copying: the moons of Uranus are named for characters from Shakespeare and Alexander Pope.
Giving a number a nickname
Nobody calls home "Sirius 5 ultima". A colony, surveyors and a smuggler may all use different names, and showing two on the page tells readers about the people using them. A nickname from a first impression (Rust, Ember, the Ledge), a landing ship's name or a founder's surname are all easy options. If you keep catalog numbering, keep it consistent within one system: the third planet of a star should be 3. The spaceship name generator names the vessel that landed there, the alien name generator names the inhabitants, and the island name generator names features on a single world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do these planet names exist in real astronomy?
Some of the opening words, such as Rigel, Vega and Sirius, are real stars, but the combinations are invented. Real exoplanet designations use the host star's name plus a lowercase letter, like Kepler-452b, so a result like Rigel 4 is a fictional-style label, not a catalog entry.
Why do some names repeat the number, like Orion 2 two?
The number and the tag are picked separately, so the tag sometimes happens to be a number word or numeral. It is a quirk of the tool. Delete the extra part for a cleaner name, such as Orion 2.
What do secundus, tertius and ultima mean?
They are Latin ordering words: secundus is second, tertius third, quartus fourth, quintus fifth and ultima last or farthest. Minor and major mean lesser and greater, and australis and borealis mean southern and northern.
Should a sci-fi planet have a name or a designation?
Using both is often wise. Surveyors would use a catalog label, and settlers would use a nickname. Showing both in a story signals different groups and eras and makes a world feel lived in.