Fake names for documentation
April 30, 2007Last week a discussion on one of my tech writing lists focused on using fictitious names in documentation, such as in Name fields in software and websites that are used in training, demonstrations, and screen shots in the manuals. One thing you don’t want to do is use a set of real names from a real client. In fact, I heard of an instance—it may be an apocryphal tale—where a real person’s name was projected on a large screen, and some in the training session got very upset as that person had died very recently.
So this discussion offered some ideas for ‘dummy’ names that you could use. Now, whether you would actually use any of these is not my call—you’d have to make your own decision based on who you work for and who your audience is!
Here’s a sample of some that were offered:
Punny Names
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Fish and Food
- Ann Chovey
- Barry Cuda
- Barry Mundy
- John Dory
- Murray Cod
- Coral Trout
- Red Salmon
- Tiger Prawn
- Rock Cod
- Rock Lobster
- Ray Manta
- E.L. Moray
- Hazel Nutt
- Chris P. Bacon
- Chris P. Creem
- Marsha Mellow
- Barb Akew
- Pete Tsar
- Marge Areen
- Violet Crumb-Ball
- Rosemary Lamb
- Cesar Salad
- Frank Furter
- Polly N. Satcherayted
- Des E. Kaytedcoconut
Medical
- Con Junktivitas
- Di Ahreya
- Gus Stroentereyetus
- Arthur Rightus
- Al Zeimers
- Uri Nerybladda
- Uri Nalisis
- Perry Tonitus
- Gene Therapee
- Di Allysis
Fictional, Movie, and Biblical characters
- Lois Lane
- Clark Kent
- Ralph and Alice Kramden
- Holly Golightly
- Liza Doolittle
- Henry Higgins
- Joseph Arimathea
- Mary Magdalene
- Simon Cyrene
- Dixie Normous (“Austin Powers”)
- Felicity Shagwell (“Austin Powers”)
- Ivana Humpalot (“Austin Powers”)
- Plenty O’Toole (“Bond” movies)
- Tiffany Case (“Bond” movies)
- Shady Tree (“Bond” movies)
- Kissy Suzuki (“Bond” movies)
- Pussy Galore (“Bond” movies)
- Honey Ryder (“Bond” movies)
- Sylvia Trench (“Bond” movies)
- Lupe Lamora (“Bond” movies)
- May Day (“Bond” movies)
- Jenny Flex (“Bond” movies)
- Penelope Smallbone (“Bond” movies)
- Holly Goodhead (“Bond” movies)
- Mary Goodnight (“Bond” movies)
- Chew Mee (“Bond” movies)
- Ruby Bartlett (“Bond” movies)
Others
- Melody Sunshine
- Dustin Trailblazer
- Donald Canard (Donald Duck)
- Michael J. Reynard (Michael J Fox)
- Michael Souris (Mickey Mouse)
If you need ‘real’ names, you can always try some of the many random name generators on the internet. You can get some very weird ones (like Klingon names, fantasy names, etc.), but there are ‘real’ names among all that too. Some use names from the various US censuses and mix them up according to popularity, gender, etc. Some example sites:
- http://www.behindthename.com/random/
- http://random-name-generator.info/
- http://namey.muffinlabs.com/
(Thanks to the contributors on various technical writing discussion lists)
Update (1 March 2008): I found more in some very old emails that I was cleaning out, and have now added them to these lists.
Random name generators (thanks to Karen M for these links [checked February 2012]):
- Code name generator: http://www.codenamegenerator.com/
- Project name generator: http://online-generator.com/name-generator/project-name-generator.php
Fake Australian phone numbers for use in fiction etc.: https://www.acma.gov.au/use-phone-numbers-fiction
[Links last checked July 2020]
CyberText Newsletter 
I actually used to work for a company that used a client database in a testing environment (with the authorisation of the client), but who also used that same database for screen shots for a National software manual and newsletter.
Pretty frightening when you consider that it was Pharmacy Dispense software and the information used in the screen shots were private details of real patients…
They all looked utterly horrified when I took over the role as Communications Manager and implemented a program of proof reading and multiple sign off. Scary days, and yet, a company that I just don’t miss. Leaving there was like having a piece of bamboo that’s been firmly wedged under your fingernail, removed.
These are some great ideas. To be honest, in some of my screen shots I actually use my own name. It is a way of identifying my own work, which I think is nice for portfolio pieces.
My company is pretty laid-back about this sort of thing, so generally I use names that are obviously fictitious, or use my own name in some format. Your list of “punny” names will be great! I particularly liked Cris P. Bacon and Isabelle Ringing.
Former colleagues and I used to mix up names from movies. In one iteration of a manual, all first names were from “Star Trek” (movies and TV shows) and last names were from “Star Wars” movies.
You can tell I worked with a lot of geeks.
[…] Fake names for documentation […]
“Max Münsterman”
Because we are in Germany, and most software out of the US and UK isn’t tested for UTF8 compatibility and garbles up the umlauts.
You missed my all-time favourite!! Bob Loblaw.
I always use fake names in testing. Great list.
Good collection of fake names, I actually needed this for using in blog writing
I like to use random name generators in other languages for both business and personal documents. Non-American names are by turns interesting and lovely, and it’s often not obvious what the gender is, which I think is a bonus. Nepalese, Peruvian, Kenyan, Peruvian, Lithuanian, Mongolian, Jordanian….The world is not all Caucasian Americans!