Did You Know?
- In Splatoon lore, Inklings evolved from squid after humans went extinct — their entire civilization, fashion, music, and slang developed independently from humanity. When they first discovered ancient human ruins, they had no idea what any of it was.
- The rival pop duo Callie and Marie (the Squid Sisters) and later Pearl and Marina (Off the Hook) aren't just mascots — they're in-universe celebrities whose songs actually play on the in-game radio during matches.
- Octolings were originally enemies in Splatoon 1 but became playable in the Splatoon 2 Octo Expansion DLC, which gave them a full emotional backstory. Marina, an Octoling, is still one of the most beloved characters in the franchise.
This generator produces Splatoon names for original characters (OCs) and in-game tags, filtered by species (Inkling or Octoling), vibe and gender. It is told to avoid the existing cast, so the canon tables below double as a skip list, and the idea tables show the house style it aims for: a name that reads as a real name first and carries an ocean, ink or colour pun second.
Existing Cast to Skip (Inkling Side)
Roles below are as described on Wikipedia's Splatoon pages. If your OC shares one of these names, fans will read it as the character.
| Callie | One of the Squid Sisters idols; later Agent 1 of the New Squidbeak Splatoon |
| Marie | Squid Sisters idol and Callie's cousin; later Agent 2 |
| Cap'n Cuttlefish | Elderly former general of the Inkling military, leader of the New Squidbeak Splatoon (Craig Cuttlefish in Splatoon 3) |
| Agent 3 | The player character of the first game, later Captain of the New Squidbeak Splatoon |
| Agent 4 | The player character recruited by Marie in Splatoon 2 |
| Shiver | Member of the Splatsville idol trio Deep Cut |
| Frye | Member of Deep Cut |
| Big Man | Member of Deep Cut |
| Pearl | Member of the idol duo Off the Hook |
Existing Cast to Skip (Octarian and Octoling Side)
| Marina | Octoling in Off the Hook; created the Memverse in Side Order |
| Agent 8 | Octoling protagonist of Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion |
| DJ Octavio | Commander of the Octarian forces, fights from a mech |
| Smallfry | Salmonid companion of Agent 3 in Splatoon 3 |
| Mr. Grizz | Grizzly bear and CEO of Grizzco Industries |
| O.R.C.A. | The Squidbeak Splatoon's AI; stands for Omniscient Recording Computer of Alterna |
| King Salmonid Cohozuna | Salmon Run boss |
Original Inkling Ideas (Not Canon)
These are made-up names in the generator's style, so the meanings are simply what the words mean. Inkling names lean short and casual, the kind you would type into a battle tag.
| Kelp | Seaweed; one syllable, easy to shout mid-match |
| Brine | Salt water; sharp and short |
| Squidge | Squid plus "squidge", a soft squeeze; for a cute vibe |
| Nori | Edible seaweed, and a real Japanese given name |
| Ripple | A small wave; friendly, pop-idol feel |
| Spritz | A quick spray, as in ink or soda |
| Tint | A light shade of colour |
| Dab | A small touch of paint |
| Skimmer | A bird that drags its beak across water, and a fast-turf name |
| Plume | A cloud of ink in water |
| Murk | Dark, cloudy water; for a punk vibe |
| Coralie | Coral inside a plausible given name |
| Sepia | The ink of cuttlefish, and a brown colour; Sepia is also the genus name of cuttlefish |
Original Octoling Ideas (Not Canon)
Octoling names can run a little longer or more unusual. The pun has more weight, matching the deeper-water, underground-origin feel the config prompt asks for.
| Phosphor | Phosphorescent glow, as in deep-sea bioluminescence |
| Abyssa | From "abyss", the deep ocean, shaped like a given name |
| Tentacula | Tentacle with a gothic ending |
| Octavia | Built on "octo", eight, matching eight arms; sits close to DJ Octavio, so use with care |
| Vex | To annoy or provoke; a punk-vibe battle tag |
| Cinder | Burnt ember; a warm-coloured ink name |
| Siphon | The tube cephalopods use to jet through water |
| Brack | Short for brackish, mixed salt and fresh water |
| Undertow | Current beneath the surface; for a quiet competitive player |
| Gloam | Twilight; dark and moody |
| Octo-Nine | Eight arms plus one; a Turf War leaderboard tag |
Battle Tags and Team Names
People searching for Splatoon username or team ideas usually want something readable on a scoreboard. These fit the generator's Warrior / Competitive setting.
| Razorfin | A blade-edged fin; aggressive but still ocean |
| Barracuda | A real predatory fish |
| Tempest | A violent storm |
| Splatter | The core verb of the game |
| Inkjet | Ink plus jet propulsion, as squid move |
| Turf Tide | Turf War plus tide; works as a squad name |
| Rainmaker Rush | Named after the Rainmaker ranked mode |
| Zap Fish Club | Nods to the Great Zapfish from the first game |
How the Generator Shapes Each Species
Its prompt treats the two species differently. Inkling output is meant to feel self-chosen: short or medium length, casual, with a subtle pun. Octoling output may be longer and carries an undertone of depth. The prompt explicitly forbids Callie, Marie, Pearl, Marina, Shiver, Frye, Cuttlefish, Octavio and Iso Padre, so you will not get those back.
The Vibe field then moves the pun. Street gives battle-tag shorts, Punk sharpens the consonants, Cute asks for warm vowels, Idol asks for names that work on a billboard, Warrior asks for aggression and Ocean pulls toward tides and bioluminescence. Gender does not change the register much: the prompt says female names should not be made precious and male names do not need to be hard.
Skip These
Avoid names that are a reference to another franchise (Squidward), a bare placeholder (Inky), a generic flower with no sea link (Bluebell), or a plain username format (WaveRider99). They have no concealed second layer, which is the one thing the generator is built to deliver.
If you want a similar approach for another shooter, Apex Legends names works from the same skip-the-roster idea.
Common Questions
Can I use Splatoon names for my OC without copying a character?
Yes. Check the two canon tables above, avoid those names, and pick a species. Inkling OC names tend to be short and casual, Octoling ones a little longer, but nothing in the games stops either species sharing a style.
What are good Inkling and Octoling names?
Names that sound like a plausible given name or tag while hiding a sea, ink or colour word, such as Kelp, Sepia, Coralie, Phosphor or Undertow in the tables above. Set the Species field to Inkling or Octoling and the generator keeps to that register.
Do Splatoon names need to be puns?
The generator aims for a hidden layer, whether a sea creature, a colour or an ocean feeling, because that is what separates a Splatoon-style name from a generic gamer tag. A name without one still works as a tag, just not as an in-universe character name.
Sources
Updated November 2026: replaced the essay with canon skip-list tables and original Inkling, Octoling and battle-tag ideas, added sources and rewrote the FAQs.
