{"id":5787,"library":"names","title":"Names","description":"The 'names' library is a simple Python utility designed to generate random first, last, and full names. It currently stands at version 0.3.0, with its last PyPI release in 2013 and last GitHub activity in 2018, indicating a low-to-no active development cadence. It primarily serves for quick generation of placeholder names.","status":"maintenance","version":"0.3.0","language":"python","source_language":"en","source_url":"https://github.com/treyhunner/names","tags":["name generation","random","utility","placeholder"],"install":[{"cmd":"pip install names","lang":"bash","label":"Install stable version"}],"dependencies":[],"imports":[{"symbol":"get_first_name","correct":"import names\nnames.get_first_name()"},{"symbol":"get_last_name","correct":"import names\nnames.get_last_name()"},{"symbol":"get_full_name","correct":"import names\nnames.get_full_name()"}],"quickstart":{"code":"import names\n\nfirst_name = names.get_first_name()\nlast_name = names.get_last_name()\nfull_name = names.get_full_name()\n\nprint(f\"Random First Name: {first_name}\")\nprint(f\"Random Last Name: {last_name}\")\nprint(f\"Random Full Name: {full_name}\")","lang":"python","description":"Demonstrates how to import the `names` library and use its primary functions to generate a random first name, last name, and full name."},"warnings":[{"fix":"Be aware of the data source limitations. For more diverse or current name generation, consider alternative libraries or custom datasets.","message":"The random names are generated from 1990 U.S. Census data. This means the generated names will reflect demographic trends from that era and may not represent contemporary or diverse naming conventions.","severity":"gotcha","affected_versions":"<=0.3.0"},{"fix":"For projects requiring active support, modern features, or broader name generation capabilities (e.g., specific cultures, fantasy names), evaluate alternatives like `pynames` or `names-dataset`.","message":"This library has not seen active development since 2018 (last commit) and its last PyPI release was in 2013. It may lack modern features, performance improvements, or bug fixes present in more actively maintained libraries.","severity":"gotcha","affected_versions":"All versions"},{"fix":"Always install and run this library within a dedicated virtual environment to minimize potential conflicts. If a conflict occurs, consider renaming your local module or importing specific functions to avoid clashes.","message":"The package name 'names' is quite generic. There is a potential for import conflicts if other packages or user-defined modules also use 'names' as an import identifier, especially if not careful with virtual environments or project structure.","severity":"gotcha","affected_versions":"All versions"}],"env_vars":null,"search_vec":"'0.3.0':24 '2013':31 '2018':37 'activ':35,44 'cadenc':46 'current':20 'design':10 'develop':45 'first':14 'full':17 'generat':12,52,57 'github':34 'indic':38 'last':15,27,33 'librari':4 'low':41 'low-to-no':40 'name':1,3,18,55,56 'placehold':54,60 'primarili':48 'pypi':28 'python':8 'quick':51 'random':13,58 'releas':29 'serv':49 'simpl':7 'stand':21 'util':9,59 'version':23","created_at":"2026-04-14T05:07:06.302702+00:00","updated_at":"2026-04-17T14:41:39.297541+00:00","problems":[{"fix":"Install the library using pip: `pip install names`","cause":"The 'names' library is not installed in the Python environment being used, or there is a typo in the import statement.","error":"ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'names'"},{"fix":"Verify the correct function names from the library's documentation (e.g., `names.get_full_name()`, `names.get_first_name()`, `names.get_last_name()`). Ensure no local file or directory is named `names.py` or `names` to prevent module shadowing.","cause":"This error typically occurs if there is a typo in the function name (e.g., 'get_full_name' instead of 'get_full_name'), if an attempt is made to access an attribute that does not exist in the 'names' module, or if a different module named 'names' is being imported instead of the intended random name generator library.","error":"AttributeError: module 'names' has no attribute 'get_full_name'"},{"fix":"Add `import names` at the beginning of your Python script or interactive session before attempting to use any functions from the library.","cause":"The 'names' module has not been imported before its functions or attributes are called, or there is a typo in the module name when importing or using it.","error":"NameError: name 'names' is not defined"},{"fix":"names.get_full_name()","cause":"The 'names' library does not expose a generic `random_name` function; users must call specific functions like `get_full_name()`.","error":"AttributeError: module 'names' has no attribute 'random_name'"},{"fix":"names.get_first_name()","cause":"The name generation functions in the 'names' library must be called as methods (e.g., `names.get_first_name()`), not accessed as direct attributes.","error":"AttributeError: module 'names' has no attribute 'first_name'"}],"ecosystem":"pypi","meta_description":null,"install_score":null,"quickstart_score":null,"quickstart_tag":null,"pypi_latest":"0.3.0","cli_name":"names","cli_version":"Judy Vides","type":"library","homepage":null,"github":"https://github.com/treyhunner/names","docs":null,"changelog":null,"pypi":"https://pypi.org/project/names/","npm":null,"openapi_spec":null,"status_page":null,"smithery":null,"categories":["testing","data"],"base_url":null,"auth_type":null,"provenance":{"verified_status":"passing","verified_at":"2026-06-28","last_verified":"2026-08-31","next_check":"2026-07-28","install_tag":null}}