Where do the names come from?
First names come from the US Social Security Administration's records of baby names given each year, the 400 most common for each era. Last names are the 1,000 most common in the 2010 US Census. Both are public records, so the names are real and spelled the way people actually spell them.
What does Real-world mix do?
It makes common names come up more often, roughly as they do among real people, so you get plenty of Smiths and Johnsons with the occasional rarer name. Untick it to give every name in the list the same chance, for more unusual results.
Are these real people?
No. A first name and a last name are picked separately at random, so the full name isn't anyone in particular. Each name on its own is common, though, so a real person somewhere may share it.
Can I use the names for characters, games or test data?
Yes. The names are free to use for stories, games, role-play characters, sample data or placeholders. For a character set in the past, pick the era they'd have been born in, as names go in and out of fashion.
How is this different from the random name picker?
This page makes up names for you. The random name picker draws names from a list you type in, such as students or raffle entries.