A tiny tool for catching default-name autopilot.
Name Slop Checker is a small, opinionated writing utility for spotting character names that have become conspicuous defaults in generative-AI writing.
Why this exists
Language models are very good at producing names that sound polished at first glance. The funny part is that, when prompts are vague, different models can keep reaching for the same names. Once you notice recurring Elaras, Vosses, Chens, Thornes, and similar combinations, they stop feeling neutral and start feeling like fingerprints.
This site turns that observation into a quick pre-publication gut check. It is meant for fiction writers, game writers, role-players, editors, and anyone brainstorming names with an AI assistant.
How the checker works
The current version uses a curated set of first names, surnames, and known recurring full-name pairings drawn from public writing and research about AI naming patterns. Your entry is compared against that list in JavaScript in your browser.
The displayed “slop score” is a site-specific heuristic. It is not a scientific probability, plagiarism score, authorship detector, or claim that a person using a flagged name relied on AI. It is best read as a warning light: “this name has shown up often enough in documented AI output that you may want to think twice.”
Primary sources
- Tom Clive, llm-name-slop — a published five-model experiment using 1,000 generated story openings, with name counts and a blocklist.
- Laura Wattenberg, Namerology: “The 2025 Name of the Year is Elara” — an analysis of Elara and related AI naming tendencies.
- Michał Brzozowski & Neo Christopher Chung, The Ghost Couple — a 2026 preprint describing correlated, model-family-specific name priors and recurring combinations.
What “clear” means
It only means the entered name is not on the lists currently used by this tool. It does not mean the name is rare, unused, legally available, culturally appropriate for your character, or guaranteed to stay outside future AI trends.