Famous Pirate Names
Famous pirate names can be traced as far back as the 1600’s, when the most active stretch of piracy began.
Over time, pirates became romanticized in popular culture to the point that many are considered heroes, as depicted in movies, books, and plays. Some of the adventures are exaggerations, others only tell part of the story, and some are spot on. But all these tales increasingly contribute to our fascination with the swashbuckling characters and the lives they led.
Let’s take a look at some of the most famous pirates from history, movies, literature, and TV.
Top 10 famous pirate names
In the golden age of piracy, there were dozens and dozens of pirates, both men and women. Their life expectancy was very young. For example, Blackbeard only lived to age 39. There were pirates in all of the seven seas and they ran into only minimal resistance.
Even though there were a lot of pirates sailing the waters, there were some that stood out. These pirates became famous for their daring and cunning. They fought hard and showed no mercy. They terrorized shipping companies and amassed fortunes in gold, silver, and jewels. Here is a list of the most famous pirates in history.
1.) Calico Jack
His real name was John Rackham, and he was captured in 1719, but was given a pardon. He went back to his piracy ways and womanizing. He took up with a married woman named Anne Bonny, herself a notorious pirate. Rackham was also involved with Mary Read, a female pirate who dressed in men’s clothes.
Both Read and Bonny wound up sailing with Calico Jack in 1720. Calico Jack’s luck had run out and he was executed. The other members of his crew were also executed except Read and Bonny. It was discovered that both women were pregnant, and they were released. Mary Read passed away while in prison and Anne Bonny disappeared.
2.) Anne Bonny
Anne Bonny was born the daughter of a prominent Irish attorney, an illegitimate daughter. To hide this fact, her father had her dress as a boy for most of her youth. She traveled to America and met and married a sailor. She was struck with wanderlust and moved to the Bahamas.
While in the Bahamas, she met Calico Jack Rackham a notorious pirate. Smitten by Rackham, she joined his crew. She was proficient at sword fighting, marksmanship, and uncorking the bottle. Her career didn’t last long, Calico Jack and his crew were caught and executed, and Anne Bonny vanished,
3.) Captain William Kidd
Kidd was originally hired as a privateer to hunt down pirates and put them out of business. Lured by the available riches, Kidd decided to become a pirate himself. He had an ill-fated voyage where a disagreement with a crew member caused many of his crew to mutiny and jump ship.
With only a skeleton crew available, Kidd sailed to New York. Legend has it that he buried his treasure on Gardiner’s Island. Captain Kidd started sailing back to England but was arrested. He was tried in the English court and executed for piracy. The authorities displayed his decaying body by the river Thames to discourage other pirates.
4.) Black Bart Roberts
Born in 1862, Bartholomew Roberts was from Welsh descent. Often considered the most successful pirate,he earned this title by capturing more than 400 ships. He primarily sailed the Americas and West African coasts. His exploits led to his nickname Black Bart.
Like many pirates, Black Bart met a violent end. He was being pursued by the Royal Navy and he was a marked man. HMS Swallow intercepted Roberts’s ship and began a battle. Black Bart fought gallantly but was hit by grapeshot. He was buried at sea still wearing his finest clothes and carrying four pistols.
5.) Grace O’Malley
This famous pirate led a fleet of 20 ships and thumbed her nose at the British monarchy. She was born into a clan that controlled the coastline of western Ireland. She vowed to stay in the family business and plundered English and Spanish ships.
Many legends exist about Grace. One states that she went to battle at sea a day after giving birth. She was captured in the early 1590’s and faced the British courts. Now a 63-year-old woman, O’Malley appealed to Queen Elizabeth I for leniency. Her plea worked, but she continued her pirating ways until her passing in 1603.
6.) Blackbeard
His real name was Edward Teach, but he cultivated his Blackbeard persona. He would braid his beard and long hair and then coil fuses in the braids. When faced with a fight, he would light the fuses and frighten his foes.
Blackbeard often wore multiple guns and daggers strapped to his chest. He sailed a captured French slave ship that he fitted with 40 cannons and named it Queen Anne’s Revenge. When he was laying low in North Carolina, the British Navy attacked. Blackbeard lost his life in a particularly savage battle.
7.) Madame Cheng
Along with her husband Cheng Yih, she formed a huge fleet. After her husband’s passing in 1807 she became the organization’s leader. At this point, she was commanding 1800 vessels and over 70,000 men. She cruised the South China Sea demanding protection money.
The Chinese authorities started applying pressure to Cheng to disband her organization. Finally in 1810, she was offered a pardon and accepted it. She stopped her pirating ways, Cheng lived out the remainder of her life in control of an expansive opium smuggling ring.
8.) Henry Morgan
It isn’t known if the best-selling rum is named after Captain Morgan, but it could be. His exploits were particularly brutal, and he used priests, women, and authorities as human shields.
He was arrested in 1672 but served little time. In a twist of fate, he wound up as governor of Jamaica in 1676. From 1680 to 1682 he also served as governor of Jamaica. During his tenure in office, an anti-piracy law was passed by the legislature. Strangely, Morgan helped prosecute other pirates.
9.) Sir Francis Drake
A privateer licensed by the government of England; Drake was asked to attack the Spanish shipping system. He was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I and she even had a nickname for him, “my pirate.”
From 1577 to 1580, he became the first English captain to circumnavigate the globe. During this trip, he captured a Spanish ship loaded with treasure. When he returned to England, Queen Elizabeth was so pleased that she made him a knight. In 1588, Sir Francis Drake was instrumental in defeating the Spanish Armada.
10.) Aruj and Hizir Barbarossa
The word Barbarossa means red beard in Italian. Primarily sailing the Mediterranean Sea, the brothers were fierce and fearless. The Ottoman sultan was so impressed that he put the brothers in charge of protecting the Barbary Coast.
A pirate’s life is tough, and Aruj lost an arm in battle and then passed away in 1518 leaving Hizir in charge. Hizir spent the rest of his life fighting Christian enemies. These enemies included a fleet formed by the pope and sent specifically to destroy him.
More famous pirate names
For as long as man has set sail on the oceans there have been pirate ships flying their black flag (known as the Jolly Roger), ready to pillage and plunder when the opportunity arose.
This list of well-known pirates features both real and fictional buccaneers from the past.
From history and literature
1.) Captain Flint
2.) Whitebeard
3.) Long John Silver
4.) Henry Long Ben Every
5.) Francois L’Olonnais
6.) Francis Spriggs
7.) Dread Pirate Roberts
8.) Benjamin Hornigold
9.) Charles Vane
10.) Jack Sparrow
11.) Edward England
12.) Morgan Adams
13.) Elise Eskilsdotter
14.) Howell Davis
15.) Edward Lowe
16.) Mary Read
17.) Captain Nemo
18.) Jack Shandy
19.) Stede Bonnet
20.) Sayida Al Hurra
21.) Paulsgrave Williams
22.) Charlotte Badger
23.) Jean Lafite
24.) Woodes Rogers
25.) Long Ben (Henry Every)
26.) John Maude
27.) Captain Hook
28.) Jacquotte Delahaye
29.) Christopher Myngs
30.) John Morris
31.) Thomas Paine
32.) Jeanne De Clisson
33.) Samuel Belamy
34.) Mary Farley
35.) Sir Henry Morgan
36.) Turqut Reis
37.) Charlotte de Berms
38.) Rachel Wall
39.) Anne Dieville
From movies and TV
1.) Captain Hook, Peter Pan
2.) Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean
3.) Long John Silver, Treasure Island
4.) Captain Flint, Black Sails
5.) Davy Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean
6.) Captain Hector Barbosa, Pirates of the Caribbean
7.) Dread Pirate Roberts, The Princess Bride
8.) The Count, Pirate Radio
9.) Jack Shandy, Pirates of the Caribbean
10.) Captain Flint, Black Sails
11.) Patchy the Pirate, SpongeBob SquarePants
12.) Captain Pugwash, Captain Pugwash
13.) Jake, Jake and the Neverland Pirates
14.) One-Eyed Willy, The Goonies
15.) Bootstrap Bill Turner, Pirates of the Caribbean
16.) Captain Nemo, Mysterious Island
17.) Mr. Smee, Peter Pan
18.) Billy Bones, Treasure Island
19.) The Pirate King, The Pirates of Penzance
20.) Captain Hook, Once Upon a Time
21.) Captain Feathersword, The Wiggles
22.) Steve the Pirate, Dodgeball
23.) Captain Shakespeare, Stardust
Pirate party names
Coming up with your pirate name is half the fun of being a pirate! Below you’ll find a list to get you started. Use a name from the list or create your own. Good pirate names are funny, witty, cute, or best of all — just plain weird!
Funny pirate names
Pirates have senses of humor too, you’ve got to get a laugh in when you’re not searching for buried treasure. Here are some funny and downright silly pirate names:
1.) One Tooth McGuirk
2.) Fill the Bucket Bill
3.) Big Lips Laurie
4.) Carl the Cannonball
5.) Patchy Swashbuckler
6.) One Hand Pete
7.) One Foot Gibbs
8.) Cotton Mouth Carlson
9.) Grog Hardface
10.) Willie the Parrot
11.) Itchy McQuick
12.) No Nose Williams
13.) Lester the Jester
14.) Fishy O’Jelly
15.) Edward Marble Mouth
16.) No Name Smith
17.) Paddy Pink Eye
18.) Squidy Onionhead
19.) Carla Cranky Budding
20.) Shifty McCrab
21.) Gold Tooth Gilda
22.) Brown Tooth Billy
23.) Scruffy McScruff Face
24.) Vin Skully
Learn how to talk like a pirate with these words and phrases.
Scary pirate names
Every pirate wants a name that will strike fear in the hearts of their enemies. A name that causes landlubbers and skallywags to shake and shiver. Here is a list of scary pirate names:
1.) Cedric the Cannibal
2.) Ruthless Ruth
3.) Red Eye Riley
4.) Crab Claws McCutchon
5.) Pigs Eye Parrant
6.) Mad Dog Vincent
7.) No Legs Newman
8.) Patchless Parsons
9.) Venom Master
10.) Claw Foot Claire
11.) Charles Darkley
12.) Isla Sea-Wolf
13.) Crazy Crenshaw
14.) Blackjack Grimm
15.) Hawk Nose Peterson
16.) Curly No Tongue
17.) Harley Fang Heely
18.) Captain Pain
19.) Skull Face
20.) William the Fearless
21.) Dark Eyes Dan
22.) Cutler Swordface
23.) Shadow Stealer
24.) Ken the Kraken
Girl pirate names
Certainly, there were (and probably are) girl pirates. In celebration of the female swashbuckler, here is a list of good names for girl pirates:
1.) Diamond Kate
2.) Sadie Tall Britches
3.) Atlantis Oceanic
4.) Nelli Black
5.) Dirty Darlene
6.) Callie The Butcher Tildon
7.) Destiny Bilouix
8.) Voodoo Goddess
9.) Constance Six Toes
10.) Tina Tuna
11.) Ella The Bearded Lady
12.) Lazy Eye Loretta
13.) Wicked Wanda
14.) Esmeralda Hardlock
15.) Blackboots Hooligan
16.) Marika Bloodbath
17.) Cutthroat Morgan
18.) Crow’s Nest Cordella
19.) Sea Witch
Kids will love these pirate jokes.
Boy pirate names
It’s true, boys like to dress up like pirates and pretend to be Captain Hook. If they are going to do that, they need a pirate name. Here’s a list of good pirate names for boys:
1.) Eagle Eye Jerry
2.) Axel Paingiver
3.) Gunner Blackpowder
4.) Black Eyed Barry
5.) Snake Eyes Steve
6.) Wooden Leg Willie
7.) Greybeard
8.) Stubby Legs Nelson
9.) Rattle Me Bones Whitman
10.) Lobster Hands Lorenzo
11.) Cockroach O’Keefe
12.) Toothless Joe Miner
13.) Captain Shred
14.) Barnacle Bill
15.) Peg Leg Pete
16.) Sid the Swashbuckler
17. Cutthroat Ned
18.) Benno Sail Water
19.) Cruel Barkley
20.) Sharp Sword Cutler
21.) Barbary Bandit
Check out these famous pirate quotes and sayings.
What is your pirate name?
Tell the truth, secretly you would like to be a pirate, at least for a day. But what would your pirate name be? You can start with alliterations, if your name is Bob, your pirate name could be Bilgewater Bob. You could try using just your last name and adding something to it. If your name is Sally Nelson, your pirate name could be Sally Nelsonhead.
Another easy thing to do is to take an object or attribute and insert it in your name. For example, if your name is James Benson, your pirate name could be James The Fire Extinguisher Benson. Another popular pirate name is a singular name like Blackbeard. Your pirate name could be Short Toes, you get the idea.
National Talk Like a Pirate Day
Now that you have all this knowledge about pirates, you can celebrate in style. National Talk Like a Pirate Day is celebrated each year on September 19th. Can you say Aargh?
By Tim Moodie
Tim Moodie is a big pirate fan, and no, not the Pittsburg Pirates. Ever since he was a little kid, he loved the adventures of pirates on the high seas. He even had his son and daughter dress as Peter Pan and Captain Hook for Halloween. It just happened to be the same year as the Minneapolis Halloween Blizzard of 1991. An incredible 28.4 inches fell, and Tim and his kids made it to three houses.
Edited by Greg Johnson | Published 12/14/2022
