How to make a name crossword for your wedding or party
A complete guide to the Name Crossword tool, the free browser tool that arranges names into a printable, interlocking grid.
How it works
Enter the names you want included — the wedding party, close family, or your guest list — and the tool searches for the arrangement where the most names share a letter with another name in the list, the same way a real crossword's answers interlock. Every candidate arrangement is scored for how square and tightly packed it is, and the best one is shown as a live preview as you type.
Getting a tightly interlocked grid
- Include a mix of short and long names — shorter names find more places to intersect.
- Names that share common letters (A, E, N, R, S) tend to lock together more often than ones that don't.
- If the grid looks sparse, try swapping in a name that shares a letter with more of the others already in the list.
- Switch to the Tight layout density if you want the most compact grid rather than the most square one.
How to use the Name Crossword tool
- Open the Name Crossword tool and add each name — paste a comma-separated list to add several at once.
- Watch the grid update live, and drag names to reorder the list if you want to influence the layout.
- Pick a print theme and layout density.
- Download the grid as a PNG to share, or a PDF sized for printing.
Ways to use it
Print it as a table card or place setting activity, add it to a guest book page for guests to sign around, or drop the PNG straight into an invitation or thank-you card design.
Every guest at your wedding has a photo like this. Collect them all in one shared MomentThings album.
Frequently asked questions
How does the crossword generator work?
Type in a list of names or words and the tool searches for an arrangement where as many of them as possible intersect on a shared letter, then scores every arrangement it finds for shape and density and shows you the best one.
Do the names need to share letters?
For two names to interlock, they need at least one letter in common. A list where every name shares a letter with at least one other tends to produce the tightest, most crossword-like grid — try swapping a name out if the preview stays sparse.
Is this a solvable puzzle with clues?
No — this tool arranges the letters of your names into an interlocking grid as a decorative keepsake or table piece, not a clued puzzle to solve. It's meant for things like a wedding guest-book page or a printed favor, not a game.
Does it upload my names anywhere?
No. The grid is generated and rendered entirely in your browser — nothing you type is sent to a server.
What can I do with the exported file?
Download it as a PNG to share or drop into another design, or as a PDF sized for printing (A4 by default) — handy for table cards, guest-book inserts, or party favors.
Planning the event these names are from? Build a shared MomentThings page for weddings, birthdays, corporate events, or launches, so every guest has one place to go.