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Here is the link to the random Finnish name, tribe, season, and starting scenario generator, created recently by Est, and contributed to by me and many others:

http://www.geocities.com/bachstner/urwnamegen.html

Have fun! :)

Edit--- Thank you for the pin, URWelo. :D Est, please don't change the site at all... it looks great! Two thumbs up! B)

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And here are the posts that made it happen:

I have noticed there may be some programmers around, so I have a proposition.

This site was reachable from one of the URW FAQs:

http://www.sci.fi/~kajun/finns/alpha.htm

It has a list of common Finnish names for men and women, along with an audible pronunciation guide.

What I would like to see is either...

A: A simple program which generates one of these names at random, or...

B: A simple web page which links to one of these names at random.

I know choosing a good name is difficult for some URW players, and some (like me) would like to add a bit of authenticity to their character.

Now, I could do a little program for this myself, but I doubt everyone would want to download a ZX81 emulator (the only programming language I know, and only BASIC to boot) in order to use the program. :lol: Plus I'm not even sure I'd have enough memory, and it would take me wayyyyyyyy longer to write.

So what say you? Programmers unite! B)

(10 points to anyone who knows what a ZX81 is hehe ;) )

Sinclair ZX81? Thanks about those points! :P

I'm going to try make the program tomorrow, if anyone doesn't make it first... ;)


EDIT: Miserable failure. <_<

But, I think naming your own char whit a silly name brings more fun.. Tho that program would be great for naming the NPCs, only thing is, most of those are modern names...

PS. Bo and Tyko aren't Finnish names at all :angry:
EDIT: neither is: Harry and there is bunch of Swedish/FinnishSwedish names, but those fits the timescale greatly

People might be interested in looking at NORTHM.DAT, EASTM.DAT, and WESTM.DAT. They're all plain-text files that contain male character names (though the special accent characters don't show up in normal ASCII, and you can't use the accent characters in the name field either). Eastern tribes are the Kaumolaiset, Kiesselaiset, and Reemilaiset. Western tribes are the Islanders, Driikilaiset, Sartolaiset, and Koivulaiset. Northern tribes are the Seal, Owl, and Kuikka tribes.

If you don't mind having the same name as a person or two in the game, these are the files for you.

My first computer was a ZX81 =)
(Now, what to do with those points?)

~pH7

This alliance of programmers must be destroyed before it gets too big!!

ALL THE NON-PROGRAMMERS UNITE NOW, LET'S BRING DOWN THOSE FOOLISH PROGRAMMERS!

Hear Hear!!! :D I don't understand a positron-frog's poo about programming

Well... never had the patience to learn some decent programming, so i'll second that idea <_<

Anyway nowadays everybody seems to be up to date in javascript, so Thoth, why don't you make yourself a handy little JS function?

I know it sounds like a pain to sort all those names, but I find it is quickly done using MS Word's "replace" command... just copy and paste all those names from the web page into Word, remove line breaks (replace "/p" with "") and replace the blank space between each word with a sequence of inverted comma, normal comma, space, inverted comma (that is --> ", ")

So where you had: Aalto Aaltonen Aamos (etc.)
You now have: Aalto", "Aaltonen", "Aamos", (etc.)

See whereI'm going? Just add the missing (") at the beginning and the end of the list, and copy all that into a JS vector. Then it's all fun & games, pick a random one etc etc

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OK, now for the excuses:

1) Yep I know that telling a programmer to use JS is like telling Claude Monet to use Crayola pencils, so please don't kill me :huh: I just like to think of simple solutions for this kind of stuff. I humbly admit to having no knowledge whatsoever of experienced programming :ph43r:

2) ...I forgot. Nevermind.

P.S.: Well at least I found a use for a Microsoft application <_<

Simple answer: I am not "up to date" in Javascript - in fact, you might as well have posted in Finnish. :D

Nope, I'm not a programmer, and I know absolutely nothing with reference to programming a modern computer. I am a "conceptual designer" ;) , and as such, I can appreciate how simple a program like this WOULD be for someone who knows how to program... your Javascript idea sounds great, Est, but I am unable.

***Alternatively, it would be nice if URW automatically picked a random name for any character you create, which you can delete and replace if you like - a little game I used to play called Cthangband (a long-since-abandoned variant of "Angband", another roguelike) does this for you, and I am certain it would be simple for Sami to implement. :D

So true... Any programmers around here will see this effort to be as simple as to be almost primitive (I am reminded of the fighting apes scene in the film "2001: A Space Odyssey") <_<


Anyway Thoth, I've gotten to it. I just made a html page that, when you press a button, will randomly write one of the names from that list you gave at the top of the page. It's pretty handy, I'm already using it :)

Now, I don't have a web site where I can post it, so if you want you can give me an email address and I can send it to you? I can't post the code here in the forum either, as the whole list of names would probably be too big.

What say?

RedTape8@gmail.com

or

iamthoth@hotmail.com

B)

But you know, if you want a free web page, you could always use:

http://geocities.yahoo.com/

...Then everybody could use the name generator. Way to go on that, BTW! It's great to see some of my ideas being implemented - I'll keep driving as long as you guys keep my car going. :D

OK, done. Hope it helps.

I had already thought of setting up a geocities site, first I thought it was too much of a bother, but hey, I'll think about it <_< could be useful.

In fact, good idea. Here it is:

http://www.geocities.com/bachstner/urwnamegen.html

Yeah, it's a pretty modest venture, but all great things have to start somewhere, right? ;)

Excellent! :D

Exactly what I was looking for... the copy you sent to my email seems to have some funny characters in a few spots, but i like the online one better anyway.

Kudos and 100 points to Est, for sheer initiative! B)

Uh, Est, that's great work but... The generator creates sometimes names which are no names for humans at all, for example "Tanska" - that's the way we say "Denmark". Plus some of the names are surnames, other first names. :unsure:

Otherwise, that's great work... Althought I'm sure that foreing people don't note difference between first and last names :P

Well, I *am* foreign so I have no idea at all which of these are actual names :huh:

I just had to manage with the list of names that Thoth provided :)

Anyway now that it's online it can be updated easily so let's keep the ideas running, eh?

Ehh... When did osuuspankki turned to name? (osuuspankki=finnish bank).

So, if someone would be willing to go to this site:

http://www.sci.fi/~kajun/finns/alpha.htm

... And make a list of the names which are DEFINITELY surnames only (since we have no need for surnames in URW), and also the ones which are DEFINITELY NOT Finnish, and post the list here, Est can edit the name generator as appropriate.

I am hoping someone who's first language is Finnish (and preferably someone who lives in Finland and speaks the language on a daily basis) will do this. Your help will be much appreciated. :D

Yeah that is raelly great work, but as defender said... But who the heck cares? I'm sure you non Finnish ppl don't care sh.. about what Suomalainen means enyway... At far as it sounds "Finnsih" to you :lol:

EDIT: and oh toth... Isn't there those "links" for Female and Male names? And as I earlier posted which of those names aren't Finnish names...
Again:
Bo
Tyko

Those for sure, And there is loads of Swedish names... But they fit the timescale perfectly (Finland was under Swedens rule...)

EDIT edit: Oh and this comes to one idea for the game. Kind of last names too, I mean: Didn't they back then "belonged" to someones family like. "Kalle of Alatalo" (Alatalon Kalle). Now it's only tribes, and I, not sure, Think in those ages the "tribal" thing was little old... Saying here: Weren't there in those ages these "Kalle of Alatalo" not "Kalle of Kuikka-tribe"? Alatalo is lastname (Underhouse)

Another Edit...: Just checked, it seems when pressing on that site http://www.sci.fi/~kajun/finns/alpha.htm that "Complete list of names" there comes all kinds of ....! Like: Palloseura (soccerteam), osuuspankki (bank), HIFK (Finnish icehockey team), HJK (Finnish soccer team), etc...
PS. Now I won't edit this post enymore

Alright, so the list of names that need deleting from the list so far are:

Bo, Tyko, Harry, Tanska, Osuuspankki, Palloseura, HIFK, HJK.

Anybody have any more to add? Again, I'd like to get rid of as many surnames as possible, but keep any that might also be given names (what is the Finnish equivalent for Smith anyway? :D).

Calling all Finns!

Yep. If someone can point them out, I'll just delete all the bogus names in one go.

Slaver's idea isn't bad, though. If you can also separate which of them are last names, I'll split the generator so you can have random first names on one side, random last names on the other side.

In fact, I was thinking, you know those times when you want to start a new game with a bit of "uncertainty"? I thought I might also add an option that chooses a random tribe as well as a random starting season, and then see how you do with that character.
After all, has it ever happened to you that you think "hmm, I'd like to try a totally different character" but then you start thinking "ok, I'm definitely NOT picking kuikka-tribe, driikilainen, etc (the "not-so-gifted" tribes)" so you end up with the same type of character all the time?

Of course having this in a web page is a bit silly, the ideal thing would be for one of our resident programmers to implement a randomizing option *in* the game, but I think it could be handy nonetheless. :unsure:

Dude... No last names! The "Complete list of names" DOES list last names too...
I mean... Ok... I'll collect all the names in this post:

Male names:

A
Aamos Aapo Aarne Aatos Ahti Aki Aki-Petteri Akseli Aleksi Anssi Antero Antti Ari Ari-Pekka Armas Arsi Arto Arttu Arvi Arvid Atso Atte August Aulis
C
Christian
D
Daavid
E
Eemeli Eemil Eerik Eero Eetu Eino Einojuhani Elias Emppu Ensio Erkki Erno Esa Esa-Pekka Esko
F
Frans Fredrik
H
Hannes Hanno Hannu Harri Harry Heikki Henri Henrik Hessu Hugo
I
Iiro Iivari Ilkka Ilmari Ismo Isto
J
Jaakko Jali Jan Jan-Erik Jani Janne Jari Jarkko Jarmo Jarno Jaska Jean Jere Jesse Joel Johan Johannes Jonatan Joni Jonne Joona Joonas Jorma Jouko Jouni Juha Juhana Juhani Juho Jukka Jukka-Pekka Jussi Juuso Jyri Jyrki
K
Kaarle Kaarlo Kai Kaj Kalervo Kalevi Kalle Kari Karri Kauko Keijo Keke Kim Kimi Kimmo Konsta Kristian Kyösti
L
Lalli Lasse Lassi Lauri Leevi Luukas
M
Magnus Manu Marco Marcus Markku Marko Markus Martti Matias Matti Mattiesko Mauno Maunu Mauri Miika Miikka Mika Mika-Matti Mikael Mikki Mikko Miska
N
Niklas Niko Nils
O
Olavi Olle Olli Olli-Pekka Onni Oskar Oskari Otto
P
Paavo Panu Pasi Pauli Pekka Pentti Pertti Peter Petri Petteri Pirkka Pontus
R
Raimo Raine Raino Rasmus Reijo Reima Reino Retu Riku Risto Robin Roope
S
Sakari Saku Sami Samppa Sampsa Samsa Samuli Santeri Sauli Sebastian Seppo Severi Stefan Stig
T
Tahvo Taneli Tapani Tapio Tauno Teemu Teppo Tero Teuvo Timo Toini Toivo Tom Tomi Tommi Tommy Toni Tony Topi Topias Tuomas Tuomo Tuukka
U
Urho
V
Valentin Valtteri Veijo Veikko Veli Veli-Matti Veli-Pekka Vesa Vihtori Vilho Viljo Ville Ville-Veikko Väinö
Y
Yrjö
Å
Åke
Female names:

A
Aamu Aija Aila Aili Aino Aira Aliisa Amanda Anette Anita Anja Anna Anna-Liisa Anne Anneli Annemari Anni Anniina Annika Annikki Annukka Anu Arja Armi Auli Aune Aurora
C
Carita Carola
E
Eeva Eija Eija-Riitta Eila Eliisa Elina Elisa Elisabeth Ella Elsa Emilia Emma Emmi Essi Eveliina
H
Hanna Hanna-Maria Hannele Heidi Helena Heli Heljä Helmi Helvi Henna Henriikka
I
Ida Iida Iines Ilse Ilta Impi Irene
J
Jaana Jasmin Jenna Jenni Johanna Jonna Josefiina Julia Justiina
K
Kaari Kaarina Kaija Kaiju Kaisa Karita Karoliina Katariina Kati Katja Katri Kerttu Kia Kirsi Kirsti Kristiina Kyllikki
L
Laila Laura Leea Leena Leila Lempi Liisa Liisi Lotta Lyyli
M
Maarit Maija Maire Mari Maria Marja Marjo Mathilda Meeri Merja Miia Mikaela Milla Minna Mira Monica
N
Natalia Nea Nelma Niina Noora
O
Oili Olga Oona Outi
P
Paula Pauliina Petra Pia Piia Piia-Noora Pinja Pirjo Pirkko Päivi Päivä
R
Raakel Raija Reeta Reija Riia Riikka Riitta Rita Ritva Ronja Roosa
S
Saara Saimi Salla Sanelma Sanna Sanna-Leena Sanni Sara Sari Satu Seija Selma Senja Siiri Sini Sinikka Sirja Sirkka Sirpa Sisko Sofia Sointu Sonja Suoma Susanna Suvi Säde
T
Taija Taimi Taina Tanja Tarja Teija Tellervo Terhi Terttu Tiia Tiina Tove Tuija Tuula Tuuli Tuulia Tuulikki Tytti Tyyne
U
Ulla Ulla-Maj Ulpu
V
Vappu Veera Venla Vilma Virpi
Å
Åsa

Done...

wow, great work!

Furthermore, while perfectly acceptable names as such, I wouldn't personally use the following names in URW (these are just my opinions, and I might be getting my facts wrong, though):

Christian Daavid Lalli Luukas Valentin (maybe Markus, Mikael)
I think these names were only used after christianity landed into Finland. Dunno 'bout that last one, but in any case it doesn't sound like a good name for a iron age character to me. In fact, my own name (Johannes) sort of falls into this category too; Johannes is the Finnish equivalent of John in English.

Einojuhani Esa-Pekka Mattiesko Veli-Matti Veli-Pekka
I guess these are fine, actually... It's just that they're basically two names welded together... So Eino, Juhani, Esa, Pekka, Matti, Esko and Veli can all be used separately as well. Just so you know.

Hugo Marco
These sound waaaay too foreign to me. I didn't bother to comment on most of the swedish/foreign names, but Hugo is another name that just doesn't sound right in my ear, and Marco with a c is what people have been naming their kids since late 90's in order to sound trendy.

Åke, Åsa
These names, of course, are completely Swedish. There aren't that many (if any?) Swedish influenced names in URW, and Finnish doesn't even use Å. We do have Ö:s and Ä:s, though.


Carola
This is actually a name? Ok, fine, but it's not a Finnish one.

Raakel
I think this one's pretty much straight from the bible. Also, I might be wrong but Saara might have biblical origins as well.

Then there's also some names that I really like... Let me just list a few of my favorites too Once again, just my opinion of names that I think fit the mood of the game best and which I personally would (and very well might really) use in the game. Most of the names are just fine, and I'm not even listing all the names I find fitting

Aatos
Ahti - He's like the Finnish version of Poseidon; God of water and fish
Armas
Ilmari
Johannes ;) - well ok, I wouldn't name my own character that... I feel silly playing RPG:s with a character that has my own name. :blink:
Jussi - now there's a good, solid Finnish name for you.
Kauko - I've actually used this one before. Translated, it basically means "far away-"
Onni - means "luck" or "happiness"
Seppo - the name of a smith in The Kalevala
Toivo - "hope"
Urho - I guess this would best translate to "Brave one"
Veikko
Veli - "Brother"

Aamu - "Morning", "Dawn"
Aino - There's a girl by this name in The Kalevala
Heljä
Helmi - "Pearl"
Ilta - "Evening"
Impi - "Maiden"
Kaari
Kerttu
Kyllikki
Lempi - oldish word for "Love"
Marja - "Berry"
Päivi
Päivä - "Day" (what is it with these time of the day-names?)
Sanelma
Senja
Sini - "Blue-"
Sinikka
Sisko - "Sister"
Suoma - sounds good as it is, but is actually a word as well (though possibly by coincidence)... Would mean something like "Granted (by something/someone)"
Suvi - "Spring"
Säde - "Ray", as in "Ray of light or sunshine")
Taimi - "Sprout" of a plant
Tellervo
Tuuli - Is just a damn good name because... Well, nevermind that, it means "Wind" in any case.
Tuulia
Tuulikki
Ulpu
Vappu - Nowadays means "mayday", not as in the distress call but as in the first of May... I'm not familiar with the historical background of the word, but heck, sounds good to me.
Virpi

So, in conclusion, I like names that carry meanings.

Anyway, I guess that was pretty pointless as a whole, but what the heck?

Useful, at least. :P

I removed the foreign names, but I think I'll leave the others around for the time being. Doesn't hurt...

Oh, and Carola is a pretty common female name in some of the spanish-speaking countries in South America (in Chile at least). In Spain it's a bit outdated, though.
Just thought you'd find it interesting. :)

Thanks for helping out!

I think Lalli has been before bible, donno...
Åke, Åsa well yeah, totally swedish, Tho finland were under the rule of Sweden.
And Hugo is an Swedish Finnish mixure...
And Tellervo is from Kalevala also... Why not Adding "Kalevala", "Ukko", "Akka", "Tuomi" and those other Kalevala/Finnish old "gods" names also? :P

EDIT: From "Seitsemän veljestä":
male names
- Simeoni

old finnish gods

- Pellonpekko (Beer god...also fields) male name
- Ilmarinen (Sky and Air god, he forced the earth) male name
- Liekkiö (god of fire, compared to Scandinavian "Loki" god) both
- Mielikki (wife of Tapio, Mielikki made the beaty of the forest) Female name
- Tapio (God of Forest) Male name
- Ukko (The main god, also called Perkele... Well Perkele comes from latin word - Perkons, what means "thunder god" (ex. Zeus). And Ukko is a "thunder god".) Male name
- Akka (Ukko's wife, when they are making theres thunder :D) Female name
- Panu (The more popular god of fire, Panu is used in the spells..) Male name
- Tursas (God of war...compared to Thor) male name
Link where i got the info from gods: Gooooods

Yeah, I reckon you're right about Lalli, I just thought "Duhhhh... Lalli is like the guy who killed that bishop on that lake -> Bishop = Religious -> Lalli = Religious"

which, I realized afterwards, is naturally flawed thinking. In fact, I would actually recommend making a character named Lalli and train his axe skills to the max. ;)

haha! :lol:
Trust, name you char as Lalli, train your axe skill, get a wife. And after that all the Wise mens will drop rings when you kill em :ph43r:
Edit: All wise mens which are killed on ice :rolleyes:

Right on ;)

One last request, Est:

At the bottom where you have the tribe and season, add a random generator for the starting scenario too. :)

Other than that, I don't see where the page can get any better, other than by removing the little border in the middle... it isnt straight on my screen, no matter what I do.

Excellent work everybody! :D

Done, no problem.

I don't really know why you didn't see the image properly, but I switched to the old background image anyway. The other one only looked good on 1024x768 resolution (the white box was part of the background image), and I don't really feel like doing different sized pages <_<

Maybe I'll experiment some more later on, though :unsure:

Oh by the way...

Added an easter egg, only it's very hard to see since this background image is so light, so I'll tell you what it is -- check out the wrist of the guy with the axe... you'll see he's wearing a rolex :lol:

This is handy. I'll stick a pin through it, shall I?

Sure <_<

Sorry this little post.


Perkele is today... Umm... Bad word like chocolate. When bible came to finland they think that other gods were bad (remember 1st order?) and they deciled that perkele was bad word.

Thats a one reason I don belong for church ;)
I'm free to beliave in what ever I want, and I won't choose church, their old methods are "evil" :lol:

(Touches religion with a ten foot pole.)

Now, don't get me started. :D

To be more precise, Perkele was baltic god of thunder, whose words had power... Actually that was quite good choice for finnish name of... err... Vihtahousu <_<

I've just been using Bob and Fred.