Creating a Custom Name List

[Gwill]

I believe in Iceland they still use a traditional naming scheme that includes "jonsdattir or svensdottir and stefansson or helgarsonur, depending on the child's gender, so definate need for a different list male to female.

An interesting bit of trivia: Because of this, the Icelandic phone book is sorted by first name.

[Sagana]

Yeah, my dad (who spent 6 months in Iceland doing research) says it's a horrid godawful mess to find anyone in the phone book.

[SaraMK]

Yeah... but... don't they only have like 500,000 people? Can't be that  hard.

[Sagana]

You ever try to find the right "John" in a list of 500,000?

[Gwill]

It's no harder to look for John Smith under J than it is to look for him under S.
If you think about it, it makes more sense considering that a person named Leif Bjørnson, the last name just indicates that his father is named Bjørn.  Unless you happen to know his father, it's more likely for you to be able to identify the correct "Leif" by looking under L than under B.

[SaraMK]

I figure with their name system you are less likely to have name combos like John Smith. And all 500,000 aren't going to be John Smith. And hopefully the address book would have other identifying info, like city of residence or something.

In any case, isn't Bjørn outlawed as a name now? Or am I thinking of some other country?

[Simergy]

I've got a name for you.

Years ago, there was a newspaper article that a woman had been arrested for drunk driving.  Her name (and it was in print, I swear) was Marigold Thunderpussy.

I ask you, if that were your name (I'm sure it was by birth), wouldn't you change it?  To like, Jane Thunderpussy?

I crack myself up   

[Ness]

Speaking of names...  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXTngYxm8Bs

[jsalemi]

Yeah... but... don't they only have like 500,000 people? Can't be that  hard.

300,000 (give or take) actually...

In any case, isn't Bjørn outlawed as a name now? Or am I thinking of some other country?

Icelandic doesn't have the 'ø' in the language, so it must be some other Scandinavian country. In Iceland, it would be Björn.

[Gwill]

In any case, isn't Bjørn outlawed as a name now? Or am I thinking of some other country?

Why would a name be outlawed?  My father is named Bjørn.  It means bear; quite litterally, not just in some vauge archaic way.

And yes, I believe they use Ö in Iceland, not Ø.  Denmark and Norway use Ø and Æ, Sweden and Iceland use Ö and Ä, but they are the same letter; pronounced exactly the same way.

[jsalemi]

And yes, I believe they use Ö in Iceland, not Ø.  Denmark and Norway use Ø and Æ, Sweden and Iceland use Ö and Ä, but they are the same letter; pronounced exactly the same way.

Icelandic doesn't have the Ä, but it does have the Æ (which is pronounced as 'ai' or more commonly just 'i'). The Ö is more of an 'eh' sound, so Björn is pronounced like 'byehrdn' (the 'rn' combination has a 'd' or 't' sound in the middle when speaking). And Björk  (their famous singer) is pronounced 'byehrk'

I've been studying Icelandic on and off since I went there last October -- interesting language.

[SaraMK]

Why would a name be outlawed?  My father is named Bjørn.  It means bear; quite litterally, not just in some vauge archaic way.

I read that some country outlawed all names that have animal meanings (and other meanings), and I think Bjorn was cited as an example. Can't recall where I read it though. And now that I think about it, it wasn't Iceland. 

EDIT: D'Oh, just recalled. It was in a baby name book (Beyond Jennifer & Jason) which I was using to name sims. Not the most stellar source of info, I admit.    Here's what it says:

According to Norwegian Name Law parents are forbidden from  giving their children names blah blah blah blah. New  on the law's forbidden list: animal names, which means there will be no more Bjorns (translation: bear) in Norway.

[Skadi]

For the record, we had a customer with the surname Cockburn when I worked in computer repairs. Yesterday I spoke to Mr Goodenough. Then there was Frank Spencer wanting to check his car insurance. It's hard not to laugh.

-Skadi

[Count Four]

The best I've got is probably Cassaboom.  Maybe Prickett.  I also like Utter, for some reason.

The best surname I've ever seen, though I haven't used it in game, is Maestroguiseppe. I saw that in the phone book years ago.

[Zeljka]

I work with employee databases so I've seen a gazillion names, many of the common type but some really fantastic.
I feel bad for those with uninspired parents who've named them Tom Thomas, Joe Joseph, Rob Roberts etc.. (I've seen at least 2 of each, but have come across countless other 'Last name and repeat' names)
Though I suppose it made kindergarden easier, I can't help think I'd have been disappointed with such a name.

The most surprising surname I've come across was Outhouse. I realize most names mean something, but the idea that your name means that is...

*has one of those stupid last names that was mutated at one point to disguise their origins...

[Hegelian]

In my current work I deal with lists of names of personnel at hospitals, clinics, and university research centers worldwide, so I see a lot of interesting real names. I'm not particularly interested in "humorous" or bizarre names (although "Speener Hose" did strike me as both odd and humorous--but not because I could (mis)read it as vulgar or suggestive). Some of the names I've run across that find interesting are:

Juner Colina		Mallie Taylor		Malou Rosman
Britta Bunselmayer		Carolina Hevia		Kajsa Silfverstrand
Janne Björkander		Fausto Berti		Lola Ballet
Begoña Uriarte		Carlos Mendez Mendez		Fernando Busto
Yordak Salermo		Maria Mejia		Kimbi Overton
Alexia Flamarion		Gwenaelle Clavier		Jacynthe Touchette

Since these are real names, I hope none of these folks are offended if they happen for some reason to see their names here. I'm not poking fun; I just think they're interesting or have a nice sound to them.

(I figured out how to make a table!)

The best I've got is probably Cassaboom.  Maybe Prickett.

There were Cosabooms and Pricketts in the small town where I grew up, in southern New Jersey.

[akatonbo]

I have actually spoken to a Crystal Ball. Also someone whose surname was Vander Vlught, which aside from having to spell it constantly is pretty awesome. (And I have to spell MY name constantly anyway, because it's also unusual. Although nowadays there's a famous athlete whose surname sounds like mine, so instead of "huh?" I get "like the football player?" and then I correct their spelling.)

[notveryawesome]

I am so naming one of my sims Lola Ballet.

[ingeli]

I think that Baby Names book is lying to you. Björn is not a forbidden name in Norway. In Sweden some parents sometimes have problems getting brand new names with meanings approved, or using familynames as first names. Cant name a little swede Svensson as first name, hehe.
All countries of course has names that sound funny in other languages, in Sweden we have a range of old Swedish female names of this kind: Britt, Gerd, Gun, ect. And I know a Norwegian family with two sons that had some problems when they lived for a couple of years in the US: their names were Odd and Bent

Interesting with the female last names - so the list equivalent Petrov/Petrova, so that a daughter of Petrov gets the name Petrova? I have some Russian families in my game and this could be a nice thingie..

(Jordi, I love your live-mod )

[Gwill]

My boyfriend works with someone named Helga Helmet.
I think that sounds like a MegaMan Villain.

[Hegelian]

I am so naming one of my sims Lola Ballet.

Yeah, I like that one too. I already have a Lola sim I've used more than once. She began sim-life as Lola Längerfeld, but in the cc- and hack-free neighborhood I've been playing recently she is Lola Villeneuve as a result of joining with Joanie Villeneuve, another real name from my work. The original Lola was created as a potential mate for a guy named Gordon Zephyr (not a real name).

All countries of course has names that sound funny in other languages, in Sweden we have a range of old Swedish female names of this kind: Britt, Gerd, Gun, ect.

Can you tell us the correct pronunciation of "Kajsa"?

Interesting with the female last names - so the list equivalent Petrov/Petrova, so that a daughter of Petrov gets the name Petrova? I have some Russian families in my game and this could be a nice thingie..

This common in several Slavic languages, including Czech and Bulgarian. A Czech example would be Martina Navratilova, whose step-father's name was Navrátil. There are plenty of literary examples, such as Alexei Alexandrovich Karenin/Anna Karenina. You can easily see the form in the current crop of female Russian tennis players (Sharapova, Dementieva, Kuznetsova, Myskina, and Dinara Safina, sister of Marat Safin). From the Czech Republic you have former players Hana Mandlíková and Jana Novotná.

Spanish is another interesting case, with children usually given two surnames, the father's followed by the mother's maiden name. It is common to refer to individuals by the father's surname (i.e., Gabriel García Márquez could be Gabriel García, although in formal writing he is generally referred to a García Márquez; in either case, he would not be referred to simply as Márquez). Since this is not the practice in Anglo-American culture, the names we use to refer to many famous Spanish historical figures in the Americas are incorrect. For example, the governor and explorer we know as Francisco Coronado would more correctly be called Francisco Vázquez (Francisco Vázquez de Coronado y Luxán); in documents of his own time, he is Vázquez or Vázquez de Coronado. It is my understanding that it is up to the individual whether the father's or mother's name is used, or both.

An example is the remarkable Cabeza de Vaca, who in 1528 set out from Tampa Bay as part of an expedition of 300 men, exploring north and west along the Gulf coast, shadowed by their ships offshore. The ships lost contact and after a year of looking, returned to New Spain (Mexico). The expedition made its way from inland down to the coast at Apalachee Bay (south of Tallahassee, Fla.) and built rafts on which to sail back to New Spain, and in the fall of 1528 two of the rafts beached on Galveston Island (about 650 straight-line miles) or possibly an island off the south Louisiana coast. Here they were captured and enslaved by the local people, and over the next few years most of the Spaniards died. In September 1534, Cabeza de Vaca and three others escaped and headed toward Mexico on foot. Using mostly worthless European medical practices, Cabeza de Vaca earned a reputation as healer among the local populations, and instead of being treated as an escapee, he and his companions were greeted warmly, being fed, clothed, sheltered, and given escorts. In July 1536 they encountered a Spanish slaving party in what is now the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa; they had an escort of several hundred Pima-speaking natives.

Anyway, his full name was Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca. Since his mother's family was of higher status than his father's, he chose to be known as Cabeza de Vaca. My source suggests that Hernando de Soto would have been known to his contemporaries as Soto. From this, it is not clear whether Juan Ponce de Léon would have been known as Ponce, as Léon, or as Ponce de Léon.

Any Spanish person who cares to correct any of this should feel free to do so.   

[ingeli]

Kajsa is pronounced Kaisa (Not like Okay, looong aa, more like "I" in "I am")
I do know a lot about the slavic names, my question was, does the female name list in Sims2 (when prepared for it), make this happen automatically?
(I work as a Swedish-Russian translator, and lived in Moscow for 3 years, my husband is a Russian, so if I did change my familyname, which I didnt, I would prefer the female version.)

[Hegelian]

(I work as a Swedish-Russian translator, and lived in Moscow for 3 years, my husband is a Russian, so if I did change my familyname, which I didnt, I would prefer the female version.)

Lol! Well don't I feel stupid. But maybe other folks might find what I wrote useful (or not!). 

Anyway, in the regional lists included in the U.S. edition of the game, the Russian, Bulgarian, Cyrillic, and Ukrainian lists use the default American names, but the Czech lists are male and female versions of real Czech or Czech-like names.

[Alie]

Since his mother's family was of higher status than his father's, he chose to be known as Cabeza de Vaca. My source suggests that Hernando de Soto would have been known to his contemporaries as Soto. From this, it is not clear whether Juan Ponce de Léon would have been known as Ponce, as Léon, or as Ponce de Léon.

AFAIK, everything you stated was correct up until this point.  Hernando de Soto's last name was de Soto.  This isn't a good example of typical Spanish name progression.  He would have been known to his contemporaries as "de Soto."   It's like "van Allen", two words, one last name.

I personally have never seen or come across anyone choosing the matrilineal name (i.e. Leon vs Ponce), so that may be extremely rare.  It is very, very common to keep the father's name and just be, for example, Juan Ponce. So Juan Ponce de Leon MAY have been Juan Ponce to his friends, and Ponce de Leon to anyone else.

I say "may" because it's extremely, extremely, EXTREMELY rude in Spanish speaking countries to drop any part of a person's name, unless you've been invited to call them by their first name or you know which last name they prefer.  Spanish surnames were formerly formed as Father's-Last-Name Mother's-Last-Name, but then some people, depending on the area, formed them Mother's-Last-Name Father's-Last-Name (i.e. in the USA, it was much more common in the 20th century to have two middle names than to have two last names, thus the Latinos trying to fit their customs to the culture gave their children the mother's maiden name as part of the middle name).

Some people are fine with just being called Sr/a. Father's-Last-Name (problem is, you can't tell by looking which last name is the father's last name), some would prefer Sr/a Father's Last Name Mother's Last Name (although this is considered very formal) and for women, it can get tricky once they're married. 

For example, my mother's full legal name is now Sherry Lynn Her-Father's-Last-Name Her-Mother's-Last-Name de My-Father's-Father's-Last-Name My-Father's-Mother's-Last-Name.  It's considered acceptable to abbreviate it to Sherry Lynn Her-Father's-Last-Name de My-Father's-Father's-Last-Name, and I believe that's what is on her passport.  Can't be sure, may be the full formal one.  My last name happens to be formed as My-Father's-Father's-Last-Name*HYPHENATED*My-Mother's-Father's-Last-Name, if you are wondering.  If I chose to continue this, my surname would become My-Father's-Father's-Last-Name de Whoever-I-Married, and the kids would have surnames of Whoever-I-Married My-Father's-Father's-Last-Name.

This is, again, why everybody gets called senor or senora.  If they like you, they'll invite you to call them by their first name in fifteen seconds anyway, if they don't or it's a formal occasion, you can't go wrong with senor or senora.

[Khan of Wyrms]

Okay, after considerable delay (pesky responsibilities and bothersome commitments and all, you know) here is an abridged list of some surnames I have found interesting/amusing/unusual.  It may not be obvious why some have been included here, but if any name does not seem to be particularly clever a Google search would probably turn up why it has been included.  I am mostly omitting names that are blatantly renowned as I don't typically use those for sim-families but rather for the names of streets, parks, and certain types of community lots (libraries, museums, and similar places). 

I have some general criteria how I determine which names get used in my game, though these conditions are not exclusive of other qualities.  Mainly, these criteria are as follows, in order of preference:

1.The name is a 'real' name, one that is used by someone, somewhere in the 'real' world now or was in the past.
2.The name has a relationship to the world of the paranormal/supernatural/unexplained, wacky philosophies, freaky fringe religions, controversial history, or sci-fi/fantasy literature.  (Special awesomeness if associated with a Close Encounter of the Fourth Kind!)
3.The name has suggestive qualities in English, typically but not limited to sexual innuendo, or it has multiple levels of meaning.  Also, the name might mean something in Old English or Middle English which has been generally lost to Modern English.
4.The name means something in a language other than English that might, if translated, be funusual, embarrassing, controversial, or scandalous, etc.
5.The name has an interesting or creative sound, appearance, or cadence, or it is just 'cool' in some way.


Here are some names, including the ones I mentioned in earlier posts, in no particular order except one after another:

Greatrakes 
Rosenkreutz
Lovecraft
Ravenscroft
Moorcock
Grimshawe
Witchell
Deatherage
Hotchkiss
Breedlove
Grafenberg
Maskelyne
Houchlei
Sacheverell
Lestrange
Cockburn
Waldegrave
Kilgore
Strangewayes
Maydestone
Outlawe
Sweetecok
Montrose
Cockayne
Schrivener
Warhover
Trollope
Rayphole
Cottingley
Killakee
Strahan
Bligh
Baird
Undine
Lipschitz
Killarney
Bork
McElhoney


(N.B.  All of these names exist somewhere, I believe, so please don't be offended if one of them happens to be yours!)

I hope someone out there finds this list useful, and I hope someone else finds it fun.  But mostly, I hope someone has a similar list with more great names I can use to further bloat my game with unplayed sim-families.  Surely (perhaps?) I am not the only one with a peculiar obsession with interesting or unusual surnames.