Skip to content

Home

Jump to bottom
Tuomas Lähteenmäki edited this page Dec 23, 2025 · 10 revisions

Welcome to the GeneSim - NameGen Wiki (v1.3.1)

NameGen is an open-source, command-line based Finnish name simulator. It is the ultimate tool for game developers, TTRPG creators, and narrative designers who require historically accurate, culturally authentic, and uniquely structured Finnish names from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Build a Complete Family Legacy

Single Character Creation

Generate unique characters with deep historical roots. The program doesn't just randomize names; it builds an identity based on the chosen era.

  • Gender Control: Specify --male or --female names, or let the generator decide.
  • Layered Middle Names: Design names with depth by setting --middle-chance <0-100> (e.g., Jaakko Johannes Eemil Virtanen).
  • Age & Era Synchronization: Use the --age (or -A) flag to calculate logical birth years based on the selected historical period.
  • Multilingual Support: Access documentation and guidelines in Finnish or English using the --lp <fi|en> flag.

Couple & Family Generation Mode

Instantly populate your world with believable relationships.

  • Couple Mode: Create a pair with shared or separate surnames and era-appropriate birth years.
  • Family Mode: Generate complete nuclear families where parent and child birth years are mathematically and biologically consistent.
  • Genealogical Accuracy: Includes support for maiden names (--maiden-name) to facilitate complex family trees (e.g., Hellin Turunen nee Laitinen).

🛡️ Reliability for Production Pipelines

Version 1.3.0 elevates NameGen from a creative tool to a reliable data engine for professional asset pipelines.

  • Deterministic Seeding (--seed <number>): Lock the randomness. Using the same seed guarantees the exact same name, age, and family structure—essential for maintaining consistency across game builds.
  • Period-Specific Realism: Select specific eras (Periods 1–7, covering 1850 to 1920). The generator adapts to the naming trends of each decade.
  • Production-Ready Export:
    • JSON: Validated, schema-correct output for Unity, Unreal, or web databases.
    • CSV: Standardized format for bulk management in Excel or Google Sheets.

🎯 Ultimate Control for Content Creators

  • Bulk Generation: Use CLI flags for mass asset creation (e.g., `--count 100 --period 5 --output

Clone this wiki locally