How do they come up with the names of Spies?

[OmniPotent42]

It's pretty weird having Sacagawea as a special agent...do they just take the names of popular people in that civilization and put them in the list of spy names? I guess they would only need like 5 or 6 names, but still how do they get the names for civs we don't have a lot of information about, like the Huns or Polynesia?

 

[Yzman]

They make them up obviously. They just use famous names or names that may be from that civilization.

 

[TheMarshmallowBear]

Yeap.

They also might ocassionaly makr Marian as a female even though I'm NAMED THAT AND IT IS A MAN'S NAME IN POLAND :grrr:

 

[EulerMcE]

The Huns names are taken from the attested names of Hunnic generals and some quasi-historical figures related to the Huns. For Polynesia they took some legendary Polynesian figures and probably some modern Hawaii'n or Maori names. Some of the names they use in general are references to spy fiction too.

 

[God of Kings]

It would be great to list all the spies' names used here.

 

[Gucumatz]

For the Maya its a list of gods
====

Also for some I am guessing they are just made up names too, although I could be wrong

For Morocco I got a spy named "El-Krime/Krim" [Forgetting if there was an e at the end], sounds suspiciously made up that one imo

 

[cuc]

The Japanese Civ5 wiki has a list of all spy names. They are doing research/speculation on these names (this part is in Japanese, obviously), and even go as far as looking up the changes to spy lists unique to localized versions (such as how the Russian version's Russian spy list differs from the English version).
http://civ5monchan.net/index.php?%A4%BD%A4%CE%C2%BE%2F%A5%B9%A5%D1%A5%A4%BF%CD%CC%BE

Of course, a lot of these inevitably end up as trying to find a historical or fictional counterpart for a name as common as "Mikhail".

If you can read Korean/Japanese/Chinese, you can also see the Korean version's funny Korean spy list: "Kim Scout", "Park Detection", "Han Intelligence", "Na Confidential", "Seduction"...

 

[Gucumatz]

Also, remember how some of us were speculating Al-Kahina would be the leader for Morocco? I have seen her as a spy for Morocco too. It seems to be a mix of famous names, gods, and made up names for spies

 

[God of Kings]

The Japanese Civ5 wiki has a list of all spy names. They are doing research/speculation on these names (this part is in Japanese, obviously), and even go as far as looking up the changes to spy lists unique to localized versions (such as how the Russian version's Russian spy list differs from the English version).
http://civ5monchan.net/index.php?%A4%BD%A4%CE%C2%BE%2F%A5%B9%A5%D1%A5%A4%BF%CD%CC%BE

Of course, a lot of these inevitably end up as trying to find a historical or fictional counterpart for a name as common as "Mikhail".

If you can read Korean/Japanese/Chinese, you can also see the Korean version's funny Korean spy list: "Kim Scout", "Park Detection", "Han Intelligence", "Na Confidential", "Seduction"...

Please post the list here. Note that somewhere in the XML files, there is a list of spies.

 

[i kimchi u]

I have a feeling that all these spies' names are based on common last names. All the Asian spies' names are the common last names for asian civilizations, or if not, very common.

 

[Cyanfunk]

Every civ has a variation of "Mr. X"

 

[God of Kings]

I have a feeling that all these spies' names are based on common last names. All the Asian spies' names are the common last names for asian civilizations, or if not, very common.

In many Asian languages, the last name is the given name actually. You meant to say surname instead.

 

[EulerMcE]

Every civ has a variation of "Mr. X"

Only a few of them do.

 

[A Rabid Dopsis]

The Celts have "Siobhan" and that's just an Irish name.

Side quest for non-Irish people: Pronounce "Siobhan".

 

[OmniPotent42]

Side quest for non-Irish people: Pronounce "Siobhan".

See-oh-buh-ahn?

 

[A Rabid Dopsis]

See-oh-buh-ahn?

Shuh-vawn

We've done some very strange things to the alphabet.

 

[EulerMcE]

Irish orthography is a great thing once you learn the rules. Decent correspondence to pronunciation sort of, usually, kind of.

(Tangentially: Good names for non-Gaels to pronounce: Sinéad, Aoife, Niamh, Medbh, Eoin, Tadhg, Sadhbh, Béibhinn, Oisín)

 

[Pythakoreas]

The Japanese Civ5 wiki has a list of all spy names. They are doing research/speculation on these names (this part is in Japanese, obviously), and even go as far as looking up the changes to spy lists unique to localized versions (such as how the Russian version's Russian spy list differs from the English version).
http://civ5monchan.net/index.php?%A4%BD%A4%CE%C2%BE%2F%A5%B9%A5%D1%A5%A4%BF%CD%CC%BE

Of course, a lot of these inevitably end up as trying to find a historical or fictional counterpart for a name as common as "Mikhail".

If you can read Korean/Japanese/Chinese, you can also see the Korean version's funny Korean spy list: "Kim Scout", "Park Detection", "Han Intelligence", "Na Confidential", "Seduction"...

Patrol Kim, Detection Park, Information Han, Confidential Na(also I am Confidential, since "Na" means I), 007(Yeong-Chil Gong), Trap him(In-Hae Yu), I don't see(Bo-Im Ahn), Refuge Na(I am taking refuge), I know everything(Ah-ra Da), Stealthy(Mi-ri Eun)


As a native Korean speaker I couldn't help but "see what the translators did there" and laugh my ass off. My family name is Park btw.

 

[pyroflare77]

Alrighty, now that I've found where the spy names are in the XML...

They denote if a spy is female, so I guess that information should be shared.

America:
Cousin
Felix
Dennis
Edward
Prof. Rex
Eliza
Mary (female)
Virginia (female)
Scarlett (female)
Barbara (female)
(Eliza doesn't have a female tag)

Arabia:
Solhofaat
Khenzeer
Zarafah
Temsaah
Abyadh
Mostafa
Yusuf
Waddah
Sameera (female)
Gamal

Assyria:
Adapa
Kubaba (female)
Nabu
Nergal
Ninlil (female)
Ninurta
Nisroch
Shamash
Pazuzu
Qingu

Austria:
Ferdinand
Johanna (female)
Franz-Josef
Astrid (female)
Anna (female)
Hubert
Alois
Natter
Georg
Arnold

Aztecs:
Metztli (female)
Xilltali (female)
Chimalli
Quauhtli
Teyacapan (female)
Yaotl
Coatl
Huitzilin
Itzli
Tepin (female)

Babylon:
Rim-Sin II
Smerdis
Ilum-ma-ili
Peshgaldaramesh
Ur-zigurumaš
Semiramis (female)
Em (female)
Ishtar (female)
Bilit Taauth (female)
Aruru (female)

Brazil:
Antonio
Bartolomeu
Domingos
Estevao
Fernao
Francisco
Pascoal
Salvador
Tome
Bianca (female)

Byzantium:
Basil
Nikophoros
Demetrios
Philippos
Theophylaktos
Simonis (female)
Zoe (female)
Ioanna (female)
Xene (female)
Euphrosyne (female)

Carthage:
Hamilcar
Mago
Baalhaan
Sophoniba (female)
Yzebel (female)
Similce (female)
Kandaulo
Zinnridi
Gisgo
Fierelus

Celts:
Crìsdean
Siobhán (female)
Seamus
Ffion (female)
Pádraig
Deirdre (female)
Mr. Quinn
Éadaoin
Alwyn
Col Ceathar

China:
Li
Chen
Zhang
Liu
Yang
Huang (female)
Zhao (female)
Wu (female)
Zhou (female)
Sun (female)

Denmark:
Jørgen
Mette (female)
Henrik
Niels
Helle (female)
Frederik
Ida (female)
Thea (female)
Freja (female)
Morten

Egypt:
Refaat
Heba
Salah
Ahmed
Zakaria
Bastet (female)
Ma'at (female)
Nebhet (female)
Tefenet (female)
Neuth (female)

England:
James
Scarlett (female)
Mycroft
Charlotte (female)
Gwendolyn (female)
Mr. Eks
Dr. Grey
Andrew
Scott
Anne (female)

Ethiopia:
Mulu Ken
Wendimu
Li'ol
Demeke
Mulu Alem
Abebech (female)
Zema (female)
Mihret (female)
Kebedech (female)
Alemnesh (female)

France:
Jean-Paul
Martine (female)
Lucien
François
Augustine (female)
Monsieur X
Dr. Dupont
Vipère
Yvette (female)
Renard

Germany:
Johann
Marlene (female)
Wilhelm
Eva (female)
Heinz
Horst
Carl
Viper
Albrecht
Anton

Greece:
Jason
Helena (female)
Alexa (female)
Cletus
Kassandra (female)
Andres
Desdemona (female)
Anthea (female)
Aeneas
Leander

Huns:
Balamber
Uldin
Donatus
Charato
Octar
Bleda
Ellac
Dengizik
Hildico (female)
Gudrun (female)

Incans:
Amaru
Apichu
Pariapichiu
Puma
Quenti
Suyuntu (female)
Uturuncu (female)
Uturuncu (female)
Purutu (female)
Ozcollo (female)
(yes, Uturuncu is here twice)

India:
Ashok
Shanx
Hormis
Sanjeev
Ananda
Rani (female)
Parvati (female)
Mukta (female)
Karishma (female)
Jyotsna (female)

Indonesia:
Adityawarman
Airlangga
Citra (female)
Halayudha
Jayakatwang
Lingga
Mahendradatta
Prapana
Raden
Devi (female)

Iroquois:
Onatah (female)
Oneida (female)
Oshadagea (female)
Otetiani
Genesee (female)
Dadgayadoh
Otwtiani
Kateri (female)
Onondakai
Honanyawus

Japan:
Akaishi
Oki
Hattori
Morozumi
Momochi
Kawashima (female)
Orin (female)
Sakanishi (female)
Kaede (female)
Mochizuki (female)

Korea:
Kim
Park
Han
Na
Kong
Yu (female)
Ahn (female)
Na (female)
Da (female)
Eun (female)

Mayans:
Camazotz
Coyopa
Gukumatz
Hunahpu
Huracan
Ixchel (female)
Ixtab (female)
Kukulkán
Xbalanque
Zipacna

Mongolia:
Asashōryū
Tömöriin
Zevegiin
Jigjidiin
Enkhbat
Mönkhbayar (female)
Gündegmaa (female)
Ssima (female)
Batachikhan (female)
Chulunny (female)

Morocco:
el-Krim
ibn-Battuta
al-Jazzar
al-Kahina
Hayyuj
Kusayla
al-Idrisi
Salih
Tariq
Dihya (female)

Netherlands:
Joost
Hendrika (female)
Marten
Anke (female)
Guus
Mr. X
Dr Grijs
Willem
Thijs
Neef

Ottomans:
Ibrahim
Bayezid
Sokollu
Mahmut
Uveys
Roxelana (female)
Safiye (female)
Hafsa (female)
Kosem (female)
Nurbanu (female)

Persia:
Azi
Dabir
Firuz
Gaspar
Shahzad
Aga (female)
Marjane (female)
Peri (female)
Sartaj (female)
Yasmin (female)

Poland:
Wincenty
Roman
Benita (female)
Jan
Kazimierz
Josef
Krystyna Skarbek (female)
Tarnowski
Marian (female)
Alenka (female)

Polynesia:
Tiki
Hotu Matua
Rongo-ma-tane
Kupe
Haloti
Degei
Babamik (female)
Kulu Lau (female)
Nangananga (female)
Turua (female)

Portugal:
Francisco
Gaspar
Alvaro
Bento
Roberto
Afonso
Galeote
Diogo
Eliana (female)
Oriana (female)

Rome:
Flavius
Regula (female)
Servius
Lucia (female)
Cornelius
Licina (female)
Canus
Serpens
Agrippa (female)
Brutus

Russia:
Alexei
Lena (female)
Dmitry
Anastasia (female)
Tatiana (female)
Boris
Doktor Seriy
Mikhail
Natacha (female)
Zmeya

Shoshone:
Cameahwait
Ondongarte
Queenah
Pugweenee
Sacajawea (female)
Sagwitch
Sanpitch
Tetoharsky
Tuziyammo
Mugwayan (female)

Siam:
Aran
Chanarong
Kiet
Niran
Virote
Kulap (female)
Mayuree (female)
Phueng (female)
Ratana (female)
Tola (female)

Songhai:
Ahmadou
Ayub
Badru
Bokhari
Guedado
Adhiambo (female)
Chinaka (female)
Laila (female)
Mariama (female)
Oni (female)

Spain:
Rodrigo
Esmeralda (female)
Leon
Mathilda (female)
Ramona (female)
Señor X
Topolino
Serpiente
Garcia
El Lobo

Sweden:
Leif
Ingegard (female)
Sören
Ragnhild (female)
Lars
Lina (female)
Herr Grå
Magnus
Vilma (female)
Kusin

Venice:
Gasparo
Giosafat
Ambrogio
Niccolo
Marino
Cesare
Francesco
Giovanni
Bertolome
Filomena (female)

Zulus:
Gumede
Jama
Mageba
Malanda
Mnguni
Ndaba
Phunga
Senzangakhona
Balungile (female)
Samkelisiwe (female)

 

[A Rabid Dopsis]

Huh, there's an American spy called "cousin" and a celtic spy called "col ceathar" which means "cousin".

Am I missing some well-known spy thing?