How to Build a Fantasy Name Generator

type Culture = 'elvish' | 'dwarvish' | 'orcish' | 'human-nordic' | 'human-arabic' | 'fae';

  interface PhonemeSet {
  onsets: string[];    // syllable-initial consonants or clusters
  nuclei: string[];    // vowels and diphthongs
  codas: string[];     // syllable-final consonants (empty string for open syllables)
  syllableRange: [number, number]; // min and max syllable count
  }

  const PHONEME_SETS: Record<Culture, PhonemeSet> = {
  elvish: {
    onsets: ['', 'l', 'r', 'th', 'n', 'f', 'gl', 'v', 'al', 's', 'el'],
    nuclei: ['a', 'e', 'i', 'ae', 'ia', 'ei', 'o'],
    codas: ['', 'n', 'l', 'r', 's', 'th'],
    syllableRange: [2, 4]
  },
  dwarvish: {
    onsets: ['b', 'g', 'd', 'k', 'th', 'gr', 'br', 'dr', 'kh'],
    nuclei: ['o', 'u', 'a', 'ur', 'or', 'i'],
    codas: ['k', 'g', 'n', 'r', 'rn', 'lk', 'rd', 'nk'],
    syllableRange: [2, 3]
  },
  orcish: {
    onsets: ['g', 'kr', 'z', 'th', 'gr', 'sk', 'dr', 'r'],
    nuclei: ['a', 'u', 'o', 'uu', 'a'],
    codas: ['k', 'g', 'rg', 'zk', 'th', 'r', 'sh'],
    syllableRange: [2, 3]
  },
  'human-nordic': {
    onsets: ['b', 'r', 'h', 'sk', 'th', 'fr', 'v', 'l', 'sv'],
    nuclei: ['a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'ei', 'y'],
    codas: ['r', 'n', 'rn', 'lf', 'rd', 'nd', 'r'],
    syllableRange: [2, 3]
  },
  'human-arabic': {
    onsets: ['z', 'sh', 'k', 'f', 'r', 'n', 's', 'al-', 'j'],
    nuclei: ['a', 'i', 'u', 'aa', 'ii'],
    codas: ['', 'r', 'n', 'm', 'd', 'l'],
    syllableRange: [2, 4]
  },
  fae: {
    onsets: ['', 'tw', 'p', 'fl', 'br', 'sp', 'l', 'w'],
    nuclei: ['i', 'y', 'a', 'ey', 'ie', 'ae'],
    codas: ['', 'x', 'n', 'l', 'ss', 'ck'],
    syllableRange: [2, 3]
  }
  };

  function generateName(culture: Culture, gender?: 'male' | 'female'): string {
  const set = PHONEME_SETS[culture];
  const [min, max] = set.syllableRange;
  const syllableCount = min + Math.floor(Math.random() * (max - min + 1));

  let name = '';
  for (let i = 0; i < syllableCount; i++) {
    const onset = set.onsets[Math.floor(Math.random() * set.onsets.length)];
    const nucleus = set.nuclei[Math.floor(Math.random() * set.nuclei.length)];
    // Last syllable more likely to have a coda
    const useCoda = i === syllableCount - 1 || Math.random() > 0.5;
    const coda = useCoda ? set.codas[Math.floor(Math.random() * set.codas.length)] : '';
    name += onset + nucleus + coda;
  }

  // Feminine suffix option
  if (gender === 'female' && ['elvish', 'human-nordic'].includes(culture)) {
    const femSuffixes = culture === 'elvish' ? ['iel', 'wen', 'riel'] : ['a', 'hild', 'dis'];
    name += femSuffixes[Math.floor(Math.random() * femSuffixes.length)];
  }

  return name.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + name.slice(1);
  }