Above is a portrait of the most recent of Hungary’s exports: the Vizsla, wearing a traditional peasant outfit courtesy of AI art. The speedy, good-natured hunting dog joins the rank of other notable exports like paprika, ghoulash, video pioneer Ernie Kovacs, and Gene Simmons (by way of Israel) to name a few.
Situated in Central Europe by Ukraine and Slovakia, Hungary seems like it should be Slavic, but it isn’t. For one thing, the Hungarian language belongs to the Finno-Ugric family, not Slavonic like Russian, Polish, and Czech. This language originated in Western Siberia and traveled with its speakers across northern Russia from the Ural Mountains to present-day Estonia and Finland. It’s responsible for tongue-twisting Hungarian place names like Székesfehérvár and Hódmezővásárhely, and equally flamboyant personal names, like Bela Lugosi and Ibolya Verebics which sound very odd to Western ears.
Perhaps there will be a day when Hungarian-inspired settings will be as popular in fantasy as Russian ones are. Here’s a few names for then.
Hungarian Names
| Female
Agneda Elezsnóra Ezsansá Genellá Imlisa Jenia Jenyszina Lazolnya Liszánsa Liszit Maralaya Merleszna Rolina Senilla Urszina Vanalina Vildrá Zillima Zsamana |
Male
Abeszelar Argizslaw Deniszrylas Erten Grisart Leszras Lukund Lutvany Menszvany Odelizsár Ostzund Rhóces Seskar Sigriszard Tanzos Vyjnan Zesmian Zleás Zrajian |
Surnames
Bajnera Breznot Cismora Csutus Csuzlej Daejzec Draklan Gignjen Hobruz Kadloc Mazop Padek Racsa Surnmrelzen Szisbys Tukszl Vejnás Zsytez Zujzevas |
