diff --git a/plugins/portname/init.lua b/plugins/portname/init.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b30763aee66
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/portname/init.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+-- license:BSD-3-Clause
+-- copyright-holders:Carl
+-- use plugin options to save the input port list to a gettext formatted file
+-- the file is saved in the ctrlrpath dir
+local exports = {}
+exports.name = "portname"
+exports.version = "0.0.1"
+exports.description = "IOPort name/translation plugin"
+exports.license = "The BSD 3-Clause License"
+exports.author = { name = "Carl" }
+
+local portname = exports
+
+function portname.startplugin()
+	local ctrlrpath = lfs.env_replace(manager:options().entries.ctrlrpath:value():match("([^;]+)"))
+	local function get_filename(nosoft)
+		local filename
+		if emu.softname() ~= "" and not nosoft then
+			filename = emu.romname() .. "_" .. emu.softname() .. ".po"
+		else
+			filename =  emu.romname() .. ".po"
+		end
+		return filename
+	end
+	
+	emu.register_start(function()
+		local file = io.open(ctrlrpath .. "/" .. get_filename(), "r")
+		if not file then
+			file = io.open(ctrlrpath .. "/" .. get_filename(true), "r")
+			if not file then
+				return
+			end
+		end
+		local orig, rep
+		for line in file:lines() do
+			if line:find("^msgid") then
+				orig = line:match("^msgid \"(.+)\"")
+			elseif line:find("^msgstr") then
+				rep = line:match("^msgstr \"(.+)\"")
+				if rep and rep ~= "" then
+					rep = rep:gsub("\\(.)", "%1")
+					orig = orig:gsub("\\(.)", "%1")
+					for pname, port in pairs(manager:machine():ioport().ports) do
+						if port.fields[orig] then
+							port.fields[orig].live.name = rep
+						end
+					end
+				end
+			end
+		end
+		file:close()
+	end)
+
+	local function menu_populate()
+		return {{ _("Save input names to file"), "", 0 }}
+	end
+
+	local function menu_callback(index, event)
+		if event == "select" then
+			local fields = {}
+			for pname, port in pairs(manager:machine():ioport().ports) do
+				for fname, field in pairs(port.fields) do
+					local dname = field.default_name
+					if not fields[dname] then
+						fields[dname] = ""
+					end
+					if fname ~= dname then
+						fields[dname] = fname
+					end
+				end
+			end
+			local attr = lfs.attributes(ctrlrpath)
+			if not attr then
+				lfs.mkdir(ctrlrpath)
+				if not lfs.attributes(ctrlrpath) then
+					manager:machine():popmessage(_("Failed to save input name file"))
+					emu.print_verbose("portname: unable to create ctrlrpath " .. ctrlrpath .. "\n")
+					return false
+				end
+			elseif attr.mode ~= "directory" then
+				manager:machine():popmessage(_("Failed to save input name file"))
+				emu.print_verbose("portname: ctrlrpath exists but isn't directory " .. ctrlrpath .. "\n")
+				return false
+			end
+			local filename = get_filename()
+			local file = io.open(ctrlrpath .. "/" .. filename, "r")
+			if file then
+				emu.print_verbose("portname: input name file exists " .. filename .. "\n")
+				manager:machine():popmessage(_("Failed to save input name file"))
+				file:close()
+				return false
+			end
+			file = io.open(ctrlrpath .. "/" .. filename, "w")
+			for def, custom in pairs(fields) do
+				def = def:gsub("[\\\"]", function (s) return "\\" .. s end)
+				custom = custom:gsub("[\\\"]", function (s) return "\\" .. s end)
+				file:write("msgid \"" .. def .."\"\nmsgstr \"" .. custom .. "\"\n\n")
+			end
+			file:close()
+			manager:machine():popmessage(_("Input port name file saved to ") .. ctrlrpath .. "/" .. filename)
+		end
+		return false
+	end
+
+	emu.register_menu(menu_callback, menu_populate, _("Input ports"))
+end
+
+return exports
diff --git a/plugins/portname/plugin.json b/plugins/portname/plugin.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4680340840d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/portname/plugin.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "plugin": {
+	"name": "portname",
+	"description": "IOPort name/translation plugin",
+	"version": "0.0.1",
+	"author": "Carl",
+	"type": "plugin",
+	"start": "false"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/frontend/mame/luaengine.cpp b/src/frontend/mame/luaengine.cpp
index 2c81f5f9a4b..2ae745e9d39 100644
--- a/src/frontend/mame/luaengine.cpp
+++ b/src/frontend/mame/luaengine.cpp
@@ -1496,11 +1496,22 @@ void lua_engine::initialize()
 			"field", &ioport_port::field,
 			"fields", sol::property([this](ioport_port &p){
 					sol::table f_table = sol().create_table();
+					// parse twice for custom and default names, default has priority
 					for(ioport_field &field : p.fields())
 					{
 						if (field.type_class() != INPUT_CLASS_INTERNAL)
 							f_table[field.name()] = &field;
 					}
+					for(ioport_field &field : p.fields())
+					{
+						if (field.type_class() != INPUT_CLASS_INTERNAL)
+						{
+							if(field.specific_name())
+								f_table[field.specific_name()] = &field;
+							else
+								f_table[field.manager().type_name(field.type(), field.player())] = &field;
+						}
+					}
 					return f_table;
 				}));
 
@@ -1511,6 +1522,9 @@ void lua_engine::initialize()
 			"set_value", &ioport_field::set_value,
 			"device", sol::property(&ioport_field::device),
 			"name", sol::property(&ioport_field::name),
+			"default_name", sol::property([](ioport_field &f) {
+					return f.specific_name() ? f.specific_name() : f.manager().type_name(f.type(), f.player());
+				}),
 			"player", sol::property(&ioport_field::player, &ioport_field::set_player),
 			"mask", sol::property(&ioport_field::mask),
 			"defvalue", sol::property(&ioport_field::defvalue),
@@ -1529,9 +1543,16 @@ void lua_engine::initialize()
 			"analog_invert", sol::property(&ioport_field::analog_invert),
 			"impulse", sol::property(&ioport_field::impulse),
 			"type", sol::property(&ioport_field::type),
+			"live", sol::property(&ioport_field::live),
 			"crosshair_scale", sol::property(&ioport_field::crosshair_scale, &ioport_field::set_crosshair_scale),
 			"crosshair_offset", sol::property(&ioport_field::crosshair_offset, &ioport_field::set_crosshair_offset));
 
+/* field.live
+ */
+
+	sol().registry().new_usertype<ioport_field_live>("ioport_field_live", "new", sol::no_constructor,
+			"name", &ioport_field_live::name);
+
 /* machine:parameters()
  * parameter:add(tag, val) - add tag = val parameter
  * parameter:lookup(tag) - get val for tag