diff --git a/src/strings.cpp b/src/strings.cpp
--- a/src/strings.cpp
+++ b/src/strings.cpp
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 #include "settings_type.h"
 #include "video/video_driver.hpp"
 #include "engine_func.h"
+#include "saveload.h"
 
 #include "table/strings.h"
 #include "table/control_codes.h"
@@ -1226,31 +1227,6 @@ static char *GetSpecialPlayerNameString(
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-/**
- * remap a string ID from the old format to the new format
- * @param s StringID that requires remapping
- * @return translated ID*/
-StringID RemapOldStringID(StringID s)
-{
-	switch (s) {
-		case 0x0006: return STR_SV_EMPTY;
-		case 0x7000: return STR_SV_UNNAMED;
-		case 0x70E4: return SPECSTR_PLAYERNAME_ENGLISH;
-		case 0x70E9: return SPECSTR_PLAYERNAME_ENGLISH;
-		case 0x8864: return STR_SV_TRAIN_NAME;
-		case 0x902B: return STR_SV_ROADVEH_NAME;
-		case 0x9830: return STR_SV_SHIP_NAME;
-		case 0xA02F: return STR_SV_AIRCRAFT_NAME;
-
-		default:
-			if (IsInsideMM(s, 0x300F, 0x3030)) {
-				return s - 0x300F + STR_SV_STNAME;
-			} else {
-				return s;
-			}
-	}
-}
-
 #ifdef ENABLE_NETWORK
 extern void SortNetworkLanguages();
 #else /* ENABLE_NETWORK */
@@ -1548,3 +1524,118 @@ void CheckForMissingGlyphsInLoadedLangua
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+
+/* --- Handling of saving/loading string IDs from old savegames --- */
+
+/**
+ * Remap a string ID from the old format to the new format
+ * @param s StringID that requires remapping
+ * @return translated ID
+ */
+StringID RemapOldStringID(StringID s)
+{
+	switch (s) {
+		case 0x0006: return STR_SV_EMPTY;
+		case 0x7000: return STR_SV_UNNAMED;
+		case 0x70E4: return SPECSTR_PLAYERNAME_ENGLISH;
+		case 0x70E9: return SPECSTR_PLAYERNAME_ENGLISH;
+		case 0x8864: return STR_SV_TRAIN_NAME;
+		case 0x902B: return STR_SV_ROADVEH_NAME;
+		case 0x9830: return STR_SV_SHIP_NAME;
+		case 0xA02F: return STR_SV_AIRCRAFT_NAME;
+
+		default:
+			if (IsInsideMM(s, 0x300F, 0x3030)) {
+				return s - 0x300F + STR_SV_STNAME;
+			} else {
+				return s;
+			}
+	}
+}
+
+/** Location to load the old names to. */
+char *_old_name_array = NULL;
+
+/**
+ * Copy and convert old custom names to UTF-8.
+ * They were all stored in a 512 by 32 long string array and are
+ * now stored with stations, waypoints and other places with names.
+ * @param id the StringID of the custom name to clone.
+ * @return the clones custom name.
+ */
+char *CopyFromOldName(StringID id)
+{
+	/* Is this name an (old) custom name? */
+	if (GB(id, 11, 5) != 15) return NULL;
+
+	if (CheckSavegameVersion(37)) {
+		/* Old names were 32 characters long, so 128 characters should be
+		 * plenty to allow for expansion when converted to UTF-8. */
+		char tmp[128];
+		const char *strfrom = &_old_name_array[32 * GB(id, 0, 9)];
+		char *strto = tmp;
+
+		for (; *strfrom != '\0'; strfrom++) {
+			WChar c = (byte)*strfrom;
+
+			/* Map from non-ISO8859-15 characters to UTF-8. */
+			switch (c) {
+				case 0xA4: c = 0x20AC; break; // Euro
+				case 0xA6: c = 0x0160; break; // S with caron
+				case 0xA8: c = 0x0161; break; // s with caron
+				case 0xB4: c = 0x017D; break; // Z with caron
+				case 0xB8: c = 0x017E; break; // z with caron
+				case 0xBC: c = 0x0152; break; // OE ligature
+				case 0xBD: c = 0x0153; break; // oe ligature
+				case 0xBE: c = 0x0178; break; // Y with diaresis
+				default: break;
+			}
+
+			/* Check character will fit into our buffer. */
+			if (strto + Utf8CharLen(c) > lastof(tmp)) break;
+
+			strto += Utf8Encode(strto, c);
+		}
+
+		/* Terminate the new string and copy it back to the name array */
+		*strto = '\0';
+
+		return strdup(tmp);
+	} else {
+		/* Name will already be in UTF-8. */
+		return strdup(&_old_name_array[32 * GB(id, 0, 9)]);
+	}
+}
+
+/**
+ * Free the memory of the old names array.
+ * Should be called once the old names have all been converted.
+ */
+void ResetOldNames()
+{
+	free(_old_name_array);
+	_old_name_array = NULL;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Initialize the old names table memory.
+ */
+void InitializeOldNames()
+{
+	free(_old_name_array);
+	_old_name_array = CallocT<char>(512 * 32);
+}
+
+static void Load_NAME()
+{
+	int index;
+
+	while ((index = SlIterateArray()) != -1) {
+		SlArray(&_old_name_array[32 * index], SlGetFieldLength(), SLE_UINT8);
+	}
+}
+
+extern const ChunkHandler _name_chunk_handlers[] = {
+	{ 'NAME', NULL, Load_NAME, CH_ARRAY | CH_LAST},
+};