Changing my name: opinions on these German names?

Boy Names
1

Hey nameberry! I hope you don’t mind, these names aren’t for a baby; they’re for myself. For reasons I’d rather not divulge I’m planning on changing my name. My heritage is Irish and [name_m]German[/name_m], but I feel far more connected to the [name_m]German[/name_m] side (Irish ancestors came over in 1720s, [name_m]German[/name_m] grandparents came over in 1950s.) I’m changing both my first and middle name (not my last–probably.) The names I’m considering are [name_m]Otto[/name_m], [name_m]Joachim[/name_m] (yo-[name_m]AH[/name_m]-khim, with an ach-laut), [name_m]Ernst[/name_m], and [name_m]Kurt[/name_m].

[name_m]Otto[/name_m] is simple, clean, and masculine. It’s [name_m]German[/name_m] without being unfamiliar in the US. It’s also a name I’ve taken from something important to me, which could be a plus in the sense that the name has meaning to me but also a negative in the sense that if people notice that I took it from that, it’s a weird thing to take a name from and I’ll never hear the end of it. I’m scared it sounds like a dog name though, because that’s what the few friends I’ve talked to about it have said, and also it reminds me of the name [name_m]Otis[/name_m] and I reeeeeally hate the name [name_m]Otis[/name_m].

[name_m]Joachim[/name_m], in a perfect world where I could face no possible judgement for my choices, would absolutely be my pick. I love it a lot, just the way it sounds, and it’s also a much much more subtle reference to the same area of interest where I got [name_m]Otto[/name_m]. So I love it and it has meaning to me, but the pronunciation is unintuitive for most Americans (I definitely don’t mind correcting it, my current first name has to be corrected all the time too, but since I’m changing my name to it I’m scared of hearing “Why would you name yourself that? It’s so difficult” from my family and friends), and of the three names it’s the most in-your-face [name_m]German[/name_m]; I think that might be a part of why I love it, but I know my immediately family definitely considers itself very Americanized and I expect them to be unsupportive of something so un-Americanized. I’m an adult and it’s my name and I can do what I want, but it would be nice for my family to not hate my name, you know?

[name_m]Ernst[/name_m] is, like [name_m]Otto[/name_m], simple, clean, and masculine. I like that it’s the [name_m]German[/name_m] form of [name_m]Ernest[/name_m] because I love The Importance of Being [name_m]Earnest[/name_m]. It’s from the same source as [name_m]Otto[/name_m] and [name_m]Joachim[/name_m] (but subtler like [name_m]Joachim[/name_m] is) so it holds meaning to me. My problem is that it feels almost too abrupt, and also all forms of [name_m]Ernest[/name_m] sound very hispanic to me because I’ve known a lot of Ernestos. It’s not an association I think anyone else will make, but it definitely stands out to me. It also feels the most dated to me.

Last but not least is [name_m]Kurt[/name_m], which is also simple, clean, and masculine. It also has the benefit of starting with a K, which is sort of tradition in my family. [name_m]Just[/name_m] hearing it I automatically think of the Sound of [name_f]Music[/name_f], especially because way back in middle school when my school performed it, my twin brother was [name_m]Kurt[/name_m]. But it’s [name_m]German[/name_m], it’s masculine, it’s simple, it’s distinct.

[name_m]Kurt[/name_m] is purely practical, [name_m]Joachim[/name_m] is my guilty pleasure. [name_m]Otto[/name_m] and [name_m]Ernst[/name_m] are in between but, as with most compromises I think, probably the ones I’m less passionate about. I know I could do one of the more practical ones as a first name and [name_m]Joachim[/name_m] as a middle name, but if I’d want to go by [name_m]Joachim[/name_m] if it was in the name, you know? So [name_m]Kurt[/name_m] [name_m]Joachim[/name_m] but going by [name_m]Joachim[/name_m], or [name_m]Joachim[/name_m] [name_m]Otto[/name_m], or [name_m]Joachim[/name_m] [name_m]Ernst[/name_m], etc.

I guess what I’m really asking is: is living in the US and naming myself [name_m]Joachim[/name_m] completely ridiculous, and if so, which of the other three do you like best and why.

Sorry for the rant. Please help!

Edit: I do also quite like Alois (AH-loys), bot I’m scared it sounds too fancy (I’m from the South, living in the Northwest) and that I’ll hear the French pronunciation (AH-loh-ees) all the time. I like the diminutive Fritz for Friedrich but don’t actually like Friedrich, and either way it seems too stereotypical. Bruno is nice but too Bruno Mars, and Johann/Hans/Johannes/Hannes is nice but too stereotypical.

2

I love [name_m]Joachim[/name_m]. [name_m]Joaquin[/name_m] is one of my favorites and the name reminds me of that. I think it is pronounceable because of [name_m]Joaquin[/name_m] but not as common as [name_m]Joaquin[/name_m]. I would definitely choose that. I think it is obvious that you are choosing a name related to your heritage as in it has meaning to you and you aren’t just choosing a random name, but it is also familiar. [name_u]Love[/name_u] it.

3

I love [name_m]Joachim[/name_m]. I don’t think it’s too difficult or too in-your-face [name_m]German[/name_m]. Variations of the name are used in several countries so I think most people are at least somewhat familiar with the name. I say go for it!

4

As an [name_f]Ami[/name_f] who has lived in Germany, speaks fluent [name_m]German[/name_m], and used to teach it, here’s some things for you to think about.

  1. I don’t think that [name_m]Joachim[/name_m] is too difficult for an English native speaker. Americans don’t tend to have problems making Js sound like Ys, so I don’t think that’s a major concern. What I do think you’ll run into most often (after you explain how to say it, which you will have to) is people actually dropping the middle syllable so that it sounds like “YOCK-im.” The “oa” is going to be what causes the most problems because in English those make one sound in most cases (think oak, soap, boat, etc.). It’s going to be difficult for people to separate between the “o” and the “a.” Because it’s a little more difficult, laziness is going to prevail. I think that’s what you’re going to have to ask yourself if you’re ok with.

  2. [name_m]Otto[/name_m] I love. That would be my choice of the names you’ve listed.

  3. [name_m]Ernst[/name_m] and [name_m]Kurt[/name_m] don’t come across to me as distinctly [name_m]German[/name_m]. [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t get me wrong, they are definitely [name_m]German[/name_m] names, they just have forms in the US. [name_m]Ernest[/name_m], [name_m]Ernesto[/name_m] (Spanish version), [name_m]Kurtis[/name_m] (nn [name_m]Kurt[/name_m]), and [name_u]Curtis[/name_u] (nn [name_m]Curt[/name_m]), etc. I know at least one person with each of those names in the US, and not one in Germany. If the heritage is the only thing that’s important, then I think they’re both solid choices. While I don’t know an [name_m]Ernst[/name_m] or [name_m]Kurt[/name_m] personally, they’re old man names in Germany right now. Something else to think about.

[name_f]Hope[/name_f] that’s helpful! You seem to have your list narrowed down, but I’m going to give you a few others to think about as well. :slight_smile: Some of them aren’t of [name_m]German[/name_m] origin, but are used a lot in Germany, so that’s how I associate them.

[name_m]Johannes[/name_m] (my favorite, if my husband would let me, I would totally name a son this)
[name_m]Johan[/name_m]
[name_m]Dietrich[/name_m] ([name_m]German[/name_m] pronunciation would be “[name_f]DEE[/name_f]-trish,” but I like the Americanized “[name_f]DEE[/name_f]-trick”)
[name_m]Andreas[/name_m] (Greek origin, but really popular in Germany)
[name_m]Mathis[/name_m]/[name_m]Matthias[/name_m]

5

[name_m]Even[/name_m] before I saw your reasons, [name_m]Joachim[/name_m] was my favourite. It’s true it’s not instinctively easy to pronounce for Americans but I’m sure people will learn. And remember, just because a name seems easy doesn’t mean that someone won’t get it wrong anyway. This is your chance to give yourself the name you love!

6

[name_m]Joachim[/name_m] and [name_m]Otto[/name_m] are definitely my faves!

7

I think that in this case you should stick to the one that you feel more “yours”. If, for some reasons, you like [name_m]Joachim[/name_m] best and you think it just fits no matter what, then go for it. The only problem you might have outside Germany or the Netherlands is that in german and dutch J are pronounced with an “ee” sound, while in most of the other languages they are pronounced with a “gi” sound or with an “h” sound - like in spanish-, so most of the people would pronounce it Gioachim or Hoachim instead than EE-oachim, like it should be. Yet it’s a lovely name in my opinion and it’s probably the more used one nowadays. As per [name_m]Otto[/name_m] and [name_m]Ernst[/name_m], well, they are quite fierce names but they are a little bit old school. I really like the “[name_m]Joachim[/name_m] [name_m]Ernst[/name_m]” combination though, it sounds distinctive and somewhat noble.
Other very german names that are lovely and well used are [name_m]Julian[/name_m] (but there again you’ll have the J sound problem), [name_m]Matthias[/name_m], André, [name_m]Moritz[/name_m], [name_m]Carsten[/name_m], [name_m]Dieter[/name_m], [name_m]Friedrich[/name_m], [name_m]Klaus[/name_m], [name_m]Ludwig[/name_m], [name_m]Rainer[/name_m], [name_m]Lars[/name_m], [name_m]Ralf[/name_m] and Xafer.
Otherwise you have the classical [name_m]Thomas[/name_m], [name_m]Philipp[/name_m], [name_m]Mats[/name_m], [name_m]Stephan[/name_m], [name_m]Kevin[/name_m], [name_m]Marcel[/name_m], [name_m]Marco[/name_m], [name_u]Nico[/name_u], [name_m]Felix[/name_m], [name_u]Robin[/name_u], [name_m]Mario[/name_m], [name_f]Toni[/name_f] or [name_m]Maximilian[/name_m] that are used in many other languages, but they don’t give off the typical german appeal that you feel attached to.
I say this because my husband and his whole family are german, but everyone of their male names (which are not many considering the vast majority of females) can be found in the “classical and not typically international” category I just wrote, the only living exception being our son who’s named [name_u]Maxime[/name_u] [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] [name_m]Cyril[/name_m], but that’s not even completely german (in fact [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] and [name_m]Cyril[/name_m] are the same in Germany too but aren’t typical german names, let alone [name_u]Maxime[/name_u] which is french, but it has a german counterpart in [name_m]Maksim[/name_m]). One of my husband’s grandfathers was named [name_m]Otto[/name_m] though, [name_m]Otto[/name_m] [name_m]Georg[/name_m] to be precise - the other one was named [name_m]Wolfgang[/name_m] [name_m]Juergen[/name_m].
I really wish you luck in the choice of your name and in your future life with it. Let us know which choice you’ll opt for, if you’ll feel like, I’d be glad to read it.