Does anyone prefer the way a name is pronounced in another language?
For me, I much prefer the way [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f] is pronounced in Italian and [name_m]French[/name_m] (Béatrice) to the English pronunciation. I also love the way names like [name_f]Iris[/name_f] and [name_f]Irene[/name_f] are pronounced in European languages. And I really like the way Agnès sounds in [name_m]French[/name_m], but dislike the English pronunciation of [name_f]Agnes[/name_f].
[name_f]Share[/name_f] your ideas here!
I second your feelings about [name_f]Agnes[/name_f]. I’ve never been a fan of the English pronunciation, but the [name_m]French[/name_m] sounds so beautiful! I think the same can go for different English pronunciations like American vs. British. I like the sound of the American version of [name_m]Cooper[/name_m], but the British version reminds me too much of the koopa troopas in the Super [name_m]Mario[/name_m] video games. I also love the look and sound of [name_f]Matilde[/name_f] and [name_f]Clothilde[/name_f] in [name_m]French[/name_m] but not so much in English.
I agree with [name_f]Iris[/name_f]/[name_f]Irene[/name_f]. Generally I like the European long “ee” sound better than the English “ai” (when pronouncing the letter “I”).
One of my favourites, [name_u]Eden[/name_u], which I do love in English as well, I like even better in my native [name_m]German[/name_m] (and many other European languages I believe) where it would be eh-den (long eh sound) rather than ee-den.
I love how [name_f]Diana[/name_f] is said by the Amazons in Wonder Woman. I imagine it would be similar in Romance languages and Middle Eastern accents. I also like Amélie in [name_m]French[/name_m], [name_f]Ysabel[/name_f] (EE-sah-bel) in Spanish, and [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] as An-uh-STAH-zee-uh. [name_m]Pietro[/name_m]’s also one I just can’t wrap my mouth around, but sounds great in pretty much any accent other than mine. And I agree with Étienne being so much better than [name_m]Stephen[/name_m]; it’s almost a completely different name!
I much prefer [name_m]Jacob[/name_m] with english pronunciation rather than with the spanish one. I also love [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] but dislike [name_f]Josefina[/name_f].
I love [name_f]Irene[/name_f] & [name_f]Alice[/name_f], in PORTUGUESE. I think the English pronunciation of [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] & [name_m]George[/name_m] is better than in any other language.
I’ve always liked [name_f]Anais[/name_f] said “An-eye-yeese”, like as in [name_f]Anais[/name_f] Watterson from TAWOG. I’ve always hated “Annay”.
When I was a study abroad study many years ago, I was fascinated w/the [name_m]French[/name_m] pronunciations of my classmates’ names:
[name_f]Sandi[/name_f] = Sahn-[name_f]DEE[/name_f]
[name_f]Sarah[/name_f] = Sah-RAH
[name_f]Jill[/name_f] = ZHEEL
[name_f]Jillana[/name_f] = Zheel-ahn-NAH
[name_f]Cindy[/name_f] = Sin-[name_f]DEE[/name_f]
[name_f]Sally[/name_f] = Sah-[name_u]LEE[/name_u]
[name_m]Frank[/name_m] = FRAHNK
[name_f]Jennifer[/name_f] = [name_f]Zhen[/name_f]-ee-FAIR
[name_f]Sheryl[/name_f] = Sheh-REAL
[name_f]Colleen[/name_f] = Coh-LEEN
I definitely prefer the [name_m]French[/name_m] pronunciation of [name_m]Frank[/name_m] to the English version & find [name_f]Zhen[/name_f]-ee-FAIR intriguing.
Although it’s not a different language, I prefer the British pronunciation of [name_m]Ralph[/name_m]—[name_u]Rafe[/name_u]—to the American phonetic pronunciation.
The [name_m]French[/name_m] pronunciation of [name_f]Agnes[/name_f] is infinitely (to me at least) preferable to the English version. Same w/Zhon-vee-EV rather than [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f]. And Mad-len rather than Mad-ell-line or Mad-ell-leen (my art history instructor was [name_f]Marie[/name_f]-[name_f]Madeleine[/name_f]…Mah-ree-mad-len, w/just the slightest hint of an “eh” between mad & len).
Thanks for your replies everyone! I love learning about the different ways names can be pronounced.
I thought of some more:
[name_f]Astrid[/name_f], [name_f]Ingrid[/name_f], [name_f]Sigrid[/name_f] - I love the way these names are pronounced in Norwegian ([name_m]AH[/name_m]-stree, ING-ree and SEEG-ree).
[name_f]Caroline[/name_f] - The way this name is pronounced in [name_u]Brazil[/name_u], ca-ro-[name_u]LEE[/name_u]-nee, is lovely and I prefer it to the English pronunciation.