What’s the general consensus on using and pronouncing a name differently from its original pronunciation? For example, the name Ausra is pronounce ows-ruh in Lithuania, but I thought it was pronounced ahs-ruh. I’ve heard/seen [name_f]Ciara[/name_f] pronounced as [name_f]Sierra[/name_f] and see-ar-uh.
1 Like
I think it depends on how established the alternative pronunciation is. [name_m]Like[/name_m] I wouldn’t take a name, and choose to pronounce it a completely different way than it’s supposed to be pronounced. However, I might look at a name with an original pronunciation, and a different, established pronunciation, I might pick the easiest one for the place I live.
So basically, I wouldn’t make up my own pronunciation of a name, but if there was an already established alternate pronunciation, I’d pick the easiest one.
[name_m]The[/name_m] exception of course, is if a name is of an origin that I am not connected to, and the people of that origin think a certain pronunciation is offensive, I’d avoid using it.
3 Likes
Honestly, the only time that this is ever bothered me was when an English family named their daughter Marisol but called her marshal……… 
the bar for me is low 
Edit- 
this is a joke, but it’s what causes justified fear people appropriating names, otherwise I love hearing names from all cultures around the world! And I think it’s cool how those names get adapted to other languages 
it really is the name by name basis
1 Like
for me personally, if I can’t pronounce the name as it would be pronounced in its native language, then I probably don’t have a strong enough of a connection to the language/culture to be using the name.
for instance, I love the name [name_f]Lumi[/name_f], and its meaning is even deeply significant and special to me. however, I’m not confident at all in my ability to pronounce it correctly in Finnish (specifically, the correct pronunciation of the “u”). therefore, I have concluded that I’m not Finnish enough to be using the name. (I’m actually not at all Finnish but my point is more that I am too far removed from the Finnish language and culture to use their names)
I don’t necessarily judge others by these standards though. this is just how I decide what I feel comfortable using.
2 Likes
[name_f]Aušra[/name_f] is pronunced with a “shh” 
in Lithuanian.
There are so many names I love pronounced in different ways to the original. I suppose in other languages it’s whatever works for that tongue.
1 Like
Some good points have been made above. I think if a name only really exists in the context of a culture and language with which you have no connection, then it would be inappropriate to ‘invent’ your own pronunciation, or change it to better fit phonetic norms in your own language. For example, an [name_f]English[/name_f] person with no Turkish connection deciding to use [name_f]Esmeray[/name_f], and pronounce it ez-mer-ay instead of ez-mer-eye, would be bad manners. (And this has to take into account power dynamics to do with global influence, race etc - it would be more harmful for someone in a cultural and linguistic context with more global power than the context from which they are taking the name, to change that name, than vice versa).
On the other hand, [name_f]Iolanthe[/name_f] has a history of use (albeit rare) across multiple languages and cultures with multiple different pronunciations, such as eye-oh-lan-thee/ee-oh-lan-thee/yo-lan-thee/yo-lan-thuh. So in that case, I think it would be okay to use whichever one made most sense for your own language.
(side note, I’d assume [name_f]Ciara[/name_f] was pronounced kee-AH-ra or KEER-ah since [name_m]Irish[/name_m] Cs are hard not soft!)
2 Likes
If I had no connection to the language/culture, I personally would not use a name with the intention of pronouncing it differently.
1 Like
I wouldn’t personally. Seems like it would just lead to me and the kid having to constantly correct people and hear the name pronounced “wrong” by people reading it.
I don’t even really like the idea of using a name with multiple normal pronunciations (my one problem with [name_f]Lena[/name_f] and Helena…) because of this.
1 Like