I am half Japanese and Greek. [name_f]My[/name_f] first name is Japanese and difficult to pronounce. I cringe and have grown to despise my name every time I hear someone call me. It is a shame because the name is beautiful and has such a strong meaning. If my family calls me, it does not bother me one bit, and I plan to still keep the name, just move it over to my middle.
[name_m]Even[/name_m] though there are many many beautiful Greek names that are used regularly in [name_f]English[/name_f], I cannot find one that I really like for myself. I have found myself being drawn to Nordic/Scandinavian names. But I am not sure if it is inappropriate to use such a name for myself since it is not of the same origin as me.
I do know that there are plenty of studies that show that the Norse and Greeks come from the same Proto Indo-European tribe, and that they are actually distant cousins and their mythologies share a lot of similarities. Not sure if this really makes a difference or gives it a pass to use a name from a different culture, but I would love to hear some opinions
I don’t see a problem with it, personally. [name_f]My[/name_f] heritage is British and Irish and I see no problem with myself using names of (for example) [name_u]French[/name_u] or Italian origin. European cultures have always been sharing names.
But I suppose it depends on what the Scandinavian name is. If you’re choosing a Scandinavian name that is difficult for [name_f]English[/name_f] speakers to pronounce (e.g. [name_f]Kjerstin[/name_f]) then I think it is more likely to raise questions than if you’re choosing a more familiar name like [name_f]Frida[/name_f].
I think it’s absolutely fine.
I have french and Greek ancestry and I am British, my partner has Scandinavian and Scottish ancestry and we have used Greek and Hebrew names.
Names can often be shared ([name_u]Finn[/name_u] has multiple origins) For the most part European names are universal due to the colonization these countries tended to do in the past! I feel you’re allowed to use it! So sorry to here about you’re own name! [name_f]My[/name_f] original name was changed to an American one the moment I immigrated so I wouldn’t have to face such struggles, it’s a shame the west has yet to be able to accept names that aren’t automatically western or European