Opinion Name Game

[Can Helsing]

So, this got me thinking and thought I'd like to ask general public/random people for more unbiased replies rather than friends:

Do you find it irritating when people call you your name in a different language? Such as Juan instead of John or vice versa. How long does it take being called that before it starts getting irritating, or under what circumstances does it become irritating?

For me, I'm not that bothered by it. I laugh a lot, actually, because my name gets misinterpreted into some hilarious words and names when I order food. I just started to get irritated when a coworker started solely calling me by the Spanish version of my name day in and day out. I once called her out on it, but she just shrugs and says, "I like [Spanish name] better and it's all the same." I don't feel like this is an argument I want to start or believe is worthwhile, so I don't bother with it - my nametag says otherwise. My name is my name and even if it may be pronounced or spelled differently in different languages, this particular pronunciation and spelling means me as an individual in my eyes.

I just want to see how others view this sort of situation, because I am pretty sure many have been in this situation before: Either constant mispronunciation of their name, changing it for another language's name, etc.

 

[Lone Star II]

Meh, honestly it's fine with me because for my original birth name it just replaced to letters with one in Spanish. Instead of 'Dallas', it was 'Dayas'. Didn't bother me much. Still caught my attention. Not much anymore, because I have a different name now, and even that I'm changing real soon. But for me it's totally fine.

 

[Onmyoji]

My first name is very simple which makes it hard to mispronounce or make jokes based on it, but my last name oof. At first I tried to correct people but because it's just too often I resigned. As long as I understand they're trying to call me I react. Sometimes I don't understand though. lol But it's really funny to see how people's eyes widen in fear to mispronounce as they try to say my last name and they get it wrong anyway. XD

 

[Can Helsing]

I love trying to pronounce names. I make a game of it. "Wait a minute. Lemme try this: [pronunciation attempt]?" Sometimes same with spelling. Most people react very pleasingly with this interaction. Amusement from the game.

 

[Reid]

My last name is honestly the most easiest thing in the universe, but my fellow Americans who are monolingual tend to screw it up in the funniest way possible lol. It's a hispanic last name with a J in it. And if you know about spanish, the J tends to be pronounced like an H. But they see the J and make a point to put an odd emphasis on it.
My first name is easier though, but my family pronounces it in a "spanish way" which kind of makes me cringe on the inside but I don't really mind it.

 

[Crayons]

It really, really depends on the circumstances. I think that as far as is humanly possible everyone should attempt to pronounce a person's name the way they would pronounce it themselves. But getting it wrong with goodwill, or because you've only seeing it written down is one thing, or because you're having a laugh with your friends. What really annoys me is when it's done in a casually racist way. This whole "Oh, I can't pronounce your weird name because it's foreign, so I will just make up a British (or insert dominant culture here) way to pronounce it."

My friend's wife is from Czech. Her name is Zuzi. Her husband's parents call her Susie and it really really really makes me mad every time, but there's not really much I can do about it. Zuzi is just Susie with a Z, it's not a weird, unpronounceable name. Just ... arrgggh.

They also did this at school a lot with children's names that they couldn't be bothered to learn to pronounce. I had a friend called Jinan. And some of the teachers called her Gina because apparently that extra n took them too far out of their comfort zone.

I have a fairly common first name but I still get it pronounced wrong by people sometimes for no particular reason, but at least I know it's not racism driving it.

 

[Onmyoji]

I actually saw a lot of that attitude when I was in UK. Well, sorry my name defies English pronunciation patterns because (surprise!) it's not English and neither am I.

I've known a girl that always introduced herself with a different name because she said no one could pronounce her real name. I must admit it was not easy indeed but not impossible

 

[Crayons]

I actually saw a lot of that attitude when I was in UK. Well, sorry my name defies English pronunciation patterns because (surprise!) it's not English and neither am I.

Yeah, it's depressingly common. :/