Your Name in Spanish Isn't About You [Should You Change Your Name?]
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- Опубліковано 29 лют 2020
- Changing your name or adopting a new one in Spanish is something every language learner should consider. You may have your reasons for keeping your name as is, but in this video we'll talk about some reasons why you might want to consider taking on a new alias.
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We're Jim and May, a gringo/Mexican married couple dedicated to helping you learn Spanish and travel the world with confidence. We teach "real-world travel Spanish" to show you how to navigate the Spanish-speaking world. Learn about places to visit, cultural differences, food, and the traditions that make each country unique. Learn Spanish, travel the world. ¡El camino es el destino!
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I was speaking to some migrant workers when I was a teenager...they were helping out on my grandparent's land in So California. None could say my name "Dawn" at all so I explained that it meant "Daybreak" and one of the guys instantly re-named me "Aurora" which is the literal translation in Spanish. So it stuck. Now for a last name.... What do you think of "Aurora Mariposa"?? Lol.
aurora is not the meaning of dawn.
dawn's literal meaning is "amanecer", aurora is just a synonym and shouldn't be used much. unless you wanna sound very smart. u also get weird looks from Spanish speakers.
My name is Antonio and I can pass as partially Hispanic or latino, but as soon as I open my mouth and fumble in Spanish, some people switch to calling me "Anthony," I can only assume because they think that's my real name and I chose "Antonio" for the reason you mention in your video. :D
I have noticed that many people from Asian countries do change their names to whatever foreign language they are speaking. It was kinda odd. But I guess changing your name could help you assimilate better to the other language and culture and interact with the locals. And also, it could help you avoid the awkwardness of constantly correcting people who mispronounced or don't know how to pronounce your name. And it's true about having or being called by multiple names. Actually, I haven't been called by my first name in years. My friends, family, and co-workers call me by three different names and none of them is my actual first name.
Must I also thank you and May on this channel, I've just travelled to a Spanish speaking country and your videos have helped me a lot in learning Spanish. Thank you!
I hadn't thought of this. Thank you for your thoughts in the video.
Tour books will say to use a local name when calling to reserve a room. The reservationist can easily write a local name, but has trouble with foreign ones. When you arrive you say I am Charles de Gaulle, but present your passport that they can easily copy. But you have a room with little trouble.
When I took Spanish in my high school, we all had to take a spanish name in class.
MrMajikman1 me too... and i ended up naming my daughter that name
@@bettybane9915, that's very cool Betty!
First day in Spanish class decades ago, since my first name is Paul, of course I became Pablo. Now after traveling thru Central America, the folks down there as well Spanish speakers I know in the US, I am Pablo to all of them. Like with Jim in his example, when I said Paul to the Spanish only speakers, they would say Paul like Pa, as in ma and pa, then uuul as in pool. It was said like my name had two syllables and I didn't like it at all. I had the name Pablo since my early class days, so now it's always Pablo right off the bat. I also like having a different name cause I was a Junior growing up with the same name as my father. It's kind of nice for me to have my own name that is just mine. I know that may sound trivial to some. On a side note, I've met a couple of Spanish speakers who were surprised when I said my name is Pablo and after a bit, they would ask me if that really was my actual name? I wondered why they looked at me with a bit of suspicion when we first met as I am not Hispanic. Lol.
This was a very interesting video! I don’t feel the need to change my name (Kina) for Spanish. Spanish speakers pronounce my name correctly more often than native English speakers do. I’ve been called Tina, Kenya, and more by English speakers 🙄😂. I think I’d choose a name for Mandarin and possibly Russian though. 🤔
That is hilarious. I can see why though. There is only one way to pronounce "Kina" in Spanish. But you know how we get with English names. They can be spelled and pronounced any kind of way! 😂
Erica Elsewhere Exactly! 😂
When i was in Guatemala 5 years ago, i remember transitioning from "Rachel" to "Raquel" rather quickly
Your video Jim, also got me wondering if when you and May are visiting the US, do the Americans want to by default pronounce your wife's name as May like the month May? I knew a guy at a job a few years ago in the US in a warehouse and his name was Julio. But everyone at the job had no experience with Spanish names as there were no hispanics there but him and for years before I got there, all had always called him Julio with an American pronounced J like your name Jim. In fact, one day I took him aside a few weeks after I started there and said to him, isn't your name actually pronounced Julio as in who-lee-o? He said yes and a big smile came on his face. He said when he was new, he would correct them, but eventually gave up on teaching anyone how to say his name. He told me that of all the years he had worked there, I was the first to ever address him by pronouncing his actual name correctly.
I'm glad that you brought up the fact that one may be inclined to feel that their name is their Identity. Because that was my concern while listening when you were explaining. I may Not be one to Change My name for the sake of another person, as I believe calling someone by their name with their correct pronunciation shows respect in the sense of... you're showing the effort to acknowledge the person in their true identity, and not taking away that essence from them for the sake of it being easier for Me. My take on it is that My name is About ME, as everyone else's name is about them as well. That's what I've always felt about a name. My opinion at least.
I tried to get a Venezuelan to Pronounce My name DANE, and of course they were pronouncing it like (DANNY) Lol. I Pronounce Spanish names just as they say it when they introduce themselves, because I make the effort to mimic what they pronounce in an effort of respecting their actual name and not what I want to say based on what I think would be easier for Me. But to each their own.
i suppose we do it to countries though, Germany isn't called Germany and Spain isn't Spain we have just anglicised it so it fits our language. your name is only your name in your own language depends on your view of the world and yourself. Names are just noises to gain your attention it's no more than a number. however people's personalities definitely develop around your name. if its a common name you will start to fit the ' personality' of the name. best example is Karen or Chad, people start to become the name it's not that they are 'Karen' Karen is them and they become it. alota science behind names and how they affect people's personality and identity so maybe changing your name up for new languages can help with your identity when speaking said language. people with certain names get treated differently too if you were called Adolf in some places i could imagine people would make a big deal out of it, so it would impact your relationship with the name. if people have a fragile sense of self i could imagine a name change really throws off their view of who they are so its defo not for everyone but i think could be healthy tbh.
How do I go about changing my name when going to different countries? What are the legalities(the legal issues)? Wouldn't it be a false identification on my passport? Do you have any additional information that I can use to create aliases for myself when I travel to foreign countries? Thank you.
I've been doing this for years. I got a long name or sounds authoritorian, so going by a shot name helps.
My name is sometimes difficult to say in English because of the I and e pronunciation so I just say it in Spanish since it sounds better. Would you do a video on rare Spanish surname origins?
I love your name.
This is the first time I've ever heard someone speak on this subject. Very informative!
De acuerdo
I've never pondered this before but now that I think about it I can either go by Cristobal or Omar which Omar is my dad's name and also my middle name. He is from Mexico
Wow never knew this was an issue, thanks for the info Jaime... uh I mean jim 😄
😆 Thanks for watching! -Jim
Hi Jim how did you go about choosing a family name ?
May laughs about my self-imposed “Fernandez” last name, but to me it just sounded like the closest Spanish name to “Fricker.” You can look up lists of Spanish last names if you want to do the same and find one that is close or one that you like. My Spanish last name has certainly come in handy on many occasions. Thanks for watching! -Jim
Or I could go with Lucia. What do you think 🤔?.
Valid points! I live in Mexico and, fortunately for me, Erica is the same in both languages. I just have to change the pronunciation of the "r" and we're good. Lol. But I have a friend named James who decided to go with "Jaime" around Spanish speakers, not only because of the difficult pronunciation but also because the actual Spanish version of his name (Santiago) is just too far off from his actual name!
por fa pon susbtitule in español que se me hace dificil ver el video
Are there any legal ramifications in changing your name, or would this be just in informal situations?
Hi, Tom! Great question. This is something I could have communicated better in the video, but I’m mainly talking about informal situations. Bus tickets, meeting new people, etc... I always use my legal name for plane tickets and going to the doctor. You can say “mi nombre es ________ pero me dicen ________” to make it clear to someone that your name is Tom, but people call you Tomas for example. Thanks for watching! I hope that helps. -Jim
My name is Stuart. In Mexico I get some version like Esturr. (Mexicans find it impossible to start any word with the S sound.) My middle name is Ralph. So I use Rafael, a common name easy for them to pronounce.
In Spain Stuart = Estuardo.
That's true of words that begin with S and are followed by a consonant, but not when followed by a vowel, because those types of words exist in Spanish: Sierra, sarampión, sótano, etc.
@@ericwinter4513 I stand corrected!
Siesta!
My name is Isaac which is hard for Spanish speakers to say, I have gotten something like Aysac (to use a Spanish spelling) so I’m debating simply introducing myself as this when I go to Chile this summer.
When I was in a study abroad program in Costa Rica (in 2014) the "Mama Tica" (wife of the family one would stay at) changed my first name from Shonnon to Sharon. That worked for me since my first name doesn't translate over easily. At least my last name does! (huésped)
me llamo Michael pero creo que puedes llamarme Miguel es mucho más fácil. is my spanish correct?
I always thought the Spanish equivalent of James is Diego, which is what I use. I always thought of Jaime as more of equivalent to Jimmy. What do you think about Diego vs. Jaime?
I always learned it as Jaime
I change my name to Joanna because my name is Joan which is a man’s name and I have many German friends in Spain and Joanna is still as easy as Juana,though I often get Juana or Juanita which is sweet as I am 75 years old
As someone who's name was changed for me (Janine- Juanita) at a young age when we moved overseas I don't completely agree with you. It is definitely a matter of preference and I understand where you are coming from trying to make the Spanish speaker more comfortable. My friends growing up felt offended that they did not know my "real name" when it came up after years of them calling me Juanita. These days when I travel overseas I put a Spanish pronunciation on my given name- Ya-nin. It doesn't bother me if they misspell it or ask for help. I feel better hearing something close to the name I was given. I let my Spanish students choose if they would like to use a Spanish name or with fair warning I will say their English name with a Spanish accent because once the tongue get's rolling in Spanish that's how it's all going to come out :)
Imaginad todos los nombres mal pronunciados al pasar lista o en ceremonias especiales en la escuela😃😃. Mi nombre español es Ramón/Raimundo. Yo recuerdo cuando mi profesora de español (nativa de Cuba) se enfadó conmigo por algo y me llamó "Raimundo!" para que la escuchara en vez de llamarme por mi nombre real (por lo cual normalmente me llamaba porque el español era su lengua materna y obviamente se sentía mucho más cómoda hablándolo).
If my English name is a word, could I just translate the word into Spanish and use that as my name? Like Blossom to Florecer?
I'm lucky enough to have a name that I don't really need to change, other than the pronunciation: Eric>Éric. Not only is it easier for Spanish speakers to hear and understand, but just soundwise, it's easier for me to say it that way while speaking Spanish. Because the two vowels and the r sound don't even exist in Spanish, it's sort of awkward to make the switch in accent just for that one word, so it just flows better to say it "Éric."
I’ve studied many languages and since my name is in the Bible, it’s been translated into, or has an equivalent in, basically every language on Earth. In my case I feel like whatever language it’s translated into, it’s still my name. If I’m speaking Spanish, then switching to English pronunciation to say Matt feels weird, so I just prefer Mateo.
However, some people don’t like this. I’ve never had a problem with it in a Spanish speaking country, but here in the US I’ve found some native Spanish speakers don’t appreciate it. They see it as appropriation instead of accommodation.
I can understand this. I’m not Latino (although my wife and kids are). I think there can be prejudice out there for people with Spanish names. Maybe a resume is set aside because it says Guillermo instead of William. Stuff like that. So, some people who have to live with that reality in the US might not appreciate someone like me, who doesn’t have to deal with that prejudice, using a Spanish name with no consequences.
Also, I understand the Jim thing. Whatever I want to be called, my mother in law will never call me anything but “Map” because she can’t pronounce the final t in Matt.
I think is not good idea change the name to another language because yes is your identity. I understand some names are really hard to pronounce in other languages and I understand your point but in that situation I think would better use a nickname or equivalent name for help but not go to the extreme to change your name completely. By example my last name is Echevarria and none American say it correctly, I am not going the get mad for that because I understand that is hard to pronounce it, so I go with whatever they pronounce my name. Even in Spanish people call me Eche, so sometimes for non Spanish speakers I say call me Eche because is more easy.
My name is Kaelyn.. haha not sure what i'd change it to. I went to Peru a few years ago and i think my name worked pretty well. I do have a few nicknames though
Mé llamó Yvette Hernández-Beliz cómo sé traduce en Español¿ Ivy Hernandez dé Beliz¿¿
Im a native Spanish is Ivy Hernández
Bien hecho
Cazador? I'm keepin mine :)
While my name is rather much what you see in the comment, I added Rivera to give nod to my heritage and my parents, and distinguish myself (I found a law firm, sex offender, and salsa singer with the same name as me.) Curiously, it does make me feel more connected heritage wise.
On a funny trivia note, the same thing was done for Batman to relate in Latin America. Bruce Wayne became Bruno Diaz, among other name changes.
I didn’t know that about Batman!
¿Donde está a May?
I am named after a younger brother of my grandfather who died at the age of 8 years old in 1900 and would never change it , my full name is David Alan Sharp Jones
was easy for me, my names are French, and have a Spanish .pronunciation. last name is uncommon in Mexico, but is known in Puerto Rico, Cuba & Costa Brava.. For middle name, adopted a phonetic pronunciation using the Spanish alphabet.
When I was taking Spanish class in middle school all the students had Spanish names. I was Guillermo and those with uncommon names got to pick out their own Spanish name.
It sometimes helps to just pronounce my first name in Spanish (dee-AH-nay). But I usually have to spell out my last name...It’s helped me to learn the Spanish alphabet, however. It would be fun to choose a completely different name and persona, but I don’t want to deal with ID hassles...And in social situations, it seems Facebook, WhatsAp, etc are so prevalent here in Guanajuato among the many people I’ve met.
¡Hola, Diane! :) Saying your name with a Spanish accent definitely helps! I hear your concerns about ID issues. I was sort of worried about that too at first, but as long as you reserve it for fairly informal situations, it's more of a nickname and won't get you into trouble. You're right about communication online. It doesn't seem to matter as much in WhatsApp, Facebook, etc. ¡Un saludo desde Puerto Rico! -Jim
My question would be if it is legal to give a false name for a bus ticket. I don't think you can do this in the US where you need to produce identification. As well, when you fill out passport information would you need to answer the question about 'other names' used? Sign me Roberto But will add that my massage therapist goes by Brian, he is from China. I have never heard his real name.
¡Hola, Bob! Great question. Considering that I always present my credit card that clearly states my legal name, I don’t think your legal name is what they require. They certainly have the opportunity to double check, and I’ve never had to present my passport for riding the bus. My legal name is James, but in my 33 years on earth, I’ve never had an issue going by Jim in the USA for most things. I think the cultural perspective surrounding legality is quite different in Mexico compared to the US. In general, if you’re not hurting anyone with your actions, you’ll be ok in Mexico. I hope that helps. Thanks for watching! -Jim
Soy muy afortunada tener un nombre que existe en varios idiomas, incluso el español: Andrea. Cuando vivia en Massachusetts, EEUU, todo el mundo lo prununcaron en Englés. Pero despues de me mudé hasta Arizona, me preguntan “How do you pronounce it.?”, y muchas veces respondo “como prefieras”. De verdad, prefiero la version Español.
I go by "Adán" en México because it's more easily understood.
If you ever tell me write my name from the get go I will write Jim Freaker, because is what I first heard when you said your name. 😉☺
My name is common Spanish name but spelt weirdly but it usually doesn't cause me alot of problems
Jaime; My name, John LaRue, a French Huguenot surname, causes many English speakers trouble when they go to spell it sight unseen. Although the name is relatively simple, I always have to spell it for them. Somehow I don't think Mexicanos would have the same problem. Perhaps my Mexican name should be Juan de la Rue? lol.
I want to visit you guys
Here in Nayarit, Mexico my name, Kenneth is often expressed as "Kino" but "Ken" is used by Mexicans we know well.
Diego was right there
I would automatically call you Santiago because of the Bible too... and I would keep Maya's name the same but different spelling maybe Mia 🤔
My Name is Hard to pronounce in English 😅 but sometimes even spanish speaking will also Battle with the pronunciation
I have found ways to repeat my name in easy forms they will be able to pronounce it
Or I sometimes divide it into Syllables 😂
Soo Hey Mah ri
😋 Su-Jei-Ma-ri
O just allow them to call me Susy (Susie)
I have no problem. My mom gave me a spanish name.
Alegria is Joy in espanol. So what do you think of Alegria for my alias. My name is actually Joy.
Awesome, Joy! We've never heard _Alegria_ as a name before, but you could use it! People might give you the _apodo_ or nickname "Ale," which is very common. I think "Ale" could work really well for you now come to think of it, since it only has three letters like Joy. I hope that helps! Un saludo. -Jim
My First name William in Spanish is Guillermo. My middle name Edward in Spanish is Eduardo. My Last Name Hackman is a German last Name I'm not sure what is in Spanish. To me I'm still used to my English name William Edward Hackman. To me I like being called William Edward Hackman. No matter what language I speak.
My name is Virginia but in Puerto Rico they call me Gina
I like the name that spanish speakers give me. Michael Stewart = Miguel Solís
I have some Native American ancestry, but I pretty much just look like a white American and it just so happens that my mom gave me a Latin derived name, so I just stick with that. I find that native Spanish speakers are relieved when they find out I have a name they can easily pronounce. Here in the U.S. its pronounced "SEH-lest" but any native Spanish speaker pronounces my name more like "Say-LAYS-tay". Actually, its native English speakers who have the hardest time with my name... they call me "Colette" or "Chelstie" (yes, with a T, lol)!
Hi Jim, Getting “Jeem” from Spanish speakers is not uncommon, and is actually not “incorrect” for a native Spanish speaker. Phonetically, the short “i”, as in “Jim”, “him”, or “it”, does not exist as a phoneme in Spanish. Therefore, native Spanish speakers have a hard time “hearing” it, or distinguishing it as a distinct phoneme from the “ee” sound. As you know, there are only five vowel phonemes in Spanish: A (as in “ahh”), E (as in “eh”), I (as in “ee”), O (this one is hard - sounds more like “awe” than “oh”, which what most anglos think), and U (as in “ooh”). English has multiple phonemes for each of the same five vowels, and which one is used depends on the placement of the vowel within the word, and many other rules. So Spanish speakers will “simplify” the pronunciation by using the vowel sounds they know.
Also, Interesting note - this topic was an actual consideration when my wife and I named our children. We chose names that would work well in both Spanish and English. My daughters are named Adriana, Brenda, and Sandra. Hard to mess up in either language.
My first name is Chelsea and I found the name Chela
I just use my middle name when speaking Spanish, because my middle name is 'Ché'.
Jimcito:)
😆
I’m high school they wanted us to have spanish names so I turned my name from Elizabeth to Ysabel...
Fast forward 20 years and I named my daughter Ysabel.
That’s cool! What a nice name. Thanks for sharing. -Jim
Did you know that James and Jacob are technically the same name? The original name being Ya’akov in Hebrew in the Bible
I didn’t know that! Very interesting. Thanks for sharing. -Jim
Encarnacion is mine
I am in Mexico now, and everyone asks what my name is. That's not working well. I'll go look for an alias.
Adriana could be a good one for you! Where are you in Mexico? -Jim
@@SpanishandGo I'm exploring San Miguel de Allende.
@@adrianm111 Cool! We took one of our last Spanish immersion retreat groups there. Yeah, if you say Adriana with a Spanish accent people should understand you. Enjoy!
Jhon Adam = Juan Adan.
That’s an easy switch! ¡Qué chido! 😊 -Jim
My story tops all of yours. I was born in Puerto RIco .... And my name is Marsha.... Since a little girl my name was always mispronouced. Why ??? Because for many Spanish speakers the sh sound is too difficult to pronounce and they replace it with the ch sound. Soooo they would call me Marcha which sounds horrible .... Marcha is to march ..... Or they would say ohhhh Marsha like the store , Marshalls... So they would add the letter L and now I am Marshal or even worse Marchal... When I corrected a few they would get upset and kept calling me Marcha or Marchal on purpose.... I got all kinds of reactions to my name, like, your Dad belong to the military, what a horrible name, are you the city Marshall, do you own the store? Many times to ease the pain I would call myself Marcia, the Spanish version of my name ...... Now I live in Barbados, an English speaking country, and problem solved... If I was ever to go back to Puerto RIco I will definitely change it ,,,,
My name is Debi Moss... Guess my parents just had to 🙄😅
I live in the US, and I'm considering changing my name legally to a Mexican name since most of my friends are Mexicans. We communicate only in Spanish. My real name is not easy to pronounce, and I don't like it anyway. My fear is what if changing my name legally to a Latino name will cause me to lose my social benefits or, worse, racism.
Would Spanish speakers think my name "Holly" is weird?
Primer comentario !
¡Gracias por vernos! -Jim
Bet your Mexican IDs aren't Jaime Fernandez.
You’re right, but none of my USA IDs say Jim either. They all say James, but nobody calls me that. -Jim
I'll never change my name.
I'm not ashamed to be an Anglo American.
No worries, Sexy Cactus! I wouldn't change my name either if I was you. Stay Sexy. -Jim
@@SpanishandGo Lol!!!!!
My name (Leslie) is growing in popularity in Spanish-speaking countries. I have met a few people of Hispanic decent here in the US with the name Leslie, and one time, I got in an Uber here in my city in the US, and the driver (a Chilean woman) told me that my name was a Spanish name! We then talked only in Spanish on the way to my destination! I felt like my name was a bit of a conversation starter that day.