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Baby names

names that mean something in other languages

84 replies

LoucheLady · 28/08/2016 10:49

I live in an area with high immigration where 75% of kids at DC1's school are bilingual in a particular minority language. When I introduced newborn DC2 to our neighbours with her standard English name, they were a bit Hmm and Grin and said "you know what that means in XXX language, don't you"? Oh shit I thought, I've called her the XXX equivalent of dogbreath or something. Turns out it's not that bad, it just means daytime, but it got me thinking, it would be interesting to hear what other names have, erm, unfortunate meanings in other languages. Like my poor French friend Fanny.

OP posts:
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SilveryFoxy · 28/08/2016 11:42

Chloë means 'bollocks' in Moroccan Arabic.

Kai means egg in Thai.

Freya is very similar to 'Feya' (sp?) which means ugly in Portuguese.

Loki (Lachlan) means asshole in German.

Grin

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ClaudiaWankleman · 28/08/2016 11:50

Judy means 'local' in mandarin. Leo means six. Joe means many things, including 'gruel'.

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DrinkFeckArseGirls · 28/08/2016 11:55

Love it.
I donmt have names examples though, just normal words 😞

There is a Polish fashion designer whose surname is Minge (meen-geh).

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EwanWhosearmy · 28/08/2016 11:57

DD has a friend at Brownies called Shitti, I kid you not.

I noticed on the last week of term that her DM was calling her something completely different.

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ageingrunner · 28/08/2016 11:58

I used to know a little girl called Pervi, not sure how it was spelt or what language it came from, but not great in English

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FrancisCrawford · 28/08/2016 12:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MangosteenSoda · 28/08/2016 12:37

A friend's MIL really wanted her to name her DD2 Anal (pronounced like Amal). Not really a suitable name for a little girl growing up in the UK.

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TheTartOfAsgard · 28/08/2016 12:42

The shortening of Barbara in polish is Basia - pronounced as Basher.

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FinallyHere · 28/08/2016 12:49

Friend's au-pair caused a few raised eyebrows by introducing herself with the phrase 'hello, I'm Randy'

By the time we saw her again at half-term, she had changed to calling herself Mandy.

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Zhabr · 28/08/2016 12:55

Poppy sounds very similar to "bum" in Russian.
Also Thusa ( pronounced Too-Sha) means "cadaver of the dead animal).
My friend called her DS Wassily ( like Kandinsky) and the teacher said that's not a good name and asked what NN can be used instead.

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squoosh · 28/08/2016 13:16

Pippa has a host of 'colourful' meanings in other countries.

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PunkAssMoFo · 28/08/2016 22:25

Friend of a friend is called 'wankey'.

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THEMrsSmith · 29/08/2016 03:30

Kim is who in Turkish

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SmallBee · 29/08/2016 03:34

I came on to say we almost called DD Pippa but a graduate at work pulled me aside and warned me of the alternative meanings. She is not called Pippa.

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MephistoMarley · 29/08/2016 08:00

Anna is 'I am' in Arabic

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MrsGardenIng · 29/08/2016 15:44

ClaudiaWankleman (what a username! Grin ) could you expand on other meanings for Joe please? I have Joseph (likely nn Joe) on my shortlist.

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BaronessBomburst · 29/08/2016 15:49

The Irish name Bina means 'almost' in Dutch.

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WeDoNotTalktoPennilynLott · 29/08/2016 15:54

Linda means lovely/beautiful in Spanish

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KatharinaRosalie · 29/08/2016 16:07

Amber means 'bucket' in Estonian, is also a slang term for gaffe or blunder.

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Kione · 29/08/2016 17:46

Linda meaning pretty/beautiful as above, but it is a very common name for a female dog in Spain Blush
Pippa in spanish is pipe, or seed

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AnneEyhtMeyer · 29/08/2016 17:57

Peter means "to fart" in French.

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BaronessBomburst · 29/08/2016 22:30

Oh yes! Emma is bucket in Dutch.

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Ham69 · 30/08/2016 00:57

I early called DS Ned until I googled it and it stands for 'Non Educated Delinquent' and is a derogatory term
used a lot in Scotland.

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Ham69 · 30/08/2016 00:57

Lots of typos. Off to bed!

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Alisvolatpropiis · 30/08/2016 13:14

Beth means what in Welsh.

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