White British with distinctively foreign name

[ThisIsMyUsernameYesItIs]

I was named after a Japanese lady who saved my mum's life while she was heavily pregnant (car accident). I wasn't given a middle name.

I started work at a new company last week. Was introducing myself to some people and someone asked if this was a name I picked myself from an anime. I don't broadcast the backstory and most people don't ask anyway so I do wonder if this was a common conclusion most would arrive at? Would you judge someone for having a foreign name?

YABU I wouldn't assume that you picked the name yourself
YANUB I would assume you picked the name yourself

I might be curious but I wouldn’t ask.

I know someone white British named after an Iranian woman for a similar reason and she got lots of questions.

It would never occur to me that anyone might have picked a name themselves.

Is the person that asked the question a big animé fan? Maybe it is something that is done in their world.

Good luck in the new job. It's great to have an unusual name I think. I wish I did!

I'd possibly be interested, but not judgemental.

The person who asked was probably just interested.

I would always assume people were named by their parents unless told otherwise.

I'd assume you had a white parent who you took after and a Japanese parent who picked your name.

I think I would wonder why an obviously white British woman had an obviously Japanese name but I wouldn't assume you'd changed it yourself.

I'm a celt living in Cornwall. Names that I like are Demelza, Morwenna, Angharad, Siobhan. I don't suppose anyone would question those though as my df was Irish.

I have a name that surprises people in real life as it doesn’t fit with my ethnic group. I hope that I say that correctly. I just say yes that I’m the person they’re calling for if it’s a medical setting etc. Otherwise I just let people manage their reaction and get on with things. I find it rude of someone to ask you if you picked your own name. I’d reply that your parents named you after someone dear to them and that you are honoured

I wouldn’t think to question it being foreign nor would I assume you named yourself that. First thought would be your parents named them after someone or something they experienced that was meaningful enough to them to name their child after it.

I would likely say it’s a lovely name and what does it mean because I find names and their meanings fascinating regardless of country and culture.

I wouldn't assume you had changed your own name at all. Like @msbevvy says it might be that they are interested in anime themselves.

It would never occur to me that someone picked their own name , and from anime ?
I could imagine it if it were a online user name but not your actual name in real life.

I wouldn’t ask unless I knew you well.

I’d assume either there was a back story (eg born in Japan or named after someone), or you were part Japanese.

The Anime idea is quite eccentric and speaks to their interests. Forget it.

If I thought about it, I'd assume you were mixed race in some way (say, a Japanese grandma) but I might not think much about it.

The way you got your name is a really touching story. I can see why you wouldn't tell the story to everyone who asks as it's personal. I'd be really proud of it though.

My dd is named after a midwife who isn't British but it's a fairly internationally-generic name. There was another midwife who was above-and-beyond kind when I needed it and I liked her name too but dh felt it was too culturally specific, I guess to prevent the issue you feel you have.

I would probably assume you had mixed heritage. Genetics can be very creative and plenty of people look different to what you might typically expect if you knew their parents or grandparents heritage.

I'd be curious, and I might ask if we knew each other well enough for it to be appropriate, but I'd never assume someone had picked their own name, that's quite an odd reach to make.

It is interesting what we accept as "British" names anyway. My first name is one commonly used in Britain and people wouldn't bat an eyelid at a white British person having it, but it is originally a Hebrew name and has Arabic variants. So plenty of people from Middle Eastern backgrounds have my name.

This.
I would assume that your mother loved the name, or that you were named as a tribute to a special person in her life or a relative.
Japanese names are lovely.

I definitely wouldn't assume and I would think the person who did assume was a complete prick!

I have a southern European surname and am also white British. I get a lot of questions about it, some curious, some bordering on rude. The worst rudeness has been when getting a right to work in the UK check done and comments about my being allowed to have a British passport with a surname like that.

That person was probably a huge anime fan (I think they call it an otaku?) and was desperately hoping they were meeting a fellow fan. The interaction tells you more about them personally than a reflection on your name

Omg who commented that, I hope not a colleague? I'd have brought down the righteous fires of HR on them

@Yetanothernewname101 that is properly rude and racist, what a horrible experience for you. Plenty of white Britishpeople have "foreign" surnames for all sorts of reasons! My white British colleague has a Japanese surname - because she took her Japanese husbands surname.

I would assume mixed heritage probably. I know a few people of mixed heritage who don’t necessarily look like they are.

I‘be curious and interested to know why you had a Japanese name and probably ask you when I got to know you a bit better

but it wouldn’t occur to me that you had names yourself !