names that mean something in other languages

[LoucheLady]

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 and 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.

[AmserGwin]

'Beth means what in Welsh'
Pronounced completely differently so not really just spelt the same

[Alisvolatpropiis]

Yes, I am aware. I did consider trying to explain the pronunciation difference but decided I couldn't write it in a way which would adequately do so.

Written down, they're the same though.

[ptumbi]

Linda in Czech means, ermm, front bottom!

I once taught a Russian girl who was called Nactia (pronounced Nastier) - she changed it to anastacia. I always thought it was quite pretty.

[user1471734618]

Pippa is probably the rudest name in the English language.
It has a variety of meanings ranging from 'cunt' to 'blowjob' in various European languages.
As I do happen to know a particularly vile 'Pippa' it always makes me giggle a bit.

[Fayaa]

Feia means ugly in Portuguese.... I went by my full name there

[MrsFlorrick]

Isla means family in Dhivehi.

[Mummyoftwo91]

My last name the word hero in Turkish, Spiderman obsessed ds thinks this is super cool

[margaritasbythesea]

Cardigans are often called Rebeccas in Spanish because of the fashion in the film of the novel. Or so says Spanish she.

[margaritasbythesea]

DH not she

[LunaLoveg00d]

There was a girl in my daughter's class called Swastika which is a Hindu religious symbol, but obviously have very different connotations in Western Europe.

[ChuffMuffin]

I know a girl called Naia, pronounced like N-eye-ah. Unfortunately the pronounciation of the Afrikaans word naaier is exactly the same and it means fucker/whore.

[LaBrujaPiruja]

margaritasbythesea your DH is right, rebeca = cardigan. And ballerina shoes are called sabrinas!

ptumbi I don't think the Russian girl changed her name... Nastia/Nastya is a nickname for Anastasia. She just decided it would be best to use her full/formal Christian name.

[Cineraria]

A friend of mine has an Aunty Shitall and and Great Uncle Kanti (the "a" in his name is pronounced "uh" like the "a" in Emma).

My Scottish maiden name sounds fine when I speak it but when Arabic speakers try to write it down in Arabic, where the short vowel sounds aren't usually indicated, they often smile as they end up spelling it the same as an Arabic word meaning mad.

[LoucheLady]

I remember reading that the former French PM Jean-Marc Ayrault had a similar problem, the Arabic pronunciation of his name meant "his cock".

[Caipora]

I knew an English woman on a diplomat post n Brazil, who called her daughter Coco. Said with emphasis on the first o it means coconut. But she emphasised the last O, introducing her daughter to the school as "cocow" which sounds like cocô in Portuguese, which means poo. I can imagine there were some raised eyebrows that day.
Gemma sounds like gema which means egg yolk in Portuguese.
Pippa is like pipa which means kite.
Outing but my sons name is Tomás. It needs the accent otherwise it means you take or you drink.
I knew a boy at school called Shirag. Everyone called him shitrag.

[allegretto]

Donna means woman in Italian - a bit blunt as a name.

[ClaudiaWankleman]

MrsGardening It's pronounced the same way as 'zhou' in mandarin. Zhou can be a surname, elbow, week, curse, continent or an ancient word for a boat. It's really nothing to worry about!

[TrinityForce]

Emma DOES sound like bucket in Dutch, but it's a very popular name in both the Netherlands and Belgium.

The word for bucket has a different 'E' sound at the start and an 'er' (Emmer), so please don't let that put anyone off using it for their child.

[newroundhere]

My Japanese MIL said that Ben means poo in Japanese so we decided against it for DS ...

[runningandjumping]

Fion means "ass" in French, when an acquaintance called her daughter Ffion, I was horrified!

[Nataleejah]

Luke is onion in Russian

[NauseousKitty]

I got a bib embroidered in Italy with Isla on it. Very funny looks as it obviously means island and not a baby name.

[user1471734618]

no, island in Italian is isola

[EssentialHummus]

Luke is onion in Russian

Or manhole cover, with my pronunciation

I wanted to call BabyHummus Lev, which is "heart" in Hebrew, but we unfortunately know too many wanker Levs.

[Kione]

Isla means island in spanish