International boys names

[IcarusFlies]

We need a name that works in English, Spanish and Russian. Currently we like Lucas and Sebastian. Any other ideas?

Would this not be botched in Spanish?? Wouldn't it be pronounced Huri? Original spelling would cause less confusion.

We’re originally from Russia and my parents specifically chose “international” names that work well in most languages. My brother’s name is Michael.

Huri is also not a good sound in Russian 😂

David js a great one!

@IcarusFlies Can you please clarify this interesting point for me OP?

Do you need names which transpose completely unchanged between the three languages?

Or is it more that the letters and sounds used in the names need to be familiar and comfortable to users of each language?

Sorry if that is a daft question.

Which country will he go to school?

I think whatever country that is should have the easiest spelling or pronunciation of your chosen names

Otherwise he is going to spend his school life and any clubs etc he joins (football, cubs or theatre or whatever hobby he has) correcting people

My sister has 9 ways to spell her name, Katherine, and goodness knows how many shorter versions there are and people seem to spell it however they like depending on how someone else in their life spells it

Damien?

Joe / Joseph? Nice to be Jose in Spanish.

He’ll be at school in the UK.

The point around the extent to which the name needs to work is an interesting one. For example, I’d be happy to call him Andrei, Andrei in Russian and Andrés in Spanish. But DH wants no variation between the languages.

Frankly, Sebastian become “Sevastian” and Lucas “Luka” in Russian, so DH might need to be flexible…! But that’s the general approach.

No variation between the languages is going to be tricky as you say.

I was going to say things like Dimitri ; Peter/Pyotr/Pedro etc but still there are variations.

Paul / Pavel / Paolo all vary.

That is a tough name brief really!

Scott, John, Virgil, Gordon, Alan.

Scott will be considered offensive to be called for Russian.

OP how about Robert?

If he is going to go to school and live in the UK then that is the most important country for his name to be spelt and pronounced imho

The other countries can just keep the same spelling and learn how to pronounce it can't they? If it will just be visiting or cards or Skype etc

Perhaps give him Russian and Spanish names with their spelling and pronunciation as 2nd and 3rd names so if he went to live there as an adult he could say please call me X or Y like a nickname that way he has the choice as an adult

Sebastian is beautiful

How about:
Valentin
Gabriel
Florian
Rafael
Luca
Caspar?

Think we’ve decided on Sebastian. DH slightly prefers Lucas but really like Sebastian too, and I quite strongly prefer Sebastian. Also works better with other DC names.

Great choice - I love Sebastian!

Sebastian is a lovely name, very elegant and classy, good choice 🙂

Makari
Nikita
Andrei
Emil
Luka
Mark
Ilya
Roman
Adrian
Damian
Konstantin
Alexei
Anatoly
Lev
Vissarion
Albert
Artur
David
Eduard

Coming back to this as baby is due in 6 weeks and we still have no name. Turns out DH didn’t want Sebastian (I’ve kind of gone off it too, with Seb / Sebbie) and I don’t like Lucas enough.

We’re thinking maybe Marcus or Augustus, but they don’t work in Russian really.

Tomas.

Felix

Tomas.

I lived in Spain and there were lots of Russian ex pats there.

Tomas worked for French Spanish Russian German and English. Always pronounced Tomas just with accent at beginning or end depending on first language.

Do any of these work?

Ivan
Albert / Albie
David
Roman
Adrian
George
Milan
Robert / Bobby

Augustus works surely? August in Russian, Augustus in Spanish, either in English. Gus or Auggie as nickname.
Sure they will all have slightly different spelling traditionally, or pronunciation but they will be recognisable.

We needed an International name. We found the shorter the name, the less variable options and it worked better.

Tom
Rex
Otto
Otis
Ivo
Eric
Tim
Ray
Carl
Gus

Also, names starting with Vowels usually has more pronouncing differences.

Sergio.