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Original poster

Why do some 'Brits' feel the need to re-name anyone anyone with a 'funny foreign' name with an anglised version?

96 replies

bauble99 · 22/12/2006 21:34

We've just taken on a Polish guy to cook/serve and tidy up the kitchen afterwards in one of our nurseries.

He came to the interview with his (Polish) wife because he was worried that his English wouldn't be good enough for the interview (it was.)

He has all of his paperwork in order, a 'Food Hygeine' cert and a CRB check from his last job in an OAP's (elderly care) home. Although, crazily, we need to do another CRB check as a new employer, even though the last one was only done 4 months ago. Sounds like a bit of extra income for Mr Brown?

Anyway, his name is Jacek, pronounced 'Ja-sek' - not difficult, eh?

The staff, not the elderly folk (I could maybe understand them not getting to grips with his name) decided that they would call him 'Jack.' because 'it's easier.'

We, of course, will call him by his name.

We also have a Pakistani Nursery Nurse called Afsha who was called 'Ruby' - because "Afsha's a bit hard to say, innit?"

No, her name is Afsha.

OP posts:
Original poster
bauble99 · 22/12/2006 21:35

Anglicised.

OP posts:
Tortington · 22/12/2006 21:38

i know a couple of indian ladies self named common enlish names becuase they themselves think its too difficult for other people.

i take your point and think where at all possible its just good manners

southeastastra · 22/12/2006 21:42

jacek is a nice name and not too hard to say at all, give it time and i'll bet they'll start saying his real name if you use it enough!

i have a friend from taiwan and i've realised i'm calling her by her second name because that's what was more pronouncible (argh) and what everyone else was using from the start

Original poster
bauble99 · 22/12/2006 21:45

Fair enough, Custy, if they choose to rename themselves. But you're right, it's good manners to use someone's given name.

It reminds me of 'Little Britain' and Marjorie Dawes caliing 'Meera,' 'Mary.'

OP posts:
Tortington · 22/12/2006 21:46

i have a collegue called mhari - that stumped me for a while.

Original poster
bauble99 · 22/12/2006 21:48

I'm proud to say that our manager (who interviewed him with me) started calling him Jacek straightaway.

We used to have a little boy called Adham at the nursery who the staff started calling 'Adam' until I stopped them. Ad-ham is easy enough to say, and it's his name.

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Original poster
bauble99 · 22/12/2006 21:49

Custy. That's pronounced 'Mary,' isn't it?

Or is it 'Mari?'

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Tortington · 22/12/2006 21:50

well its actually mari.

wee its a bugger these irish names.

Tortington · 22/12/2006 21:50

i will rename her jane

Original poster
bauble99 · 22/12/2006 21:54

Custy. I wish I'd met you circa. 1989. I heard 'Kinky Afro' on the radio today and I knew that you'd have done your thang to that in the past. That and menthols makes/made me think of you.

The power of mnet.

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curiosity · 22/12/2006 21:55

People change other people's names all the time, they either shorten them, or lengthen them, or give them a nickname.

expatinscotland · 22/12/2006 21:56

Mhari's easy. But then, I am in Scotland!

DecktheWallacewithBoughsofHoll · 22/12/2006 21:56

isn't mhairi "vari"?

beansprout · 22/12/2006 21:56

I totally agree with the OP. I was at school with kids whose dads were Pakistani but known as "Bert" or something nonsensical.

shonaspurtle · 22/12/2006 21:57

Not particularly a British thing ime. I think people everywhere do this when they find a name very unfamiliar to their culture/hard to pronounce.

It's a bit ignorant to just start calling someone by another name though because you think their given name is "hard". My name is mispronounced by non-scottish people (and lots of scottish people as well) all the time and it does piss me off a bit (although only if i've told them how to pronounce it - would never expect someone to pronounce it correctly after just seeing it written down, it's a gaelic spelling so more vowels than you might think necessary )

Tortington · 22/12/2006 21:57

not this one

shes called jane

colditz · 22/12/2006 21:58

I used to work with a Polish girl called Marta. Her name had a rolling Rrrr, which we could never get right, all the old ladies used to call her Martha because they always misheard her name.

but I did persist with her name, although sometimes she would be in fits of giggles aat my crappy pronunciation. It's rude to rename people.

DecktheWallacewithBoughsofHoll · 22/12/2006 22:01

LOL at Jane

shonaspurtle - seonaid?

shonaspurtle · 22/12/2006 22:04

Parents not quite that cruel - seona

Original poster
bauble99 · 22/12/2006 22:05

Surely 'Jane' is a bit tricky?

'Ja' would be even easier.

Might be getting a bit theological, though.

OP posts:
pantomimEdam · 22/12/2006 22:09

My husband was talking about one of our neighbours called Chris. I had no idea who he was on about. Eventually realised he was talking about my (Persian) friend's husband. She calls him by his proper name so I do the same but he'd introduced himself to dh as 'Chris'. Haven't had the bottle to ask him why, yet!

Original poster
bauble99 · 22/12/2006 22:16

I s'pose I can see that some 'foreigners' may want to use an english sounding name to 'fit in.'

In London it's not necessary though, as loads of people have non-english names.

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Cashncarry · 22/12/2006 22:17

Sometimes foreigners will anglicise their own names in order to get jobs - my DH had terrible trouble for years until he put an English version of his name on his CV and hey presto - interviews start rolling in.

Everyone at work calls him by his English name which I hate - makes him sound like a 70s porn star!

People have tried to anglicise my name over the years but I just keep correcting them until they get the message. It was worse at school when my teachers insisted on doing it despite my protestations!

Good on all of you for swimming against the tide

Linnet · 22/12/2006 22:18

there was a polish guy worked at my workplace as a cleaner, his polish name began with a Z, can't remember what it was but it had g's and b's in it, I saw it written down but wouldn't have a clue how to pronounce it unless told but he asked everyone to call him Jack. I guess for him it was a way of making it easier for us to use his name rather than us trying to pronounce it and getting it wrong. he still pops in now and again and people call him Jack although if I knew how to pronounce his name I'd try to use his real name.

NotQuiteCockney · 22/12/2006 22:19

(Um. Isn't Jacek normally pronounced "Yatzek"? Or is it only Ukranians who pronounce it that way?)