# English names that sound funny in other languages **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 15, 2009, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-names-that-sound-funny-in-other-languages/510236 "2009-09-15T21:42:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-names-that-sound-funny-in-other-languages/510236/1 "2009-09-15T21:42:25Z")
In weird name threads, a good proportion of posts are foreign names (usually Asian) that happen to phonectically resemble dirty words or silly phrases in English. Phuoc Yu, Porn, Deepender- need I go on? I want to turn the tables. What are some English names that others would make fun of in the same way we giggle at Hung Wei Lo? Peter is French for “fart”, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-names-that-sound-funny-in-other-languages/510236/2 "2009-09-15T21:58:28Z")
When I was in Japan, my Scottish friend has to make sure to pronounce his name, Gary, as “GAH-ree,” because the typical pronunciation of it sounds like the Japanese word for diarrhea, 下痢 (_geri_). ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-names-that-sound-funny-in-other-languages/510236/3 "2009-09-15T22:17:21Z")
I knew a woman whose first name was Hannah and last name was Hotchkiss. Her Japanese students thought this was hilarious, since “Hannah” sounds like “nose”, and “Hotchkiss” is a generic word for stapler. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-names-that-sound-funny-in-other-languages/510236/4 "2009-09-15T22:44:58Z")
Well, I am still looking for another roll of gift wrap that has the word gift printed all over it, and cute little packages. i want it to send presents to my german buddies 😃 ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-names-that-sound-funny-in-other-languages/510236/5 "2009-09-16T00:10:30Z")
Improbably, “Zachary” translates into Fulfulde as “penis.” Actually, a good percent of English names mean something in Fulfulde, because their verb conjugation system often adds “a” or “i” to simple syllables. So my friend Maia became “in the process of dying”, Bailey becomes “becoming angry”, Timmy becomes “finished”, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-names-that-sound-funny-in-other-languages/510236/6 "2009-09-16T01:03:47Z")
My name is apparently a derogatory word for “Jew” in Amharic. I’ve met several Ethiopian Israelis, all of whom were horrified when I introduced myself. ---
**Author:** ![Waffle\_Decider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/77aa72/32.png) [@Waffle\_Decider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waffle_Decider)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-names-that-sound-funny-in-other-languages/510236/7 "2009-09-16T01:05:35Z")
Not a name, but the phrase ‘delay no more’ sounds remarkably similar to a common Cantonese phrase that means ‘f\*\*\* you’. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-names-that-sound-funny-in-other-languages/510236/8 "2009-09-16T04:00:05Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > Peter is French for “fart”, isn’t it? “Péter” is French for “to fart”, yes, but it doesn’t sound anything like the English name Peter. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-names-that-sound-funny-in-other-languages/510236/9 "2009-09-16T04:48:22Z")
Sean Connery, in French. “une connerie” = dumb act, bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-names-that-sound-funny-in-other-languages/510236/10 "2009-09-16T05:01:56Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > My name is apparently a derogatory word for “Jew” in Amharic. I’ve met several Ethiopian Israelis, all of whom were horrified when I introduced myself. I had an Internet friend from Spain (fluent in English) who signed himself “Kike” – a family nickname, short for his real name Enrique, and pronounced, roughly, kee-kay. He was intrigued to learn that his nickname, with a different prnunciation, was a derogatory term for “Jew” in English. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-names-that-sound-funny-in-other-languages/510236/11 "2009-09-16T05:19:35Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > I had an Internet friend from Spain (fluent in English) who signed himself “Kike” – a family nickname, short for his real name Enrique, and pronounced, roughly, kee-kay. He was intrigued to learn that his nickname, with a different prnunciation, was a derogatory term for “Jew” in English. In the recent elections here in Panama there was a candidate by that name who was running for mayor of one of the towns along the highway. It was always a bit jarring to drive by a series of billboards proclaiming “Kike!” in huge red letters. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-names-that-sound-funny-in-other-languages/510236/12 "2009-09-16T06:32:28Z")
The word _mark_ just happens to mean “worm” in Norwegian. ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-names-that-sound-funny-in-other-languages/510236/13 "2009-09-16T22:32:46Z")
[This business](http://www.tripperbus.com/) and similarly named ones sound a bit risky to a German ear as _Tripper_ means gonorrhea in German. ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-names-that-sound-funny-in-other-languages/510236/14 "2009-09-16T23:42:16Z")
‘Bill’ is butt cheek in Dutch (spelled ‘bil’, but pronounced roughly the same); Dick means ‘fat’ (spelled ‘dik’) - which is not half as bad as what it means in English, I guess. Dutch names are worse, though - we had a PM whose name was Kok, for the longest time. It’s not an uncommon name - nor is Kox. I knew a guy whose name was Tiny Kox (Tiny being short for Martinus or some such - it’s pronounced more like ‘teeny’ but that made mr. Kox’s deal no better, I’m afraid). Also, we had a long running detective show centered around a detective whose name was De Cock. I don’t think it caught on anywhere outside The Netherlands. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-names-that-sound-funny-in-other-languages/510236/15 "2009-09-17T02:21:31Z")
I knew two guys with the last name “Horton” who were sensitive about how people in Argentina pronounced their name, since the h is silent. Orto is slang for asshole, and ortón would be “big asshole.” Coincidentally, they both were. **Švejk** , reading about Tiny Kox made my day. ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-names-that-sound-funny-in-other-languages/510236/16 "2009-09-17T02:55:00Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Well, I am still looking for another roll of gift wrap that has the word gift printed all over it, and cute little packages. > > i want it to send presents to my german buddies 😃 Babelfish was no help. What’s the joke? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-names-that-sound-funny-in-other-languages/510236/17 "2009-09-17T03:12:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Dutch names are worse, though - we had a PM whose name was Kok, for the longest time. It’s not an uncommon name - nor is Kox. “Cox” is often seen in American names, too. It probably wouldn’t get a laugh all by itself, except from immature dweebs who laugh at anything remotely resembling anything naughty. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-names-that-sound-funny-in-other-languages/510236/18 "2009-09-17T03:23:31Z")
> [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](#): > > Babelfish was no help. What’s the joke? “gift” is German for “poison” (which I got from Yahoo Babel Fish). ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-names-that-sound-funny-in-other-languages/510236/19 "2009-09-17T03:28:09Z")
**Jim** has some sort of vaginal connotation if pronounced with a certain tone, possibly involving female masturbation. I knew an American girl surnamed **Dawson** who got snickered at a lot, because _daw_ is vulgar slang for penis in certain subdialects, although this does not appear to be very common. Also, not a name, but the English word “men” means “stinks” in Thai, something that always seems to please beginning female students of the Thai language. ---
**Author:** ![StaudtCJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@StaudtCJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StaudtCJ)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-names-that-sound-funny-in-other-languages/510236/20 "2009-09-17T03:29:20Z")
> [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](#): > > Babelfish was no help. What’s the joke? It means “poison” or “toxin”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-names-that-sound-funny-in-other-languages/510236.md?page=2)