The Orangello/Lemonjello story is very old and repeated often. Some Southern sports-oriented novelist (I’m thinking Dan Jenkins) used it in one or more of his books. Comedienne Brett Butler used to throw out the names Sy-phil-lis and Gon-or-rhea as part of a routine at about the same time. I never found any reason to believe either was doing anything but what you expect novelists and comics to do, namely, making stuff up.
Of course the non-native pronunciations of most of these foreign names are going to be intentionally twisted in order to provide maximum entertainment/shock value.
Dat (actual spelling: Đạt) is pronounced more like “duck”, and “Ha Bich” is actually Bích Hà. But of course it will forever be “Ha, Bitch!” every single time it is retold as a Thanksgiving story.
These are examples of ignorant americans not knowing how to pronounce a foreign name, and are not what the OP had in mind.
My friend manages a girl named Soda Pop.
I knew a girl in high school named Laprincess, which I don’t suppose is a horribly wacky or unbelievable name, but it irritated the shit out of me.
Here’s a name almost completely apropos … at least I’m sure he’d hope so.
Student Charged with Flashing Women
Dude’s name is Hung.
Hung “Mike”, that is.
My dad served in the military with Peter Short and Dick Long. Apparently, role call was hilarious every single morning.
I have had many students with unusually spelled and/or pronounced names; confidentiality prevents me from repeating them here. Suffice it to say, that you shouldn’t automatically disbelieve every goofy name you hear.
Irritates me, too.
I was told the ‘Chlamydia’ version only yesterday. I choose not to believe the person that claims to have seen it first hand, rather than my friend who heard it from him. Although, to be fair, no ethnicity was mentioned.
I used to mail out monthly statements to “Dick Pickler” at a local utility firm. I never found out if that was a joke or not, because I was too embarassed to call them up and ask if they had a Dick Pickler working there.
I know a woman whose name is JiJina. She is from some eastern European country.
I will not believe you when you tell me about the girl whose name is Female, pronounced fi-MAH-lee, due to her foreign-born mother not understanding that the birth certificate wasn’t filled out in advance with that name.
Oops, forget the Female above. I inadvertantly skipped page 3 and didn’t realize it was already covered to death.