Bilingual name

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A bilingual name is a name of a person that is spelled, if not pronounced, exactly the same in two languages. The speakers of a certain language usually have names that do not exist in another language. Even when the name has a common root or refers to the same historic or religious figure, different languages will spell and pronounce the name in a unique way. Thus a name with identical spelling in two languages may be of interest to parents of Third Culture Kids, or immigrants.

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[edit] Examples

[edit] Differentiated spelling

Children named after Alexander the Great, Saint Alexander, or any other Alexander are known as:

  • Alejandro in Spanish.
  • Alexandre in French.
  • Alessandro in Italian.

Or variations thereof.

Some languages don't have this or other names. This is the case with many Chinese names that are not translatable into English.

[edit] Exotic naming

Along with the comparatively slow changes in child-naming customs, many parents throughout the world give their child a name that does not have a common translation in their own language, sometimes as an aspirational gesture.

[edit] Rarely used male bilingual names in English and Spanish

  • Aaron (rare in Spanish)
  • Abel (rare in both Languages)
  • Abraham (rare in both Languages)
  • Brendan (rare in both Languages)
  • Bruno (identified with the Italian language both in English and Spanish)
  • Caleb (rare in both Languages)
  • Crispin (rare in both Languages)
  • Hugo (identified with the French Language both in English and Spanish)
  • Jon (rare in both Languages)
  • Joshua (rare in Spanish)
  • Leon (rare in both Languages)
  • Levi (rare in both Languages)
  • Mario (identified with the Italian language both in English and Spanish)
  • Noel (rare in both Languages)
  • Oliver (identified with the German language more so in Spanish, but somewhat also in English)
  • Roman (identified with the French Language both in English and Spanish)
  • Saul (rare in both Languages)
  • Tobias (rare in both Languages)
  • Tristan (rare in both Languages)
  • Xavier (rare in both Languages: associated with the French and Catalan)

[edit] Commonly used male bilingual names in English and Spanish

[edit] Rarely used female bilingual names in English and Spanish

  • Aida (identified with the Italian language both in English and Spanish)
  • Alda (rare in both Languages)
  • Belinda (rare in both Languages)
  • Brenda (rare in both Languages)
  • Calista (identified with the Italian language both in English and Spanish)
  • Dora (rare in both Languages)
  • Juliana (identified with the Italian language both in English and Spanish)
  • Leonora (identified with the Italian language both in English and Spanish
  • Marla (rare in both Languages)
  • Martina (rare in both Languages)
  • Norma (rare in both Languages)
  • Tamara (rare in both Languages)
  • Ursula (identified with the Italian language both in English and Spanish)
  • Virginia (rare in both Languages)
  • Zoe (identified with the Greek language both in English and Spanish)

[edit] Commonly used female bilingual names in English and Spanish

  • Abigail - Rare in Spanish
  • Adelaide/Adele/Adeliza/Alix/Adela - The Spanish spelling is tolerated in English
  • Amanda
  • Amelia/Amalia - The English spelling is tolerated in Spanish
  • Andrea
  • Anna/Ana - The English spelling is tolerated in Spanish
  • Annabel/Anabel - The Spanish spelling is tolerated in English
  • Barbara - Rare in Spanish
  • Cecilia
  • Diana
  • Dolores - Rare in English
  • Elaine/Eliana - The Spanish spelling is tolerated in English
  • Emily/Emilia - The Spanish spelling is tolerated in English
  • Emma
  • Gemma - Rare in Spanish
  • Helen/Helena/Elena - The bold spelling is tolerated in English and Spanish
  • Irene
  • Julia
  • Lisa - Rare in Spanish
  • Linda - Rare in Spanish
  • Mary/Maria - The Spanish spelling is tolerated in English
  • Marcia - Rare in Spanish
  • Maura - Rare in English
  • Melinda - Rare in Spanish
  • Micaela - Rare in English
  • Miriam - Rare in English
  • Monica
  • Naomi - Rare in Spanish
  • Olga - Rare in English
  • Olivia
  • Patricia
  • Paula
  • Pauline/Paulina - The Spanish spelling is tolerated in English
  • Pamela - Rare in Spanish
  • Priscilla/Priscila - The Spanish spelling is tolerated in English
  • Rose/Rosa - The Spanish spelling is tolerated in English
  • Sarah/Sara - The Spanish spelling is tolerated in English
  • Serena - Rare in Spanih
  • Sophie/Sofie/Sophia/Sofia - The Spanish spelling is tolerated in English
  • Susan/Suzan/Susann/Susanne/Suzanne/Susanna/Susannah/Susana - The Spanish spelling is tolerated in English
  • Sylvia/Silvia - The English spelling is tolerated in Spanish
  • Tanya/Tania - The Spanish spelling is tolerated in English
  • Theresa/Therese/Teresa - the bold spelling is tolerated in English and Spanish
  • Veronica
  • Victoria

[edit] See also

[edit] References