Intoducing Yourself

Question

When you introduce yourself to someone and you are speaking in Spanish, should you translate your name into Spanish also? If it is bad to translate it, then why?

Answer 1

You never translate your name. You say your name just as you do in English. If the person you are speaking to has a hard time understanding it you can say it slowly and spell it in Spanish. I don't know if young people get this idea from their Spanish teacher, but there seems to be a conception out there that names can or should be translated.

Some names have equivalents in Spanish only because Christian (and to a certain extent Jewish) names are often associated with the Bible or saints. I will give you some examples but this is not to be used in the sense of translation: (Spanish are bold and English are italics)

María Mary

José Joe or Joseph

Diego or Santiago James, Jim, Jimmy

Juana Joan, Jane, Jean, Jeanne

Miguel Michael, Mike, Mitchell

Marta Martha

Carlos Charles, Chuck, Charlie

It is common in Spanish to add -ito to a name like we add -y or -ie:

Spanish: Carlito, Miguelito, Luisito, Juanita

English: Charlie, Mikey, Joey, Janey

The reverse is true also. How would you translate the Mexican first name "Cuautéhmoc?" One Mexican teacher I know shortened it down to "Moe." - Daniela2041, Oct 5, 2015

Answer 2

In general it is bad idea to translate personal names.

Sometimes there are "equivalents" but they are not your name.