Avoid Tom Cruise's baby name slip
Relevant offers
A London translation firm is offering parents-to-be the chance to check the meaning of prospective baby names in other languages, to avoid causing their offspring embarrassment.
Celebrity couple Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes might have thought twice about naming their daughter Suri if they'd known that it means "pickpocket" in Japanese, "turned sour" in French, and "horse mackerels" in Italian, suggest Today Translations.
For 1000 pounds (NZ$2277), the company's linguists will carry out a "basic name translation audit" of names, checking their meaning in 100 languages, or more for an additional cost.
While open to everyone, the firm said it expects the service is likely to attract celebrity clients, who are known for giving their babies unusual names.
Other celebrity baby names it has checked include Kai Rooney, the newborn son of English soccer player Wayne Rooney, whose name means "probably" in Finnish, "pier" in Estonian, and "stop it" in the west African language of Yoruba.
And while musicians Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale may have known Zuma meant "peace" in Arabic when choosing their son's name, they may not have been aware it also translates as "Lord frowns in anger" in the Aztec language of Nahuatl.
Some unusual celebrity baby name choices are beyond easy translation however, the company admits, such as Jermajesty - the son of Michael Jackson's brother Jermaine.
- Reuters
Sponsored links
Newest First
Oldest First
It wouldn't be difficult to write a mashup script of Google-Translate to do this...For $2777, I could get an undergrad to do it and post it...or sell it. If I sold it for $5 to a thousand people, I'd be ahead of the game.
Joe - it doesn't really matter that suri isn't written down, pickpocket would be the most salient meaning for Japanese people hearing "suri" (it's also a word written in hiragana rather than kanji). Can't say I've ever heard of the word suri in French though either - apparently it exists (according to wordreference) but it must be extremely rare (specially when a native speaker has never heard of it)! Matthew - but isn't Pajero such an appropriate name? Generally describes the drivers pretty well!
I realize this is in the entertainment section but it is NOT journalism. It's clearly a PAID piece of advertising by the translation company as a press release to get more business. Give us real journalism even in the non news sections please.
My absolute fave?!
Shiloh Pitt. Swap the first syllables round? Piloh Sh... well, you get the drift.
there searches cant be that extensive, the missed that 'kai' is maori for food.
Maybe the car makers can use this service , take for example Pajero which is spanish slang for w**ker........ and there are many more examples out there like this
Forget the name, check the haircut out. Top Gun days are long gone!!
Well I hope mine does not mean dipstick in whatever language or maybe babybottle,popynappy,dead bird etc
Jermajesty - a happy virus.
Dad plays porn instead of Smurfs at kid's party
On Valentine's Day, a museum for broken hearts
VW beetle cop car pulls over erratic driver
A burning issue: When coffins get too big
Hundreds ask that pig remains on police decal
Man fights police over 13m whale shark
Flushed necklace returned months later
Grade hacker gets probation, not A
Unplanned 9/11 analysis links noise, whale stress
US Customs dreading flower week
Thief goes straight after finding child porn
TPK travel money to be paid back
Boatie missing from idling yacht
Speaker hits back in technology row
Labour reveals PM's emails over radio show
Crusaders without Richie McCaw until April
High hopes for Valentine's surprise
Rimutaka Incline train dream on hold
'Urewera four' armed revolutionary leaders - Crown
Dad plays porn instead of Smurfs at kid's party
Guinness' all time greatest game ending
McClennan shooting for NRL title with Warriors
Houston under water when found
Dad plays porn instead of Smurfs at kid's party
Black Caps win T20 nailbiter against Zimbabwe
Crusaders without Richie McCaw until April
Speaker hits back in technology row
Houston under water when found
TPK travel money to be paid back
Birth induced so dying dad could hold daughter
Which word or phrase do you find most annoying?
Related story: 'Whatever' world's most annoying word: poll
In Agreement with most of the other commenters. Waste of money if you ask me.
I think the other problem is also that these will be literal translations, which is not necessarily the intention of the names. Take for example my grandmother's Maori is Te Makawe which in a literal translation means the hair, but the longer poetical translation is referred to in the history of our Tribe. Another example is Caleb -it can mean dog, but the longer meaning is that the dog is a devoted servant, and Caleb in the bible was known for his religious devotion. God's dog if you will.
Best rule of thumb for naming children, give them a name that you like and won't be embarrassed about yelling across a crowded mall...