One unexpected side-effect of living in France can be discovering your perfectly common English name is hard –or funny – to say here.
Take anyone whose name is Gemma Pell.
A meme that has been circulating online references the difficulty Gemma Pell may have when meeting new French people
They were the subject of a recent viral meme that asked “imagine the trouble she has introducing herself in France”.
Gemma Pell sounds just like the French je m’appelle or “my name is”.
You can also find that your name is being automatically translated into something amusing.
We asked readers for stories about their names – here is a selection.
I started to fill in my French tax return but later thought I might be able to get my PC to translate the form into English.
Sir Brian Tidy
It worked, but on reopening the file, to my astonishment it referred to a Sir Brian Tidy. Who on earth was Sir Brian Tidy and how was it I had accidentally opened his tax return?
Then it dawned on me – the auto translation had included my name, with Mr becoming Sir!
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Brian Ranger, Mougins
Sleeveboard
I saw a mistranslation of my name repeatedly when translating official French correspondence into English. Jeanette was often translated as “sleeve-board”, a piece of equipment in pressing establishments for ironing sleeves.
In Toulouse, you can find a laundry called La Petite Jeannette Pressing.
Jeanette Morris, Haute-Garonne
Down
I have accepted that at best I am called Down.
Dawn Mulholland, via Facebook
Daddy 2
People here cannot pronounce Keith, so in the local cafe I am known as Daddy 2 because there’s an Ian in the village who has been there longer, so he is Daddy!
Keith Jones, via Facebook
Gill or Giles
I’m Gill, but the French think that’s Giles. It’s very hard to pronounce the difference!
Gill Matthews, via Facebook
Espèce
My name, Elspeth, is tricky for many people. In France, I’m often called Espèce, while next door’s twins have decided it’s Pépesse. But when our friend’s granddaughter was young, she thought it was Aerospace.
Elspeth Jones, via Facebook
John-John and Judit
My husband is John. Our neighbours cannot understand just one name – they’re used to Jean-Pierre, Jean-Marc, etc – so they refer to him as John-John. I am Judy and under no circumstances can they say that, so I am always “Judit”.
Judy Heasman, via Facebook
Laisse-les
Lesley turned into Laisse-les on my first stay with a French family on a school exchange.
