Names Matter: How to Pronounce and Respect Them

Your name is one of the first things you were ever given. It connects you to your family, your culture, and your sense of self. When someone gets it wrong — or doesn't even try — it can feel like a small but real act of erasure.

Across Europe, workplaces, classrooms, and community spaces are increasingly multilingual. You might meet a Wojciech from Poland, a Siobhán from Ireland, a Nkechi from Nigeria living in the Netherlands, or a Fátima from Portugal. Each name carries its own sound and story.

Research in the UK and Germany has shown that job applicants with names that sound 'foreign' receive fewer callbacks — even when their qualifications are identical. This is called name-based discrimination, and it starts with unfamiliarity and unconscious bias.

Beyond hiring, mispronouncing someone's name repeatedly — without trying to improve — sends a message that their identity is not worth the effort. Studies in educational settings across France and Spain found that students whose names were regularly mispronounced reported feeling less included and less engaged.

The simplest thing you can do is ask. Try: 'I want to make sure I say your name correctly — could you say it for me?' Most people are genuinely happy when someone makes the effort. Follow up by repeating the name back so the person can confirm.

If you still find it difficult, you can ask for a memory trick. For example, the Irish name Caoimhe is pronounced 'Kwee-va' — something the person themselves might help you remember with a rhyme or comparison. Writing a phonetic note for yourself is completely fine and shows commitment, not weakness.

Never shorten or replace someone's name just because the original feels unfamiliar. Calling Aleksandra 'Alex' without her invitation, or swapping Yusuf for 'Joe', strips away something personal. Always wait for the person to offer a nickname themselves.

Names also appear in emails, forms, and digital systems. Many European databases still strip out accents and special characters — turning José into Jose, or Ångström into Angstrom. If you manage any system or form, advocate for it to support the full range of characters used across European and global names.

In written communication, copy the spelling of someone's name exactly as they write it. If you receive an email signed 'Ioana', don't write back to 'Iona'. Double-checking takes three seconds and builds real trust.

“Getting someone's name right is the smallest act of respect — and one of the most powerful.”

You won't always get it right on the first try, and that's human. What matters is that you keep trying, stay open to correction, and treat every name as worth the effort — because it is.