My son is in high school and is going to be an exchange student in Sweden next year.
Our family background is Swedish. His first name is a typical American name, but his middle name is Swedish, and our last name is Swedish.
For example, John Sture Andersson.
Nobody calls him Sture in the US; people can’t pronounce it. But he has been asking Swedish people who he’s met (so far, as part of the exchange program process) to call him Sture.
Is that weird; if he asks people in Sweden to call him Sture, will Swedes make fun of him or think that his request is bizarre, since he is called John in the US? And is the name “Sture” a nice name?
Thanks.
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The original was posted on /r/sweden by /u/CraftAccomplished784 at 2024-03-27 13:08:14+00:00.
timpakay at 2024-03-27 13:51:57+00:00 ID:
kwsribp
Är det bara jag som får lite Karim Göransson-vibbar?
Ecstatic_Turnover_55 at 2024-03-27 13:15:33+00:00 ID:
kwskfgh
Why would this be weird? Why give him a middle name if you’re going to get all tied up about him using it?
Jaxcie at 2024-03-27 13:19:56+00:00 ID:
kwsl2y3
My name is in the likes of Henrik Gustaf Erik, but my daily name is Gustaf. So honestly I wouldn’t think anything about someone preferring to use their non first name
mondup at 2024-03-27 14:50:40+00:00 ID:
kwt046j
In Sweden we have the concept of “tilltalsnamn” (which can be any of your given names). In many English speaking countries the normal concept is “first name”, and that is exactly your first given names.
CraftAccomplished784 (OP) at 2024-03-27 13:24:43+00:00 ID:
kwslsu6
Tack
fluffigtrov93 at 2024-03-27 13:44:39+00:00 ID:
kwspd68
Why would it be bizarre? Why on earth would one have 2 names if not for doing whatever they want with them? I think it’s nice to have options, and even nicer to utilize them. I only have one name, which is Hungarian, and people are always having a hard time pronouncing it. I would be glad to have Sture as an option. 😁
Also I’m kind of curious how Americans were trying to pronounce Sture, I bet there were some really funny outcomes.
miekman at 2024-03-27 14:09:28+00:00 ID:
kwstc6u
My grandpa’s name is Sture, he is 88 years old and in a wheelchair. I have actually not met any other Swede who has that name. So that’s the kind of person who I think of when I hear the name Sture.
As someone else said, he can call himself whatever he wants, but my immediate thought is that I would think it just doesn’t really fit if he is pretty much 110% American and he’d introduce himself as “Sture” with a heavy American accent, but it’s not something I’d make fun of him for.
Pata11 at 2024-03-27 15:27:51+00:00 ID:
kwt6qwd
My grandfather’s name was also Sture, he would have been 92 this year.
Winter_Cheesecake158 at 2024-03-27 13:36:37+00:00 ID:
kwsnmnn
Does he usually introduce himself by first middle and last name? If not I don’t see why he can’t just introduce himself with his middle name, it’s not like people will ask to see his id to verify his name or anything like that. People might ask why he has such a Swedish name when he’s American so he might have to explain that but that shouldn’t be a problem for anyone but him.
Fille-pille-korvsas at 2024-03-27 14:31:53+00:00 ID:
kwsxaml
It’s perfectly normal as long as he introduces himself as Sture. I am technically not going by my first name but instead uses my middle name as my “tilltalsnamn”
WaySad234 at 2024-03-27 14:17:13+00:00 ID:
kwsv4x3
Is sture his actual name? I only knew one sture and he was 90 years old. However, old names are seeing a revival currently with hipster parents giving their kids names that are not so common.
ProffesorSpitfire at 2024-03-27 14:34:40+00:00 ID:
kwsxe9s
If he introduces himself as Sture and request to be called Sture, people will call him Sture, nobody will think that’s strange. It’s actually not that uncommon to use a name that’s really your second or third name.
As for the name Sture, I’m not entirely sure what you mean by ”nice name”? Assuming your son is around 20, it will be a fairly uncommon and perhaps a bit old-fashioned name in his age group. It’s a typical boomer name, not dissimilar from Ronald or Dorothy in the US I believe. Although I expect it has just had or is just about to have a renaissance. Names typically get fashionable again after around 60-70 years.
Ratathosk at 2024-03-27 14:52:09+00:00 ID:
kwt1etp
No it’s fine.
anonymous_matt at 2024-03-27 14:09:28+00:00 ID:
kwsticq
I don’t think it matters either way but for what it’s worth the average Swedish highschooler would probably think the name John is cooler than Sture.
kebabmoppepojken at 2024-03-27 15:18:06+00:00 ID:
kwt7a9d
Most likely no one will care if he so chose that ppl call him satan(as long as he ain’t claiming to be from Borlänge. :D )
Rockyshark6 at 2024-03-27 14:12:33+00:00 ID:
kwsuaua
It’s not weird to be called by your middle name, some part of the country it’s even the norm.
However it’s pretty weird to be asked to be called something you’re not usually called.
On top of that Sture is an old man’s name and everything about this screams heritage complex, which is ironic because all Swedes thinks the American “I’m x% and y%” is cringe and no one will see him as Swedish anyhow as he’ll be first and foremost American.
What’s even the reason he wants to go by Sture?
karbmo at 2024-03-27 14:35:14+00:00 ID:
kwsxltr
Damn, Sture is a nice name!
Definitely coming back and getting a popularity swing as it enters another name popularity cycle like all names do. I can feel it coming, oh yeah.
_ballora_0 at 2024-03-27 14:43:12+00:00 ID:
kwsz4b6
The name “Sture” is a name that’s a bit joke related in Sweden but still very popular. Kinda like the name “Arne”. John is also a pretty popular name in Sweden and there’s even a game called “Följa John”.