Spanish woman ‘had to change name’ after moving to UK | Weird | News
A Spanish woman who has lived in the UK for several years has opened up about her struggle when introducing herself to Brits, as her name has a completely different meaning to what she is used to.
Names can be confusing, particularly when you move to a new part of the world. While some names are universally recognised across most countries, many languages also have a range of unique names that can cause confusion when you move or travel somewhere new, especially if they carry a different meaning in another language.
However, as our names are so closely tied to our identity, most people are reluctant to change them. One woman who goes by a shortened nickname has shared her exasperation when introducing herself to people across the UK, claiming she now feels compelled to ‘change’ it.
“I have to change my name for the UK,” she declared at the start of her TikTok video.
She went on to explain that she is originally from Spain and has a Spanish name, Soraya. She also shared that she has a shortened nickname which she frequently uses when introducing herself to others.
“You know how in the UK, if your name is Matthew, I can call you Matt,” Soraya explained. “And my short version is Sory. Soraya, Sory – makes sense… in Spain, not in the UK.”
Soraya explained that whenever she introduced herself as Sory to someone in the UK, they invariably assumed she had said ‘sorry’ and was apologising.
“And when I go to an event and my name is on a list, there is always this awkward moment when I say ‘hi, I am Sory’,” she revealed. “And I know British people are thinking ‘what the hell’, but they are polite and they are not saying anything.
“So, yeah, I am Sory, and I am sorry too,” she joked at the conclusion of her video.
Viewers quickly flooded the comment section to share their reactions to the amusing predicament, with some offering helpful suggestions for alternative nicknames Soraya might consider.
“Shouldn’t it be Sora?” one person queried, while another proposed: “what about Raya?
“Soraya is a lovely name. I would just go by Sora or Saya,” someone else remarked. Another simply said: “I think if you say ‘my name is’ vs ‘I’m’ it would be fine?”
Others recounted their own humorous encounters, with one commenting: “Hello, Sory, I’m Helo.”
Someone else shared: “Girl my name is Aleksandra but I’m Polish and in Polish the short version is Ola…. Pronounced exactly like hola (or ola as the wave but still) and I spent 1,5 years living in Spain, can you imagine haha”
