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.
Det här inlägget arkiverades automatiskt av Leddit-botten. Vill du diskutera tråden? Registrera dig på feddit.nu!
The original was posted on /r/sweden by /u/CraftAccomplished784 at 2024-03-27 13:08:14+00:00.
Katzura at 2024-03-27 13:21:13+00:00 ID:
kwsl9wyIt is perfectly normal to not have the first name on the passport to be the name you are called.
I myself have my “middle name” as my tilltallsnamn.
doctormirabilis at 2024-03-27 14:53:05+00:00 ID:
kwt0ji4yes. i did have some (minor) issues with this though, when travelling to/from the us. ticket said my name, but passport obvs has another name listed first. annoying american airport cop on a power-trip made a fuss.
Arkeolog at 2024-03-27 15:30:04+00:00 ID:
kwt75ahYou should always fill in your full, official name the way it’s written on your passport when buying an airplane ticket. Anything else is asking for problems when going through passport control.
doctormirabilis at 2024-03-27 16:18:38+00:00 ID:
kwtfziqprobably right. never ever had any issues though, except when flying OUT OF the u.s.
MrTonfisk at 2024-03-27 13:39:10+00:00 ID:
kwso163Same. It felt weird to be called by my first name in the US, but I understood that it’s their norm.
wonthaveaname at 2024-03-27 13:45:38+00:00 ID:
kwsp29aIt’s literally the norm here in Sweden as well. People will call you by the name you introduce yourself as, which is usually your first name.
MrTonfisk at 2024-03-27 13:56:42+00:00 ID:
kwsqvd2Obviously, I did not say against that.
Edit: I think it’s from ordering stuff and you first name is shown first.
juliusonly at 2024-03-27 15:49:52+00:00 ID:
kwtar3xNot quite, the norm is to be called your “tilltalsnamn”. It is even registered with Skatteverket if you want so that all governmental contact will refer to you by that name. For private businesses you can typically choose the name when you register. When you introduce yourself to someone you use your tilltalsnamn. Basically the only exception is when a company reaches out to you by their own initiative.
tommyland666 at 2024-03-27 16:52:25+00:00 ID:
kwtm84fEven then, I can’t remember a single instance of someone calling me by first name. It’s always the middle name that I actually use. And I’m soon 40. Now that I think about it, it’s kinda weird it has never happened.
Herranee at 2024-03-27 14:20:41+00:00 ID:
kwsuvtuYeah, but it’s not unusual over here if someone’s first name is different from their tilltalsnamn.