Many of us have met a Simon, Chris or Paul, but very few will have come across a Xavier, Eoghan or Joaquin.
So it is of little surprise that all three names are among the names that the majority of us stumble over.
Now English YouTuber Lucy Earl, who runs the English with Lucy channel, has explained how to correctly say 10 boys’ names that are commonly mispronounced.
She explains in the video how some of the names come with an extra difficulty – as they can be pronounced in more than one way.
YouTuber Lucy Earl (pictured) has explained how to correctly pronounce 10 girls’ names. Originally a Spanish name, Joaquin is often mispronounced as ‘WA-keen’ in English
While it might be a common name, Lucy is among those who thought Sean was said ‘seen’
For example Stephen, while popular, can often pose problems as it can be pronounced either ‘Stef-en’ or ‘Steve-en’. Lucy advises simply asking the individual to ensure you get it right.
Meanwhile Louis can be said ‘Loo-iss’, or ‘Loo-ee’, while Elias can be pronounced at least three different ways: ‘EH-lias’, ‘Eh-LI-as’ or ‘Eh-LEE-as’.
Sean is among the more common names on the list but can cause confusion, with some thinking it is pronounced ‘seen’ rather than ‘shawn’.
To avoid confusion, it is best to ask Stephen whether he is a ‘Steve-en’ or a ‘Stef-en’
Elias has at least three different pronunciations while the ‘X’ in Xander leaves people confused
‘Ksa-vee-eh’ is more often pronounced ‘Za-vee-eh’, which is slightly easier to say
Lucy also tackles names that have been adopted by English parents, including Joaquin, which partially owes its popularity to actor Joaquin Phoenix.
Originally a Spanish name, it should be pronounced ‘Who-A-keen’, although it is more commonly said ‘WA-keen’.
Similarly, English tongues can miss the subtleties of ‘Xavier’, with the simpler ‘Za-vee-eh’ being used in favour of ‘Ksa-vee-eh’.
Lucy also explained that some names with complicated spellings have straightforward pronunciations. For example ‘Eoghan’, is said ‘Oh-in’.
Lucy, 22, set up the business with a £500 loan from her father. She bought a tripod and camera, taught herself how to shoot and about lighting and now earns more than the average teacher through advertising.
English With Lucy now has more than 785,000 subscribers from all over world, who ask her questions about life in Britain, how to pronounce words and popular sayings and phrases.
It comes days after she released a similar video shedding light on the complexities of girls’ names, including Mia, Isla and Eva.
While No-el is a girls’ name, it is more often pronounced ‘Nowl’ when used for a boy
‘Eoghan’ might have a complicated spelling but it is said ‘Oh-in’, like the English ‘Owen’
Louis can be said either ‘Loo-iss’ or ‘Loo-ee’ so it is best just to ask, Lucy advises
She previously said: ‘It’s a business that I started completely from scratch with a £500 business loan from my dad, paid back with interest, of course, and has now a pretty significant turnover.
‘It was a huge step for me to say no to the grad schemes and yes to going at it alone, but it was the best thing I ever did.
‘Every day I get to work with everything I’m passionate about with total creative control, marketing, social media and the English language.’
A name that’s growing in popularity, ‘Jaden’ is pronounced ‘Jay-den’, Lucy explains