I'm almost sure this question won't have a solution but I'll give it a shot. Is there a phonetic pattern or a way I can figure out how to pronounce foreign names in a more English way?I usually don't have any issues with spelling-pronunciation logic and can read unknown words correctly 9.9/10 times, but names really throw me off! I notice it's a somewhat common practice to ask about the pronunciation of someone's name in the US. Are native speakers just as confused about them?

Hi everyone,

today someone asked me an interesting question. She's German and she's learning English. While on holidays in London, the hotel receptionist asked her and her huband for their names - let's say, Sabrina and Christian. They pronounced them the German way, /zaˈbʁiːna/ and /ˈkʁɪsti̯an/, and the receptionist said that she didn't have these names in the system, but instead said she had /ˈkɹɪstʃən/ etc. - and pronounced them the English way.

Hence my question. If your name exists in a different language, should you change its pronunciation according to the foreign language that you're speaking? In my opinion, you don't need to, and I would pronounce German names the German way while speaking English. Sure, you can do that to be understood more easily, but in situations where you're supposed to give your actual name, you should stick to the native pronunciation. What do you think?