Translation of leader names in non-english version

[BlackWizard]

So I watched german language LP of BNW and noticed Pedro II was translated to Peter II. I wonder why that is so? As far as I know Pedro II was leader of Brasilia and Peter II leader of Russia

I understand if they translate title of leader but why chance forename? Is there other similar translation of actual name?

Edit: I checked from wikipedia and also english name should be Peter II. Hmm?

 

[Adjuvant]

In Greek it is πέτρος or Petros (Stone).

 

[bbbt]

A lot of 'foreign' names are actually the same biblical ones in different languages.

The English language tends to 'adopt' foreign words very easily, and this can include names - though some are often anglicized (i.e a lot of Asian names especially).

So I'd guess that Pedro is a common enough name in the U.S./England that it's accepted as a second version, while it doesn't really exist (or isn't common) in German, so he gets the Germanic equivalent.

How particular names evolved in that sense, I have no idea. I.E in English, Russian Tsars - Pyotr I becomes Peter the First/Great; Ekaterina II becomes Catherine the Second; Pavel I becomes Paul the first - But Ivan IV becomes Ivan the Terrible - not John the Terrible (Ivan is essentially the slavic John). Why Ivan made it into English as a name, but the rest usually take the English equivalents, I don't know.

 

[Veras]

Shouldn't William be Willem, then?

 

[EulerMcE]

They use whatever name is the popular name in that language, probably going off whatever wikipedia holds as consensus as it's policy there. English has it too, many of the names are not the actual name of the leader.

 

[Loucypher]

Shouldn't William be Willem, then?

He should've been. William is really a poor, poor name for Willem van Oranje. You even hear him say his own name...

 

[Louis XXIV]

Yeah, here is what the German wikipedia page calls him.

 

[EulerMcE]

He should've been. William is really a poor, poor name for Willem van Oranje. You even hear him say his own name...

It happens with other leaders
Boudica says Buddug,
Gustavus Adolphus says Gustav Adolph,
Casimir says Kazimierz
Harald Bluetooth says Harald Blåtand.

Then there are other leaders whose actual name is not the one used in English (Catherine for example). William is the name he is known by in English, it's not something they made up. Unless they start calling everybody by their native name it makes perfect sense to use William.

 

[Phrozen]

I am guessing because at least for America, Pedro is not a very uncommon name due to the large latino population in the states. Just like King Juan Carlos is not called King John Carl because both names are common in at least American English.

 

[Quineloe]

Yeah, here is what the German wikipedia page calls him.

The title is Peter, but they keep calling him Pedro II in the actual text. Then they call him Peter in the photo subtitles, then they call him Pedro in the text again. Then they once call him Peter in the text, followed by three more Pedros.

The translation of names in Germany is really pointless and confusing, but that's what people do here. The whole name thing isn't even discussed on the discussion page either, we've just come to accept it. I refuse to call English kings Heinrich and French kings Ludwig.