Celebrity names you’ve been mispronouncing: As Kirsten Dunst claims ‘everyone’ has been saying her moniker wrong – how many stars have YOU been naming incorrectly?

As Hollywood stars they’re used to being described as ‘household names’. 

Interestingly enough, it turns out that numerous famous figures have actually been using incorrect nicknames in public perception.

For a long time, these stars have been called incorrectly, despite repeatedly demonstrating their preferred names for reference.

This week, Kirsten Dunst shared that people have been incorrectly pronouncing her name during her entire career. She also revealed the correct way to pronounce it.

So how many Hollywood stars have you been mispronouncing? 

Kirsten Dunst  (Keer-sten Dunst)

This week, Kirsten shared that she’s been consistently mispronounced throughout her career, explaining the correct way to say her name.

The actress, aged 43, expressed regret over mispronunciations and asserted that, particularly, those in the UK tend to struggle with getting it correct.

Despite not placing blame on others, she’s often faced questions about matters such as ‘chris-tine’, ‘caroline’, and ‘carolyn’ throughout her years.

Although she seemed irritated about the matter, she maintained that it was okay and expressed indifference towards correct pronunciation.

In a TikTok clip shared by Town and Country magazine, she casually admitted: “Well, it seems everyone gets my name wrong, so I guess I’ll stop correcting them.

‘I don’t care… I don’t blame people. Like in England, they don’t really say my name right.

In the final round, it seemed everyone mispronounced my name. There were individuals from Sweden and Hungary among them. By then, I felt quite defeated.

Kirsten confirmed the proper way to say her name is ‘Keer-sten’.

She joked: ‘But again, who cares? It’s fine.’

Paul Mescal (Paul Mess-kle)

2023 found me, a devoted admirer, taken aback when the esteemed Irish figure, Paul, age 29, disclosed that many had been mispronouncing his name unknowingly.

As a passionate enthusiast, I find myself contemplating the exciting prospect of delving into the world of mezcal and tequila production, potentially launching my very own line in the near future.

‘People get confused with how to pronounce my name because of the drink mezcal.’ 

He went on to say, “Since everyone else does it, I pronounce it ‘Mess-kle’. If I were to start a tequila brand, I’d consider naming it ‘Mescal’s Mezcal’. At the moment, I’m undecided.

Paul rose to fame on the BBC series Normal People which aired during lockdown.

He has gone on to secure huge roles including in Gladiators II.

The handsome actor is also dating pop star Gracie Abrams, 25.  

Noomi Rapace (Noomi Rupp-Ass) 

As a lifestyle enthusiast, I’d share that I catapulted into prominence with my striking debut in the 2009 film adaptation of “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo,” a role that undeniably etched my name in the annals of cinema history – Noomi Rapace, to be precise.

Even after over a decade in the spotlight, she recently clarified that despite popular misconception, her name isn’t pronounced as ‘rap-pace’, but rather ‘rupp-ass’ as stated to The Times this week.

Originally known as Noomi Norén, she later shared that upon marrying Swedish actor Ola Rapace (born Pär Ola Norell) in 2012, they decided to adopt a combined surname.

She explained to The Guardian that the choice of Rapace (meaning ‘a bird of prey’ in both French and Italian) was due to her being a naturally impulsive individual.

I tend not to dwell too much on things; instead, I’m quick to act and move forward. There was an immediate resonance within me regarding the name.

However, on the occasion when we first settled in London, my son observed me during a particular morning. At that time, I was preparing for a role under Guy Ritchie’s direction in Sherlock Holmes, while also rehearsing lines as Simza, the fortune-teller character. Looking up at me amidst these activities, he expressed something like:

As the eldest Rapace in existence, I must say, I believe I’ve made an excellent choice.

Lindsay Lohan (Lindsay Lo-Wen)

In her first TikTok appearance in 2022, Lindsay Lohan surprised fans by clarifying the correct pronunciation of her surname.

Greetings all! That’s LiLo, aka Lindsay Lohan, here. Exciting news to share – you can now find me on TikTok!

Lindsay accidentally set the record straight for her followers, explaining that her surname should be pronounced as ‘Lo-wen’, not ‘Lo-han’.

In simple terms, the short video featured Lindsay Lohan – known for her role in Mean Girls – standing outside, clad in a white sweater and sporting diamond earrings, as she made a cheerful announcement with a smile on her face.

Hold up! Is Lindsay’s last name LOWEN, not LOBBS as I’ve always thought?!

Jake Gyllenhaal (Jake Gee-Len-Hey-Lo)

ever since Jake Gyllenhaal started his acting career, his name has been a popular topic of conversation. Yet, the commonly used pronunciation of his name couldn’t be further from its true rendering.

People who like Jake and his sister Maggie often call out “Jill-en-hall”, but the actor shared the surprising reason behind the correct pronunciation of his Swedish surname.

During his chat on Conan O’Brien’s television show, he playfully mentioned that only two locations where his surname is pronounced accurately are in Sweden and within the stores of IKEA.

The correct way to say his name is ‘Yen-len-hey-lo’.

Elder sibling Maggie has not weighed in on how she pronounces her name.  

Martin Scorsese (Martin Scor-Sess-See) 

Many fans of legendary director Martin Scorsese have been saying his name wrong for years.

Indeed, the popular way to pronounce the name is ‘Scor-say-zee’.

However, he confirmed that it should be ‘Scor-sess-see’ in the fifth series of Entourage. 

Adele (Uh-Dale) 

Adele confessed that most of her fans have been saying her name wrong in a 2022 interview.

During a lively chat at Happy Hour with Benito Skinner following the release of her “I Drink Wine” music video, an audience member inquired about Adele’s experiences composing songs for her latest album and her path towards self-acceptance.

The individual speaking in the video managed to correctly pronounce Adele’s name unexpectedly, which left Adele amazed.

Regarding the location close to where she originated, she stated: “What town is she from, Enfield? Her pronunciation of my name was spot-on!

After that, she mentioned that it’s more fitting for folks to address her as ‘uh-dale’ rather than ‘uh-dell’. She wants to honor her roots and accent from North London by doing so.

Zendaya (Zen-Day-Yuh)

Zendaya Coleman, a young celebrity, is among those rare individuals who can go by just their first name – often referred to simply as Zendaya.

Yet fans are often torn with two ways of pronouncing her name. 

In a YouTube video from 2017, Zendaya herself clarified that her name is often mistakenly pronounced as “Zen-dee-ah”.

However, the correct way to say her name is ‘Zen-day-yuh’.

Timothée Chalamet (Timo-Tay Shala-May)

In a similar vein, Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya’s fellow star in Dune, often encounters difficulties with people correctly pronouncing his name. Yet, unlike some, he doesn’t seem to mind this predicament as an American-French actor.

Instead, the actor who played the lead in “Call Me By Your Name” prefers not to be referred to by his real name that is properly pronounced as ‘Timo-tay Shala-may’, contrary to the more common pronunciation of ‘Timo-fay Shala-may’ used by fans.

In a 2018 interview with Frank Ocean, the charismatic 28-year-old shared the correct pronunciation of his name, yet humorously added: “I can’t force people to use it!

‘It just seems really pretentious.’ 

Amanda Seyfried (Amanda Sigh-Frid)

Since gaining popularity through her role in Mean Girls, Amanda Seyfried’s name has been pronounced differently by many people.

Although ‘Say-freed’ and ‘Sea-fred’ are often used, the truth is that it should correctly be pronounced as ‘Sigh-fred’.

During the Oscar nomination announcement by Brad Pitt, Amanda expressed her gratitude on Twitter, saying that he correctly pronounced ‘Seyfried’. She thanked The Academy for this, as her tweet read: ‘Appreciation for correct pronunciation of ‘Seyfried’ by Brad Pitt. Thanks, @theacademy.’

In a 2012 interview with Hollywood Streams, the actress stated that mispronouncing her surname as ‘Say-fry’ or ‘Sig-free’ would be the most inaccurate way to say it.

Ariana Grande (Ariana Gran-dee)

As a devoted fan, I’ve always admired how Ariana Grande gracefully accepted the common mispronunciation of her surname in the media.

The 30-year-old vocalist, with a career that began in childhood, clarified that her surname bears little resemblance to coffee and, instead, rhymes with “candy.

In her conversation with Ebro Darden on Beats 1, she shared that she used to say her surname as ‘grand-ee’ while she was young.

In fact, the pronunciation has always been ‘gran-dee’ in the Grande family.

A video of the singer pronouncing her name as ‘Grandee’ and not ‘Granday’ left many fans stunned.

However she has continued to go with the popular pronunciation since the reveal.

Charlize Theron (Charlize There-in)

She’s an Oscar-winning actress who’s been in the public eye for three decades. 

It turns out that the misleading ‘o’ in Charlize Theron’s surname has led fans to pronounce her name incorrectly throughout.

Back in 2014, during a chat on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show, the charismatic Atomic Blonde unveiled that her last name isn’t pronounced as one might guess; instead, it’s ‘There-in’. Feeling passionate about correcting mispronunciations, she even expressed a desire to create an audio tape for all those who had been getting it wrong!

It appears she might benefit from re-listening to the tape, as during a 2020 interview on The One Show, she offered a different pronunciation.

When host Gethin Jones asked whether the correct pronunciation of her name focuses on ‘ther’ or ‘on’, she clarified that neither of these approximations comes close to the actual way it’s pronounced.

Charlize subsequently asserted that her last name, originally from France, should actually be pronounced as ‘Throne’ with a soft ‘r’ sound.

Chrissy Teigen (Chrissy Tie-Ghen)

In 2018, many of Chrissy Teigen’s Twitter followers were surprised to learn that they had been incorrectly pronouncing her name, as it actually originates from Norway.

Generally, many folks pronounce it as ‘tee-ghan,’ but the proper way to say her surname is ‘tie-ghen.’

It’s been verified multiple times that the star learned how to correctly pronounce her name during her upbringing, as it was taught to her.

Brendan Fraser (Brendan Fra-zor) 

During a conversation with Adam Sandler for Variety last year, Brendan Fraser shared that his name is often misspelled or mispronounced by others.

The actor, aged 55, clarified that his last name should be pronounced differently from how many people usually say it, similar to the way the TV show Frasier is named.

According to The Mummy’s leading actor, it was intended to resemble a sharp, precision tool, but he eventually abandoned the idea of finding someone capable enough to achieve that.

In the spirit of fangirling during our Variety’s Actors on Acters chat, let me share that meeting Brendan Fraser, aka my long-time hero, was nothing short of electrifying! I mean, isn’t that your real name? Just making sure to give due credit!

Brendan replied: ‘It’s Fraser, it’s supposed to be like razor. Like that thing you shave with.’

In the subsequent part of the conversation, the actor from Just Go With It stumbled over the pronunciation once more, prompting Brendan to mimick the action of a razor as a reminder.

Eventually, Brendan grew tired of the expectation that his name would be pronounced correctly and remarked, “Alright, never mind. No one seems to get my name right.

Margot Robbie (Ma-Go Robbie) 

In a recent chat about my all-time favorite movie, Babylon, the incredible Margot Robbie shared a fascinating tidbit about the way her name is said back home. Can you believe it? I never knew that!

Instead of the original text, The woman from Queensland shared that she always enjoys coming back to Australia because she feels a sense of pride when Australians correctly pronounce her name, as opposed to Americans.

She shared that it’s a thrill for her when during premieres, the crowd shouts her name. Hearing her name with an Australian accent is particularly delightful to her since in America, people often roll their ‘R’s differently.

‘They got ‘Marr-go’ not ‘Ma-go’.’

Justin Theroux (Justin Ther-row)  

In a playful interview in 2021, American actor Justin Theroux and his British relative Louis Theroux had a friendly disagreement about the correct way to pronounce their shared last name.

During the conversation, the pair admitted they disagree over the pronunciation of their surname. 

In an attempt to avoid the mispronunciation you seem fond of, I, as a devoted relative, would like to introduce my cousin by his given name, Louis.

Attempting to steer clear of the mispronunciation that’s become popular, let me present my kin, Louis, with his full name.

Both paraphrases aim to maintain the original meaning while providing a more natural and easily readable version in first person perspective as a dedicated follower.

In my own words, Justin clarified, “I say ‘ther-oh’, while you say ‘ther-oo’. In simpler terms, I follow the standard pronunciation, whereas you seem to have your unique way, which deviates from it.” Louis then replied, acknowledging, “What you’re saying is, I stick to the correct pronunciation, and you use an unconventional one.

Backing up his argument, Louis pointed to the French origin of the surname. 

As a lifestyle enthusiast, I’d love to shed some light on an interesting term – Theroux. This word, with roots tracing back to French, shares a connection with the word ‘roux’ (pronounced ‘roo’). You might know roux from your culinary adventures, like when preparing a creamy roux sauce. So, in essence, Theroux and roux are related, although they have different connotations in their respective contexts.

In response, Justin playfully countered, “If we’re getting picky about pronunciations, in France, it’s ‘Bonjour, Monsieur Terr-oo’. They stress the ‘T’, so there might be a slight discrepancy between us, or perhaps we’re both off.

Before their conversation, it was mentioned during an Apple TV+ interview that the actor himself had a preference for how Justin wanted his name pronounced.

Paul Theroux noted that his nephew, Justin Theroux, takes on the lead role… Occasionally, he goes by Justin Tha-row – a laughable reference to a French pronunciation of Tha-roo.

Raven-Symoné (Raven See-Mon-Ye)

Throughout the globe, millennials have been familiarized with Disney actress Raven-Symoné primarily through her own TV series, “That’s So Raven.

Yet it appears her last name isn’t as easy to pronounce. 

Last year, she casually clarified on TikTok that most people call it “simony” as “see-mon-ye”, rather than “Simon”.

She dropped the point home further by leaving a comment which read: ‘See-mon-ye like yay.’

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2025-08-23 16:27