Translation tool checks prospective baby names for global compatibility

Most translation services are designed to help people break down language barriers they encounter in everyday life. London-based translation firm Today Translations has added an innovative twist to their list of services by applying their linguistic expertise to answer the question “What’s in a name?” for soon-to-be parents of tomorrow’s global citizens. Today Translations offers expecting parents the opportunity to check the meaning of potential baby names in other languages to avoid future embarrassment. For GBP 1,000, the company’s linguists will perform a “basic name translation audit” which checks the meaning of prospective names in 100 languages. The firm expects the service to largely attract celebrity clients, who are known for choosing unusual names for their babies. Illustrating the relevance of its new service, Today Translations suggested: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes might have thought twice about naming their daughter Suri if they’d known that it means “pickpocket” in Japanese, “turned sour” in French, and “horse mackerels” in Italian. Despite the wealth of information available online, countless hours of dedicated internet research would still only get people so far in this area. In what other areas could a neatly packaged research or translation service deliver customers results beyond what they could achieve themselves? And how about enlisting the crowds to create an affordable name check? (Related: Translation service taps the native-speaking crowds — Real-time IM translation.) Spotted by: Raymond Kollau