# Your name in Esperanto – names translated

Source: https://esperantopedia.org/tools/names/
Language: en
Updated: 2026-10-30

> Find your name in Esperanto: Johano for John, Mario or Maria for Mary, Aleksandro for Alexander. Searchable list of names and the rules for any name.

Most Esperanto speakers simply keep their own name – *Ana*, *Tomasz*, *Keiko* – and spell it the way it is written in their language. Many common names also have a **traditional Esperanto form**, built like any Esperanto noun with the ending *-o*: *Johano* (John), *Petro* (Peter), *Aleksandro* (Alexander). Use the list below to find yours.

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## How to turn your name into Esperanto

**Respell your name as it sounds, with Esperanto letters, and add the noun ending *-o*: *Mia nomo estas Johano* – "My name is John".** You can also keep your name unchanged, and *Mia nomo estas John* is equally correct. PMEG, the reference grammar of Esperanto, says a name may keep its original form or be fully adapted, and that neither method suits every situation.

Follow these steps:

1. **Look for a traditional form** in the list above. Common first names have established Esperanto forms.
2. **Otherwise respell it by sound.** Use one Esperanto letter per sound ([alphabet](https://esperantopedia.org/learn/alphabet/)), for example *Yosiko* → *Joŝiko* and *Elisabeth* → *Elizabeto*. Typing ĉ, ĝ, ĥ, ĵ, ŝ and ŭ is covered on the same page.
3. **Add *-o* if the name should work as an Esperanto noun.** A fully adapted name can be pronounced by anyone who has learned Esperanto and takes every ending, including the [accusative](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/accusative/): *Mi konas Johanon.* – "I know John."

### Examples of established forms

| Esperanto | The same name elsewhere | Note |
|---|---|---|
| *Johano* | John, Jean, Johannes, Juan, Jan | Man's name of Hebrew origin |
| *Petro* | Peter, Pierre, Pedro, Piotr | Man's name of Greek origin |
| *Ludoviko* | Louis, Ludwik, Ludwig, Luis | Zamenhof's first name: *Ludoviko Lazaro Zamenhof* ([biography](https://esperantopedia.org/about/zamenhof/)) |
| *Mario* | Mary, Maria, Marie; also Mario, Marius | ReVo lists it as a woman's name (for instance Mary, mother of Jesus) and as a man's name of Latin origin |
| *Anno* | Anne, Anna, Ana | Woman's name; the Fundamento form, also written *Anna* |
| *Elizabeto* | Elizabeth, Élisabeth | Woman's name; the Fundamento form, also written *Elizabeta* |

### Women's names: -o, -a or -ino

Women's names were given the ending *-o* from the start: PMEG points out that the Fundamento itself uses *Anno*, *Mario*, *Klaro* and *Sofio*, and calls this the model. Names ending in *-a*, such as *Maria* and *Anna*, are widespread and PMEG says they should at least be tolerated. They are unproblematic when the original name already ends in *-a*, because the name then counts as unadapted.

The suffix *-in-* is normally unnecessary. It helps when a name is shared with men: *Mario* can be a man's name too, so a woman may be *Mariino* – or simply *Maria*. PMEG advises against inventing an *-a* the original lacks: *Miriamo*, not *Miriama*, and *Joŝiko*, not *Joŝika*.

### Surnames and endings

Often only the first name is adapted and the surname stays as written. The accusative *-n* goes on the adapted first name only: *Mi konas Johanon Smith.* – "I know John Smith." PMEG calls this a habit, not a rule.

| Your name ends in… | How it takes the accusative |
|---|---|
| *-o* (adapted names) | *-n* directly: *Mi vidis Johanon.* – "I saw John." |
| A vowel (unchanged) | *-n* directly: *Ĉu vi konas Annan?* – "Do you know Anna?" |
| A consonant (unchanged) | Add *-o* before *-n*, or leave *-n* off when the meaning is clear: *Ana vidis Peter.* – "Ana saw Peter." |
| A title comes first | Only the title takes *-n*: *Mi vidis doktoron Smith.* – "I saw Dr Smith." |

### When should you not change your name?

Keep your name as written when people need to recognise it in writing, for example on a profile, a byline or a publication. PMEG says unchanged names are useful when the original spelling matters, and that a fully adapted form is not always recognisable if the name is not well known. Zamenhof's own surname stays unchanged in Esperanto.

The cost of an unchanged name is pronunciation, because not everyone knows how it is read in your language. PMEG suggests showing either the original pronunciation or an Esperanto-style one, and not reading the name as if it came from another language. A name in a non-Latin script is normally transliterated into Latin letters, using an official system or the Esperanto alphabet. Our [basic phrases](https://esperantopedia.org/phrases/basic/) show how to introduce yourself.

## How Esperanto forms names

- **Traditional forms end in -o.** Zamenhof's generation gave every name the noun ending: *Johano*, *Mario* (Mary), *Anno* (Anne). This is still the form you see in older books and in the Bible translation.
- **Women's names often end in -a today.** Modern speakers frequently write *Maria*, *Anna* or *Klara* instead of *Mario*, *Anno*, *Klaro*, because the *-a* sounds natural in many languages.
- **The feminine suffix -in- also works.** *Petro* → *Petrino*, *Paŭlo* → *Paŭlino* for women's forms of men's names.
- **Spelling follows pronunciation.** A name adapted to Esperanto is written with Esperanto letters: *Ŝarloto* (Charlotte), *Ĝorĝo* (George, as said in English; the traditional form is *Georgo*).
- **Nicknames use -ĉj- and -nj-.** *Johano* → *Joĉjo*, *Mario* → *Manjo*.

If your name is not in the list, keep it as it is or adapt it: write it with Esperanto letters as it is pronounced, and add *-o* if you want it to work as an Esperanto noun – for example in the accusative: *Mi vidis Tomason* ("I saw Tomas").

## Common questions

### What is John in Esperanto?
The traditional Esperanto form of John is *Johano*. A man named John can also keep his name as *John* – both are correct.

### Do I have to translate my name into Esperanto?
No. Most Esperanto speakers keep their own name. Esperanto forms of names are traditional and optional, like *Giovanni* or *Juan* for John.

### Why do Esperanto women's names end in -o?
In the early days every noun, including names, ended in *-o*, which is grammatically neutral. Today both styles are used: *Mario* and *Maria* are both correct.

### How do I say "my name is" in Esperanto?

Say *Mia nomo estas Ana.* or *Mi nomiĝas Ana.* – "My name is Ana." / "I am called Ana." Both are correct, and the name can be your own or its Esperanto form. More greetings are on the [basic phrases](https://esperantopedia.org/phrases/basic/) page.

### Should I add -o to my name?

Only if you want it to behave like an Esperanto noun, for example to add the accusative *-n*. Unchanged names are correct too. A name ending in a vowel can take *-n* directly (*Annan*), and a name ending in a consonant can take *-on* or stay as it is when the meaning is clear.

### How do I write my name with Esperanto letters?

Write each sound with one Esperanto letter, as in *Joŝiko* (from *Yosiko*), replacing letters Esperanto lacks, such as *w*, *y*, *q* and *x*, with the sounds they stand for. The alternative is to keep the original spelling, or a full adaptation with *-o*, like *Elizabeto* for Elisabeth.

## Sources

- Names and their equivalents: [Reta Vortaro](https://reta-vortaro.de/) (GPL 2.0) and [Wiktionary](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:Esperanto_given_names) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Equivalents that Reta Vortaro lacks: the usual English form of each name, checked against the English Wikipedia. *Aleksio* (Alexis; Russian Alexei) is not a Reta Vortaro headword; this form is used in Reta Vortaro's example sentences and on the Esperanto Wikipedia ([Aleksio Savrasov](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksio_Savrasov)).
- Reta Vortaro entries: [Johano](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/johan.html), [Petro](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/petr.html), [Ludoviko](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/ludovik.html), [Mario](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/mari.html)
- [PMEG: Propraj nomoj](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/propraj_nomoj/index.html), especially [35.1 Nomspecoj](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/propraj_nomoj/nomspecoj.html), [35.2 Ne-esperantigitaj nomoj](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/propraj_nomoj/ne-esperantigitaj.html) and [35.3 Esperantigitaj nomoj](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/propraj_nomoj/esperantigitaj.html) (CC BY-SA 4.0)