CrazyRah at 2024-03-27 15:50:34+00:00 ID: kwtbf64

I'm one of those that goes by my middle name. Just how I introduced myself and that's it. No one really cares more than knowing what you want to be called

Mumrik93 at 2024-03-27 16:11:08+00:00 ID: kwtglh6

Is your son missing a leg per chance? If he does then it would be a crime Not to call him Sture.

weirdowerdo at 2024-03-27 13:14:26+00:00 ID: kwsk9ho

The request is somewhat bizarre but he could say he's name is Sture and avoid the whole "Oh, no call me by my middle name" because that's a name you dont call someone by. My middle name is my fathers name, I wont exactly respond to anyone saying my middle name but dad will respond to it obviously... It's his name.

Also, John is a pretty common name in Sweden. Roughly 70 000 guys are named John which makes it the 31st most common name among men.

miekman at 2024-03-27 14:09:28+00:00 ID: kwstc6u

My grandpa's name is Sture, he is 88 years old and in a wheelchair. I have actually not met any other Swede who has that name. So that's the kind of person who I think of when I hear the name Sture.

As someone else said, he can call himself whatever he wants, but my immediate thought is that I would think it just doesn't really fit if he is pretty much 110% American and he'd introduce himself as "Sture" with a heavy American accent, but it's not something I'd make fun of him for.

haroldnorwal at 2024-03-27 13:23:01+00:00 ID: kwsljp4

As others have said many people use their middle name as the name they are called by. Also many people use two first names. So another option would be to use both the name he’d go by in America and also the middle name. When I write my first name and middle name in forms that ask for both I am often called by both names, like “John Sture” in your example.

Vetusiratus at 2024-03-27 13:41:42+00:00 ID: kwsofnd

Is it weird if I ask Americans to call me Bubba, when I travel over yonder?

Ok_Narwhal_9200 at 2024-03-27 13:48:11+00:00 ID: kwsq312

John is a perfectly cromulent Swedish name.

Joimak at 2024-03-27 13:22:02+00:00 ID: kwsleej

Does he speak Swedish?

Winter_Cheesecake158 at 2024-03-27 13:36:37+00:00 ID: kwsnmnn

Does he usually introduce himself by first middle and last name? If not I don’t see why he can’t just introduce himself with his middle name, it’s not like people will ask to see his id to verify his name or anything like that. People might ask why he has such a Swedish name when he’s American so he might have to explain that but that shouldn’t be a problem for anyone but him. 

Cranor at 2024-03-27 13:21:22+00:00 ID: kwslape

It's pretty simple, you just introduce yourself by your middle name and that's that. It's like a more official nickname, growing up we had a bunch of people in my class with the same name as me so I was called by my last name instead. And if the topic ever pops up why he doesn't want to be addressed with his first name, a simple "I just prefer it that way" is more than enough.

fluffigtrov93 at 2024-03-27 13:44:39+00:00 ID: kwspd68

Why would it be bizarre? Why on earth would one have 2 names if not for doing whatever they want with them? I think it's nice to have options, and even nicer to utilize them. I only have one name, which is Hungarian, and people are always having a hard time pronouncing it. I would be glad to have Sture as an option. 😁

Also I'm kind of curious how Americans were trying to pronounce Sture, I bet there were some really funny outcomes.

spiderduckling at 2024-03-27 14:05:10+00:00 ID: kwsseqv

If he introduces himself by his middle name they’re obviously going to call him that. He doesn’t have to do the whole “yeah it’s actually my middle name” spiel.

Many swedes have their middle name as their main name, it’s obviously not as common as using your first name but it happens. I have three people in my family who do haha

Edit: two people, I just remembered my brother just changed his name

Katzura at 2024-03-27 13:21:13+00:00 ID: kwsl9wy

It is perfectly normal to not have the first name on the passport to be the name you are called.

I myself have my "middle name" as my tilltallsnamn.

quantum-shark at 2024-03-27 13:28:18+00:00 ID: kwsmcem

I am swedish and I have three "first" names, let's say A B C LastName. People call me B. It's pretty normal.

Aeiani at 2024-03-27 13:20:32+00:00 ID: kwsl67u

John is a regular name in Sweden too just so you know, except for that a Swedish J is pronounced more like a Y, he wouldn’t have any problems if he went with what he’s already used to back home.

timpakay at 2024-03-27 13:51:57+00:00 ID: kwsribp

Är det bara jag som får lite Karim Göransson-vibbar?

Ecstatic_Turnover_55 at 2024-03-27 13:15:33+00:00 ID: kwskfgh

Why would this be weird? Why give him a middle name if you’re going to get all tied up about him using it?

SkyNo4995 at 2024-03-27 13:22:33+00:00 ID: kwslh5d

I have a friend who goes by her middle name when she’s in the UK, because she doesn’t like the English pronunciation of her name. At first it felt odd, but in the end it’s her name her choice and I got used to it really quickly. It probably won’t be odd for the new people your son meets

Mr_White_III at 2024-03-27 13:24:40+00:00 ID: kwslsky

Well not the best example since John is a more common name than Sture in Swedish.

But yeah he should just tell them he goes by Sture, if people ask why he could say he's uncle is named John as well so it was easier and now he is used to it.

And no one would question it.

drArsMoriendi at 2024-03-27 13:32:30+00:00 ID: kwsmzu6

It's very common in Swedish that your first name isn't the first name written on your passport. Many people are called by their second or third first names.

pheddx at 2024-03-27 14:03:24+00:00 ID: kwss9pz

Why would they? There are different "systems".

I'm named this way: First name - NAME - surname. The first name is quite irrelevant, it's the name that counts.

Jaxcie at 2024-03-27 13:19:56+00:00 ID: kwsl2y3

My name is in the likes of Henrik Gustaf Erik, but my daily name is Gustaf. So honestly I wouldn't think anything about someone preferring to use their non first name

Razulath at 2024-03-27 13:27:38+00:00 ID: kwsm8re

My name is my second name and not my first name. It happens.

Christoffre at 2024-03-27 13:37:57+00:00 ID: kwsnude

Sweden does not really have "first names". We have "adress names" (tilltalsnamn), or given names as they're called in proper English. 

Your given name can be any of your names, except the surname. It is common, maybe even in majority, that people do not use their first name as given name. 

In short; Sture has already adopted to the expected standard.

On the topic of the name itself. Sture has been regarded as an old-person name. But names being cyclical, it has started to become fresh again.

Ironically, he, being a high-schooler, might feel a bit too old for being a Sture.

But overall, the name would be on the lower end of the spectrum about things to worry about. So don't worry.

bran_is_evil at 2024-03-27 13:27:27+00:00 ID: kwsm7sc

I think people missed the part about John Sture Andersson not being your son's actual name. But FYI, most american names will do fine in Sweden.

Flimsy-Turnover1667 at 2024-03-27 13:24:35+00:00 ID: kwsls4x

The name that you go by isn't always the first name in Sweden, so that isn't a problem at all. I, for example, have two names that are before my given name on my passport but they're not names I would react to if I heard them.

Is Sture a good name? Sure. It's a bit old-fashioned maybe but nothing crazy. Old-fashioned names have become quite popular recently so it wouldn't stand out as weird.

Saxit at 2024-03-27 13:45:54+00:00 ID: kwsown1

There are 12452 males with the name Sture, 3743 has it as first name.

There are 69124 males with the name John, 20677 has it as first name.

2023, 21 boys were named Sture, 102 got the name John.

But he can introduce himself anyway he wants. It's not weird.

FifaPointsMan at 2024-03-27 13:47:31+00:00 ID: kwsph19

I think in Sweden is one of the few countries where the order of the names doesn't matter, rather you have a tilltalsnamn, which can be any name in the order. I am not sure how to translate tilltalsnamn to english, google gives me nothing. Also, John is quite a common name in Sweden too.