Names Translation

NAMES – TRANSCRIBE, TRANSLITERATE OR TRANSLATE?
What’s in a name?
Names are a category in their own right because:
they are written with capital letters
as a rule, they are no translated from one language into another.
Some names have no other meaning than the referential one, i.e. they designate objects in the real world (e.g. London, Pleven, etc.). But there is a great number of names (nicknames, as well) that are motivated, that is, they have additional socio-cultural markers and connotations. Most names have both a grammatical meaning – can function as subject or object or may occupy some other position in the sentence – and a pragmatic meaning (they communicate thoughts and emotions and evoke different associations). Pragmatic meaning is commonly manifested by names and for that reason they present a problem in translation.
Ways of rendering names from one language into another
Transliteration – rendering the graphic form of the SL (Source language) name with the available letters of the TL (Target language) alphabet – e.g. London > Лондон
Transcription – the phonetic form of the SL name is substituted with the available letters of the TL alphabet – e.g. Manchester > Манчестър
Translation – names which are semantically motivated are likely to be translated
Full translation – e.g. Cape Good Hope > Нос Добра Надежда
Partial translation – e.g. Brooklyn bridge > Бруклински мост
Direct transference – e.g. „И наистина в това направление се показва една тясна ивица от Long Island. Излязохме на Broadway.”
These are names which are well known to the general public.
Transfer + Transcription – e.g. „Отвред ти предлагат фотографиите на Niagara Falls (Найагара Фоол, както го изговарят американците).”
Naturalization – the name is additionally shaped according to the grammatical rules of the TL – e.g. Вашингтонския, Сенатът
Types of names and their transference into another language
People’s names
As a rule, people’s first names and surnames are transcribed – e.g. Claire > Клер
Exceptions:
Names of saints, monarchs, prominent figures of classical Greece and Rome, as well as names of biblical and mythological origin – they can be lexically translated – e.g. Saint Paul > Свети Павел (≠ Пол Нюман), Joseph > Йосиф (≠ Джоузеф Конрад), Apollo > Аполон (≠ космически кораб Аполо);
Diminutives and other terms of endearment have national colour – e.g. Андрей, Андрюша, Андрюшечка, Андропка – there is a