Does anyone know the german translation for Jack? if there is one xxx also just throwing some german names around, which do you prefer: Peter Brandt Dietz Brenner Xaver (haven't figured a surname) Kurt Derrick ???? or throw one around yourselves xxx
Honestly I don't understand why you need a German translation of a name. When I'm picking a foreign character's name, I don't pick an English name and translate it; I think of the name in the language of the character's name first. This is because I like to pick names based on the sound of the name, or how it looks when it's spelled out. I don't care if "Marco" is the Italian version of "Mark," I just care about how the name sounds; how I see it, they are two entirely different names.
Hey, I used to live in Germany, I can help out. Aesch is right though about not trying to translate the name. Johann, as Cogito pointed out, is the closest European form.. Here's a link to a baby-name site that specifically has German boy names, in case you want to look at it. http://www.babynamescountry.com/origins/german_boy_baby_names9.html (Mods, the link is directly relevant to what the OP is asking about).
the character is a german lieutenant in the Wehrmact - a former police detective before the war with a cynical view of the NAZI regime, and only a NAZI himself as a means of survival. I see him as different to the quintessential Aryan. I like getting a second opinion on names - especially from other writers who can look at a name and think, 'Yeah I see that', or 'I see this character as this', helps me flesh the character and his personality out xxxx
