[gunfighthacksaw]

I wonder if the Italian Giacomo Casanova would be as seductive if he was an Englishman with the corresponding name Jacob Newhouse

[Archelaos]

For the English "Samuel Pepys" seems to have worked. How does that translate into Venitian ("Italian" is an anachronism)?

[kwere]

it would sound like "Samuele Pipino/Pipini"[0], a real surname in italy which is the roughly translation of the surname as it comes from pepin d'heristal or piper from latin (pepper). There isnt probably a drect translation from venetian, but one from italian

[0]https://www.cognomix.it/origine-cognome/pipino.php

[elldoubleyew]

Yeah doesn't have the same ring to it for some reason.

[coastflow]

The imagery of each of the words is significantly different. "Newhouse" inspires the image of what it says on the tin, a new house.

Casanova inspires the image of a castle (Casa), and maybe something new ("nova") or even a supernova. It's also likely that most English language people know at least one "Jacob," so the name has baggage with past associations versus "Giacomo."

[zamfi]

True. But also doesn’t have any of the cultural legacy that presumably impacts how you hear the name…