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

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

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

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

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

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."

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