Naming Conventions

Question

This may be a little arcane, but what is the general naming convention in French when using proper names from other languages that use the Latin/Roman alphabet, especially for famous persons? For example, in this exercise Leonardo Da Vinci is rendered in the French Léonard de Vinci. The Italian spelling seems to be widely used & in the States at least there has been a move towards using the native spelling of names in academic works & history books.

In English calling him Leonard from Vinci would sound really weird.

Accepted Answer

Bonjour Jeffrey,
There is a difference for naming conventions in French and English. In English, you tend to keep the original name while in French you tend to spell them as a French name, especially for historical figures such as Leonardo Da Vinci.
I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée !

Answer

Thanks, useful info.