Kirsten Dunst has spoken out about the common mispronunciations of her name, revealing the correct way it is said and sharing her relaxed attitude toward the frequent mistakes. The Spider-Man star shared these insights in August 2025, while also addressing the stressful challenges she faced during a recent film shoot in Budapest involving her family. Understanding the correct Kirsten Dunst name pronunciation has become a point of interest amid her candid remarks.
The Right Way to Pronounce Kirsten Dunst’s Name
The actress explained that many people say her name incorrectly, offering variations such as “criss-ten,” “ker-stin,” and “keer-sten.” Of those, “keer-sten” is the proper pronunciation she prefers. Yet, she has made it clear that she does not let the mispronunciations bother her. Speaking with Town & Country in a TikTok post from August 20, she said,
“I mean, everyone messes up my name, so I give up,”
showing a casual acceptance of the situation.
Dunst went on to say, “I don’t blame people,” acknowledging how pronunciation differs across cultures and regions, revealing,
“Like in England, they don’t really say my name right.”
Further complicating matters, she recalled,
“The last set, everyone was saying my name wrong. There was like Swedish people and people from Hungary. You just give up.”
Despite these challenges, she remains confident about the correct pronunciation being “Keer-sten,” but emphasized,
“But again, who cares? It’s fine.”
Balancing Career and Family Health During Filming
Concurrent with these discussions on her name, Dunst shared the difficulties she encountered during the filming of The Entertainment System Is Down in Budapest earlier this year. Her son James became ill unexpectedly, prompting her husband Jesse Plemons to return to Los Angeles with their children, Ennis and James, leaving Dunst to continue filming alone.
The actress did not disclose specific details about James’ health, simply stating that “everyone is fine now.” She also mentioned a planned family vacation to the Bahamas in response to her son’s wish
“to a beach where my sandcastle won’t wash away,”
highlighting the personal pressures she managed alongside her professional commitments.
Other Celebrities and the Confusion Around Pronouncing Their Names
The issue of name mispronunciation is widespread in celebrity culture. Alongside Kirsten Dunst, many well-known figures have corrected public understanding of their names, sometimes after years of frustration.
Travis Kelce clarified on his podcast with brother Jason that his last name is pronounced “Kels,” choosing this over “Kel-see.” Actor Taylor Lautner has stressed that the first syllable of his last name rhymes with “out,” not “lot.” Model Emily Ratajkowski has shared that her surname is pronounced in two Polish-influenced ways: “Rat-Ah-Kof-Sky” or “Rat-Ah-Cow-Skee.”
Actress Raven-Symoné revealed in a 2023 TikTok that her name is actually pronounced “See-mon-ye,” correcting years of mispronunciation. Brendan Fraser, after a public stumble by Adam Sandler, explained his last name rhymes with “razor.” International singer Adele noted with praise when a fan pronounced her name as “uh-dale” during a Q&A in 2022.
Lindsay Lohan set the record straight on TikTok, stating that her last name is pronounced “Lo-wen.” Similarly, Alicia Silverstone has requested the pronunciation to be “Ali-SEE-yuh,” joking that her mother was persistent on this point:
“But my sweet mama didn’t like it… so for her… get it right! Ali-SEE-yuh.”
Singer Kesha emphasized the correct way to say her name as “Keh-sha,” adding humorously, “Not Keisha. Not Ketchup. Kesha.” Actor Justin Theroux’s uncle, Paul Theroux, explained that the correct pronunciation is “Tha-Roo,” noting that even Justin sometimes says it wrong himself:
“Sometimes he calls himself Justin tha-row [laughs].”
Ariana Grande surprised fans by revealing the pronunciation “Gran-Dee” for her last name during a 2018 interview, while model Chrissy Teigen admitted during a 2018 TV appearance that she was tired of correcting her last name’s pronunciation, which is “Tie-Ghen”:
“It’s been 25 years, I’m tired of correcting people.”
Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot explained her last name is pronounced “Guh-Dote” and means “Riverbank” in Hebrew, sharing,
“The Gadot used to be Greenstein, but my parents felt it had more oomph.”
Jake Gyllenhaal surprised many by stating that his name is correctly said only in “Sweden and in Ikea,” pronounced as “Yee-Len-Hey-Lo.” Ralph Fiennes has publicly accepted mispronunciations, emphasizing the name honors his step-grandfather and is pronounced “Ray-F Fines.”
Legendary singer Sade Adu’s stage name is pronounced “Shar-Day,” according to official sources. Steve Buscemi confirmed during a 2014 panel that his last name is pronounced “Boo-Sem-Ee,” but he is not bothered if people say “boo-shh-em-me.”
Charlize Theron described the challenges of pronouncing her last name during a 2014 interview, joking,
“I almost want to make an audiotape on how to pronounce my name.”
Actress Anya Taylor Joy corrected fans that her name is pronounced “Anne-Ya” rather than “Awn-ya.” Amanda Seyfried revealed her last name is pronounced “Sigh-Frid,” although she admitted her sister uses a different variation.
The Broader Impact of Name Mispronunciation in Public Life
These stories underline the frequent and sometimes frustrating experience of celebrities correcting how their names are said, an issue complicated by cultural differences, linguistic nuances, and public unfamiliarity. The pressure to manage public perception of names while balancing personal lives, as Kirsten Dunst did amidst health concerns for her child during filming, adds emotional weight to what may appear trivial to others.
By sharing the precise pronunciations alongside open acknowledgment of these struggles, stars like Dunst and others humanize the demands of fame. Their honesty sheds light on how even something as fundamental as a name can become a source of ongoing tension, especially under public scrutiny.
As audiences become more aware of the correct pronunciations, this may foster greater respect for individual identity and cultural roots, while also informing how media and fans engage with public figures moving forward.
