Neymar has been on the soccer scene for many years now, dazzling those that watch him with his quick feet and silky skills on the pitch.
If you’ve been following soccer for some time, then you’d generally come to expect such flair from Brazilian players.
They are a nation known to have birthed some of the finest players that the world has ever witnessed, from the likes of Pelé and Ronaldinho to talents like Ronaldo Nazario and Rivaldo.
Over the past decade, Neymar has become the shining light for the Brazilian national side as he sets a good example for his fellow professionals through his effective performances week in week out.
However, one question that tends to spring up when it comes to Neymar is quite interesting.
And it concerns what his full name actually is.
You see most people will have two or names – a first name and a surname.
There are also others who will take pride in their first, second, third and even fourth names!
Which is why it can be seen as strange for a person to only be referred with one name.
So, to get straight to the point of today’s article…
The Paris Saint Germain and Brazilian forward Neymar’s full name is Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior. He is only known by his first name – Neymar – although sometimes he’s called Neymar Jr (pronounced Junior) due to the fact that he takes after his father Neymar Santos Sr.
What is Neymar’s real name?
So, there you have it!
Neymar’s full name is Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior.
He was named in a very similar way to his father – Neymar Santos Senior.
When people ask what Neymar’s real name is, they’re actually wondering about his full identity.
Neymar isn’t a nickname that people use to refer to the player, instead it is the first part of his name.
In soccer, you’ll find a lot of other players who managers identify using their first names.
For instance, Lionel Messi is mostly called “Leo” by his peers, and the likes of Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Chelsea’s Reece James are simply called “Kevin” and “Reece” respectively.
What does the name Neymar mean?
Quite interestingly, there is no universally agreed meaning of the Neymar name.
However, it is definitely given to boys of Brazilian origin these days, particularly because of how popular Neymar is as a soccer player.
After all, he’s widely considered as one of the best in the world.
Why is Neymar called Neymar Jr?
The answer to this question is pretty simple.
Neymar is typically called Neymar Jr because of his father who shares the same first name.
In order to distinguish between the two people, the “Junior” name is added to symbolize the fact that Neymar the soccer player came into the world after his father who is the senior of the two.
The Junior part of Neymar’s name also signifies the fact that he is the offspring of his father – Neymar Sr.
How do you pronounce Neymar Jr?
This is pretty easy, especially when it comes to the English language.
All you have to do is separate the name by its syllables and pronounce each part separately.
So, if we take the first part of the name “Neymar”, we have the syllables “Ney” and “Mar”.
“Ney” would be pronounced in a similar way to the high whinnying “neigh” sound that a horse makes when it’s trying to communicate something.
And then the “Mar” part is pretty straightforward because it sounds exactly like the way a person would pronounce the planet “Mars”, with only the “s” at the end of that word being silent.
Finally, the “Júnior” part is exactly how it sounds when said in English.
Ultimately, you’re left with “Neigh-Mar Junior”.
To make things easier for you, check out the video below which gives you a full sound sample of the way Neymar’s name should be pronounced:
Closing thoughts
That marks the end of this article on what Neymar’s full name is.
Hopefully you’ll have gained quite a bit of insight into the origin and meaning of this famous soccer player’s name, as well as learning the correct way to pronounce it whenever you speak.
For more Neymar-related content, you can have a read through our blog article on who Neymar’s idol is.
You’ll be quite interested to hear some of the people that this popular athlete looks up to!
Alternatively, you can have a read of our informative guide on how to pronounce Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, as numerous fans have difficulty saying the Georgian player’s name.
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