Saints RB Etienne Corrects Mispronunciation of His Name

The Creole-descended player says his name is pronounced "AY-teean," not "E-tee-ENN."

Mar. 13, 2026 at 4:52pm

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Former Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr., who recently signed with the New Orleans Saints, used his introductory press conference to clarify that his name has been mispronounced for years. Rather than the common "E-tee-ENN" pronunciation, Etienne says his name should be pronounced "AY-teean" due to his Creole ancestry.

Why it matters

Correctly pronouncing someone's name is a basic sign of respect, and high-profile athletes often have to correct mispronunciations of their names. Etienne's name origins in Creole culture also highlight the diversity of NFL rosters and the importance of understanding players' backgrounds.

The details

Etienne, who is from Jennings, Louisiana, explained that the proper French-influenced Creole pronunciation of his name is "AY-teean," rather than the common "E-tee-ENN" that has been used. He noted that the original pronunciation likely came from something like "AY-tu-onn." Etienne acknowledged it will take time for people to adjust to saying his name correctly after years of the mispronunciation.

  • Etienne signed with the New Orleans Saints this week.

The players

Travis Etienne Jr.

A running back who recently signed with the New Orleans Saints after playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He is from Jennings, Louisiana and has Creole ancestry.

Dabo Swinney

The head football coach at Clemson University, where Etienne played college football.

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What they’re saying

“Rather than 'E-tee-ENN' as everyone has been pronouncing since, well, forever — the actual pronunciation is 'AY-teean.'”

— Travis Etienne Jr., New Orleans Saints Running Back

What’s next

Etienne will look to establish himself in the Saints' backfield and continue correcting the mispronunciation of his name.

The takeaway

This case highlights the importance of making the effort to correctly pronounce people's names, especially for high-profile athletes whose names may have cultural or ethnic origins that differ from common English pronunciations.