Pokimane: History behind Twitch star's streaming name and how to pronounce it
Pokimane, whose real name is Imane Anys, possesses an exceptionally cool and distinctive name within the Twitch community. However, few are aware of its meaning and origins until now, as Pokimane herself narrates the story behind her name.
As one of Twitch's most prominent streamers, Pokimane boasts an impressive following of ver nine million devoted fans. Her extensive community not only adores her but also sees her as an inspiration for aspiring female content creators worldwide. In addition to her thriving Twitch presence, Pokimane maintains multiple successful YouTube channels.
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'But isn't your name pronounced 'e-mon'?'
Imane Anys rose to fame in 2017 by making a steady climb in the realms of Twitch and YouTube, ultimately establishing herself as one of the most recognizable personalities in the streaming industry. Notably, her username often draws parallels to Nintendo's immensely popular gaming and anime franchise, 'Pokemon'.
During an interview with Anthony Padilla earlier this year, Pokimane shed light on how she adopted her name, cleverly merging it with the iconic game title. Padilla remarked that her name, 'Imane' was pronounced differently from what many would assume, sounding more like the 'e-mon' in 'Pokemon'. He humorously expressed his surprise, saying, "Poki-mane? People say Pokimane? But isn't your name pronounced 'e-mon'?"
Agreeing with Padilla, the streamer clarified that her name, Imane, was indeed pronounced as he had mentioned, resembling the latter half of the word 'Pokemon'. She said, "My name is Imane. So it's the second half of the name 'imane'. So it's meant to be like poke-imane, kind of like the game Pokemon."
However, Pokimane acknowledged that the confusion was understandable and expressed no qualms about people mispronouncing her name. She playfully remarked that she wouldn't mind if her name were pronounced as 'Pok-ee-mane' as it commonly was, humorously citing her desire to avoid any potential copyright disputes with Nintendo. She states, "But, I totally understand that it reads as Pok-ee-mane. So when people say that I don't correct them. Also, I don't want to catch a Nintendo lawsuit, so I'll go with Pokimane, sure."
In response, Padilla humorously appealed to Nintendo not to take legal action, by saying, "Uh, Nintendo, please don't sue?"
'So my IGN is P-O-K-I-M-A-N-E and it's actually pronounced Pokemon'
Years ago, Pokimane took the opportunity to address the persistent mispronunciation of her name. In a short video shared on her YouTube channel in February 2016, she explained the correct pronunciation and origin of her streamer name.
She clarified, "So my IGN is P-O-K-I-M-A-N-E and it's actually pronounced Pokemon, not poke-eye-mane because it's supposed to be a combination of my name, Imane... and the game Pokemon cus I frigging love Pokemon."
Pokimane has become an immensely recognizable figure in the online gaming realm. Her Twitch streams and YouTube content continue to captivate audiences, as well as her collaborations with others.