How Do You Pronounce Mnuchin?

Image by Getty Images
Steven Mnuchin, a longtime Trump acquaintance, Goldman Sachs executive, and Hollywood producer with no political experience, is expected to be tapped as Treasury Secretary by Donald Trump as early as Nov 30.
But the pronunciation of his name has been befuddling many in the media:
so here are a bunch of news anchors who don’t know how to pronounce Steven Mnuchin’s name pic.twitter.com/ATmsTASUaz
— Matt Negrin (@MattNegrin) November 30, 2016
So, how exactly do you pronounce Mnuchin?
According to the nice lady who answered Goldman Sachs’s media line, it’s pretty simple: Men-oo-chin.
But how did a Jewish family get a last name like Mnuchin?
As reported in Haaretz, Mnuchin is actually a fairly common Russian-Jewish name and is probably derived from either Menachem (מנחם), a common name among many famous Jews both ancient and modern, or Menucha (מנוחה), meaning rest.
Laura E. Adkins is the Forward’s contributing network editor. Contact her at [email protected] or on Twitter, @Laura_E_Adkins.
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
That’s why I’m paying it Forward, by matching $36,000 of reader gifts. It’s an investment in the Forward’s newsroom, to continue telling the American Jewish story with truth and independence.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
