Print
Close
Mariska Hargitay's family members, colleagues and fans still mispronounce her famous name
By Lauryn Overhultz
Published October 21, 2025
You've likely been pronouncing Mariska Hargitay's name wrong.
Everyone's favorite TV law enforcement officer confirmed fans, friends and even her own family haven't quite mastered the pronunciation of her first name.
Hargitay revealed the correct way to say her name is "Muh-rish-kuh" during an appearance on Amy Poehler's podcast, "Good Hang." According to Hargitay, the name Mariska is actually a nickname that means "Little Maria."
"In Hungarian, the ‘ka’ or ‘ke’ at the end of the name is just like a little endearment," she explained. "So the name is actually ‘Maria’ after my grandmother, both of them, Hungarian and Italian."
STEVE BUSCEMI ADMITS EVERYONE PRONOUNCES HIS NAME WRONG, INCLUDING HIMSELF
Mariska Hargitay revealed her name is often mispronounced. (Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
After 26 years of filming the popular crime drama "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," Hargitay noted people still can't pronounce her name correctly. Even her own family still struggles to get it right.
"Who was it last night? I had a lunch yesterday – I had a brunch yesterday for my sister and my cousin was there," she told Poehler.
"Your own cousin?" Poehler questioned.
"I’ve known him since 1994, and he kept calling me ‘Muh-ris-kuh.'"
Mariska Hargitay's first name is Hungarian. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Mariska Hargitay stars as Captain Olivia Benson on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." (Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin)
Instead of correcting her cousin, Hargitay revealed she chose to just "let it go."
To combat mispronunciation on the set of NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," Hargitay has her name written as "Marishhhhka."
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Mariska Hargitay revealed her name is pronounced "Ma-rish-kuh." (Scott Gries/NBC via Getty Images)
"I get called ‘Muh-ritz-uh,’ ‘Mar-see-kuh,’ ‘Mar-kis-kuh,'" she explained.
Hargitay joins a group of celebrities who have been speaking out about the mispronunciation of their names. Denzel Washington and Steve Buscemi have both attempted corrections recently.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Instead of "Denzell," Washington's name is actually pronounced "Denzull."
Buscemi doesn't actually know the correct way to actually pronounce his name, but has landed on "Boo-Semi" for his version.
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/mariska-hargitays-family-members-colleagues-fans-still-mispronounce-famous-name