Last name pronunciations (for that idiot who wants Sotomayor to "americanize her name)

[rurallib]

I mean that winger blogger Krikorian I think his name id (KO's worst person 2 days running).
I live in the Midwest. Rural, very American ideal type setting. Here are three common last names that those who have the name cannot agree on how it is pronounced. I have had friends with these last names each of whom pronounce it differently:

1) Preuss pronounced "press", "pruce", "proosh' and "pruss"
2) Reuss - "royce", "roosh", "ruce"
3) Kock (one of my favorites) - "koke", "cook", "kotch" (oddly I haven't run across anyone pronouncing it "cock")

So I have learned over the years to learn the name as the owner pronounces it will save a lot of trouble.