Since the beginning of time, people have immigrated from place to place in the hopes of finding a life that gives them the opportunities that are more suited to their particular needs, whether those are religion, career, education, or really anything else. Sometimes, their names are the only things that follow them into their new lives in a different country. But in different places come different names, and it may be a hassle to have to spell out and repeat the name you were assigned at birth. Although obviously immigrating from England to America, where the same language is spoken and the phonetics aren’t terribly different, there is no need to consider a name change. But many who immigrate from, say, Wales or Korea to America or England may be faced with the choice of whether or not to anglicize or change their name. So is it worthwhile to keep a lifelong reminder of your culture for all of the possible inconvenience your name may cause for yourself and others? Or is it a better choice to change your name and represent the new chapter in your life? Today, I’m addressing the perks and downsides of changing your name for immigration purposes with my personal opinion at the end.
Pros
Manouchehr is a lovely name, but unfortunately, many people in, say, Australia may not be able to pronounce or spell it effectively. By altering the name to better suit the phonetics of the culture an immigrant is trying to integrate into, they set themselves up to have their name said and spelled correctly and have their first impression be one without pronunciation corrections and frustration. Changing a name for immigration is often a step in assimilating into the culture and can represent opening a new chapter in an immigrant’s life. By altering their name and potentially learning a new language, they start fresh with the goal of a new chapter in their life, and changing a name can be a symbolic representation of that as well as being practical.
In addition to plain old efficiency, there’s also unfortunately a prejudice that some people attach to names that sound foreign that can be avoided with a name change. It is absolutely valid to embrace one’s own culture, and ideally, others would welcome diversity, as well. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and though no one should have to change their name, some may consider it to help smooth the transition. Tadgh (like the first syllable of tiger) might draw some eyes, but Tyler blends right in in America. Someone immigrating to another country may desire to fit in and assimilate into the culture and language, meaning that a name change can help someone better blend in with the crowd if they wish to do so. And among a group of Patricks and Karens, potential bosses before job interviews may assume that Fumiko doesn’t speak fluent English, whether or not that is true. A name change can help prevent unwanted assumptions about the person who’s immigrating. Aside from serious issues surrounding prejudice and ignorance, there’s the element of fun. For me at least, choosing a name for oneself seems like a thrilling adventure to accompany a whole new environment. The person changing their name can choose if they want to share their name, if they want nicknames, how many syllables they’d like to have, and countless other decisions surrounding a name change. Picking a name you really love for a brand new experience is definitely something to consider, especially given the practicality of it.
Cons
Going from being Chinese, speaking Chinese, and having a Chinese name to living in Ireland, speaking English, and having an Irish name is a lot of identity to lose in a matter of weeks or days, and it can be too much for some people. Moving to a new nation is frightening enough, but to lose even your name can be terrifying, not to mention confusing for the person who is immigrating. When immigrating, it’s easy to lose many of your cultural beliefs in the favor of fitting in with this new culture, and giving up your name as well can push that even further. Although an immigrant may want nothing more than to assimilate and become a part of the nation they’ve moved too, it is a stressfully quick and abrupt decision to make, especially given all of the startling changes that already come with immigrating to a country with very different cultural customs, language, and yes, names.
Not only that, it’s got to be disorienting to be Eirian for a lifetime and then become Brianna in an instant. It can definitely be a learning curve to even try and tell people your own name when making a big jump without a running start. People become attached to their names, and changing it is likely not going to go over well when they’re listening for Eirian, not Brianna, at the doctor’s office, parties, job interviews, and classes. And that’s not even taking into consideration the legal issues that may accompany them and the name change as they continue to live in their new home. When changing the name of a small child, you don’t face many legal repercussions because the child hasn’t purchased a home, gotten married, or gotten a driver's license yet, but when renaming yourself as an older student or adult, you do have to take into consideration those things. It may be difficult and a bigger hassle than it’s worth to put in the work to change all of your legal papers.
The Final Verdict:
I was surprised by how much I found on both sides of the argument. Although I began thinking that changing your name for immigration purposes just isn’t practical and can be too much change too fast, I’ve also begun to see how altering a name can be special practically and symbolically for an immigrant. Overall, I would have to say that changing your name for immigration purposes is a worthwhile investment if it’s something that you’re very passionate about or really need for professional reasons. I hope you enjoyed this overview on the pros and cons of changing your name when immigrating!
Sincerely,
~Delphina Moon
Do you agree with my final verdict? Any particular topic of commonly debated naming issues you’d like me to discuss? Submit my form underneath the Contact tab!