Should I Change My Name?

[Lilllabettt]

My last name is Castendt. (it isnt, but that is a good representation of what it really is)

I have spent the last 500 years of my life spelling this name over the phone 1500 times to customer server reps who don't understand how "n" "d" and "t" can all be right next to each other. And correcting people who don't understand the d is silent and try to mush it with the t sound. And comforting teachers, coaches, etc. who see my name on the roll and want to pee themsleves they're so scared to pronounce it.

What I am thinking about is removing the d, since it is silent anyway.
So it would be Lilla Castent.

I am moving into teaching and think it would be easier for kids, parents, everyone. I am not ashamed of my grandparents being from Austria, but I am not really attached to that identity either.

I mentioned this possibility to my friends and family and the response was overwhelmingly negative. Which I do not quite understand. Girls change their last names all the time. The whole world is set up for it. My change would be less radical than many of my friend's who took their husbands names when they married. Certainly my family expected I'd change my name when I got married. So what is so bad about doing it sans man?

[Cherie]

I know a family of 15 siblings, most of whom are about middle-aged, and they have a very long, Italian name. Some of them shortened it, and some of them didn't.

If you don't mind the paperwork and fees, I say go for it. It was a lot more common back in the day, and lots of folks got their names changed [i]for[/i] them at Ellis Isle, which makes for an interesting conversation for their ancestors. It doesn't mean you are renouncing your family name. It just means you're making it "more accessible" and less confusing or frustrating for people, including yourself.

I'm reminded of the story of a priest who advised the teaching Sister from Germany named Sr. Himmelfahrt to change her name to the English equivalent, Sr. Assumpta. Can you imagine the disastrous effect her German name would have on a bunch of English-speaking grade schoolers?! So "Anglicizing" your name isn't a big deal. Not to me, anyway!

Edited February 18, 2011 by CherieMadame

[IcePrincessKRS]

I have a long difficult to pronounce last name but I wouldn't bother changing it. I used to have a short easy last name and it still caused problems. IMHO, unless your name is easy like Smith or Jones you're still going to have to spell and pronounce it for people on a regular basis. It wouldn't be worth the hassle to me to change it.

[regina_coeli]

I have a short, common Anglo-Saxon last name and I still spell it all the time, and see pizza boxes with it mis spelled, but[b][i] [/i][/b]there are no pronunciation problems. One branch of the family has a German name that in our part of the county has half a dozen different spellings. So you can't escape spelling issues, but as a teacher I understand the pronunciation problem. It is your name, not your father's or grandfather's or the official's at Ellis Island-- spell it however you are comfortable!!!

Edited February 18, 2011 by regina_coeli

[Hinter dem Horizont]

People are kind of slow sometimes. Right when I saw your last name I knew how to pronounce it. Haha.

Edited February 18, 2011 by Hinter dem Horizont

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='CherieMadame' timestamp='1298054325' post='2213630']
I know a family of 15 siblings, most of whom are about middle-aged, and they have a very long, Italian name. Some of them shortened it, and some of them didn't.

If you don't mind the paperwork and fees, I say go for it. It was a lot more common back in the day, and lots of folks got their names changed [i]for[/i] them at Ellis Isle, which makes for an interesting conversation for their ancestors. It doesn't mean you are renouncing your family name. It just means you're making it "more accessible" and less confusing or frustrating for people, including yourself.

I'm reminded of the story of a priest who advised the teaching Sister from Germany named Sr. Himmelfahrt to change her name to the English equivalent, Sr. Assumpta. Can you imagine the disastrous effect her German name would have on a bunch of English-speaking grade schoolers?! So "Anglicizing" your name isn't a big deal. Not to me, anyway!
[/quote]

Its a common Ellis Island myth about name changes.
When people booked passage to the United States to Ellis Island etc the shipping company recorded their name in their own language at their port of departure. At entrance to the United States they werre greeted by personnel fluent in many different languages, and the choice to change - shorten - or literally translate their name was entirely up to them, it was not done for them. One must remember that many names had alternate spellings and still do - Stuart vs Stewart, Stephenson vs Stevenson for example. One's personal politics could influence which version you chose and many people choice to anglicize their names hoping to improve their chance of employment here as well.

[Archaeology cat]

Personally, I wouldn't, but that's me. My maiden name was mispronounced and misspelt all the time. And in fact there are a few variations on the spelling if you look at the family tree. My married name is quite common, and yet I've still had people ask me how to spell it. I remember one teacher I had, his surname was Mojsejenko, or something similar (can't remember exactly). Anyway, most of us just called him Coach Mo, but we did all learn how to pronounce his name, and it wasn't a problem.

[Lilllabettt]

for some reason I really do not want to go by "Miss 'C'"

[Archaeology cat]

Fair point

[AudreyGrace]

I debated changing my last name from my father's to my mother's maiden name after my father left us, but i decided not to. I don't see what the problem is with changing your name. God sees our souls, not our legal name lol. (Although i'm sure he cares about every aspect of our lives)

[Maximilianus]

Chef Boiardi marketed his stuff under Chef Boyardee so that people would pronouce his name right....okay not the same as Lilla's issue but Chef Boyardee is gooooooood.

[dominicansoul]

[quote name='Maximilianus' timestamp='1298062149' post='2213663']
Chef Boiardi marketed his stuff under Chef Boyardee so that people would pronouce his name right....okay not the same as Lilla's issue but Chef Boyardee is gooooooood.
[/quote]






I wouldn't change my last name, even though people ALWAYS mis-pronounce it...


...it's the most epic and most beautiful name in the whole world...and it belongs to a Dominican Saint

[Tally Marx]

I wouldn't change my last name, because then my excuse for not talking to the telemarketers would be gone.
They mispronounce my name, and I just say,
"Sorry, I don't know anyone by that name."
And then hang up. If they could pronounce my name, I wouldn't be able to do that anymore!!

[vee]

I am Vee de Yepes y Cepeda

[Maximilianus]

My last name has always been mispronounced. My first name is weird too, so when you add that to my last name people get it all messed up "What is that? French?"

I was supposed to have 2 last names, but I "officially" only wound up with one. Had I had both that would have really made introductions more interesting.

[size="1"]edited for subpar typing skills[/size]

Edited February 18, 2011 by Maximilianus