Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
That's not as uncommon as you think and not strange. I know plenty of East Asian people who changed their name to something more recognizable to Westerners. It has nothing to do with inferiority. I consider it simplification.
These simplifications are often kind of deceiving. My ex was telling me a funny story from back in the days when he was doing some tech support. I'm not sure why, but the customer was given a choice between talking to John and my ex who has a clearly foreign name. Naturally, the customer preferred to talk with John. The only problem was that John wasn't really John, but some Asian dude and the picky caller couldn't understand a word he said, so on second thought he asked for the ex.
These simplifications are often kind of deceiving. My ex was telling me a funny story from back in the days when he was doing some tech support. I'm not sure why, but the customer was given a choice between talking to John and my ex who has a clearly foreign name. Naturally, the customer preferred to talk with John. The only problem was that John wasn't really John, but some Asian dude and the picky caller couldn't understand a word he said, so on second thought he asked for the ex.
LOL...true.
I knew someone whose name was read like a misspelled expletive or something like that. Anyway, you can imagine, no matter how you pronounced it, the challenges of seeing that name on a business card when he's trying to make a good first impression.
I knew someone whose name was read like a misspelled expletive or something like that. Anyway, you can imagine, no matter how you pronounced it, the challenges of seeing that name on a business card when he's trying to make a good first impression.
[he changed his name to Fred]
We have a customer by the name of Ureña and were wondering how the hell to pronounce it without making it sound like you know what...
We have a customer by the name of Ureña and were wondering how the hell to pronounce it without making it sound like you know what...
Back when I worked in retail, where I worked we used membership cards and this customer lost hers so I had to look it up. Typically, we stated the name of the customer to them when we saw it on the screen.
On the screen pops-up WEINER.
I pronounced it WHY-ner. She got mad (oops). Then I pronounced WEE-ner. She got more mad (oops, hee-hee). I stopped talking. Finally, she pronounced it WAY-ner.
Back when I worked in retail, where I worked we used membership cards and this customer lost hers so I had to look it up. Typically, we stated the name of the customer to them when we saw it on the screen.
On the screen pops-up WEINER.
I pronounced it WHY-ner. She got mad (oops). Then I pronounced WEE-ner. She got more mad (oops, hee-hee). I stopped talking. Finally, she pronounced it WAY-ner.
Oh.
LMAO! That's a no-win situation. The spelling certainly doesn't imply such pronunciation. Why couldn't the damn Brits write as they speak like most normal people do?!
Here is the issue... I am originally Indian and was born with an Indian first name which was not too difficult to pronounce, I immigrated to the US when I was 22 and before that I changed my name to a fairly common western one. However, none of my friends back home whom I have not reconnected with for the last 15 years know of my new name.
Don't want to get into the specifics of what motivated my name change in the first place but I am a bit embarassed to reconnect with my old buddies on FB from high school although I really do want to. Part of the reason is that they all have Indian names and I don't want to convey the idea that I found Indian names to be somehow inferior or something - which is absolutely not the case as I think all names are good in their own way.
Am I thinking into this too much? I made this change a VERY long time ago and almost nobody in my immediate family and friends circle calls me anything but my current name. It seems quite awkward to suddenly revert to my previous name in the context of this reconnection with old friends.
I know it is a strange situation...
I completely understand
I went by a nickname my whole young life, even through college. Nobody even knew my real name, lol.
After I got older and out in the professional world my nickname was no longer appropriate, so with my husbands help I had to retrain everyone in my life to start calling me by my given name, even my parents! My mom was okay with it, but my dad - who have given me the nickname in the first place - will still not call me by my legal name to this day Old habits die hard I guess
Anyway, no need to feel awkward with your old friends.
Just make contact under your "old" name and tell them hey, in the business world I'm now called "Bob", hope you can make the switch since that's all I'm used to anymore.
Why would you change your name? Be proud of it. What does names have to do with friendship?
Quote:
Originally Posted by k374
He re is the issue... I am originally Indian and was born with an Indian first name which was not too difficult to pronounce, I immigrated to the US when I was 22 and before that I changed my name to a fairly common western one. However, none of my friends back home whom I have not reconnected with for the last 15 years know of my new name.
Don't want to get into the specifics of what motivated my name change in the first place but I am a bit embarassed to reconnect with my old buddies on FB from high school although I really do want to. Part of the reason is that they all have Indian names and I don't want to convey the idea that I found Indian names to be somehow inferior or something - which is absolutely not the case as I think all names are good in their own way.
Am I thinking into this too much? I made this change a VERY long time ago and almost nobody in my immediate family and friends circle calls me anything but my current name. It seems quite awkward to suddenly revert to my previous name in the context of this reconnection with old friends.
WTH is wrong with your name...? It's a little serious, but pretty...
Awww thinks, I actually LIKE my name
But my dad had a thing about cutesy nicknames, not just shortening Thomas to Tommy or Elizabeth to Liz (he was always called by a very formal name and never allowed to have a nickname when he was growing up).
When he gave me mine I was a baby and he insisted everyone call me by it too - drove my mother nuts I'm sure! Over time the nickname just didn't "fit" into my professional life.
I can sorta relate to the OP on a certain level. My parents gave me a nickname and it stuck to a certain degree anyway. I use my "real" name for legal stuff but the nickname for everything else. It gets confusing at times cause about half the people know me as one name and the other half as the nickname. I'm half thinking about changing my name legally to my nickname.
I don't like my "real" name cause for one its so common it is annoying and also cause my dad named me after his brother and there is a whole long story about that as well..........
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The only problem was that John wasn't really John, but some Asian dude and the picky caller couldn't understand a word he said, so on second thought he asked for the ex.
Old habits die hard I guess 
It's a little serious, but pretty...
