Have you ever known somebody who legally changed their name?

[AVarma]

A cousin of mine has decided to legally change his name. He currently has a Muslim name and he's going to change it to a more typical white American name. I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand I sympathize with him. People do occasionally treat you differently if you have a funny name. If you're not attached to the culture like he is it can be a burden.

 

On the other hand it seems kind of wrong in a way, to change your name. If you don't want to be religious then don't but to change your name so that others perceive you differently is just strange.

 

I know immigrants used to change their names to make themselves more "American" but I thought we were past that by now.

 

Thoughts?

[Satu]

I think it's his business, and he should do it if it's what he wants do.

[BikerAccnt]

It's his choice. I don't see a problem with it. If more people made an attempt to assimilate into the culture of the country they decide to live in, I think there would be a lot less tension in the world.

[aggie382]

I did this when I turned 18, to my mother's maiden Westernized name. My first name is a very bland whitewashed name, so it didn't quite fit with my father's Muslim name anyway.

[AVarma]

I did this when I turned 18, to my mother's maiden Westernized name. My first name is a very bland whitewashed name, so it didn't quite fit with my father's Muslim name anyway.

 

Your situation sounds a bit different. Your mother was western and I'm assuming you were raised western. And your last name is still connected to your mothers family. He on the other hand is going to change his name to something completely different. A bland American name that has no connection to his family, roots, or anything.

 

As I said I understand the feeling. I myself don't follow any of my traditions and don't care if my future children do or not. But I dunno changing your name seems a bit off.

 

So you all are telling me that if you came across a neighbor, coworker, friend, or date who changed their name it wouldn't make you a little suspicious?

[aggie382]

So you all are telling me that if you came across a neighbor, coworker, friend, or date who changed their name it wouldn't make you a little suspicious?

 

It wouldn't for me in this context. He wants to divorce himself from the culture that the name comes from. That was part of my reasoning as well. I changed mine in 2002, shortly after 9/11, for hopefully obvious reasons. It had much less to do with how I would be perceived by others, and everything to do with the culture I already identified myself with.

[MissTrudy]

in HS I had a Jewish Eastern European friend who moved to the US in elementary school. She changed her first name to something that sounded similar to her Russian name, but the new name is also super Christian, unbeknownst to her and her family. Between middle school and high school she changed it again to something more secular, but old-fashioned. Confused the hell out of her friends (old and new) and teachers. I remember she brought the official papers showing she changed her name to school because not all of the rosters were updated and teachers thought she was joking. She spent our first two years of high school talking about changing her name again to something that's more contemporary and popular among Jewish girls in our age group, but fortunately she did not.

 

A lot of Asian people have first English names, even if it isn't official, that they go by.

 

Regarding last names: My BF's brother-in-law took his wife's Western name instead of keeping his surname; he said it was "easier" but my suspicion is that it may also have something to do with the fact that his former surname is Arabic. He still has a very common Muslim first name though, so I kind of feel like that defeats the purpose.

Edited January 12, 2015 by MissTrudy

[d0nnivain]

Women change their names all the time after marriage.

 

I have known people who changed their names. Everyone has a personal reason for doing so.

[AVarma]

Women change their names all the time after marriage.

 

I have known people who changed their names. Everyone has a personal reason for doing so.

 

Well a woman changing her name is considered normal in society. Women change their last names all the time. But a man changing his whole name? And especially changing it to something completely different that he has no connection to? Eh sounds strange.

 

I mean I sympathize with him. I sometimes feel that Islamic culture and religion is garbage and I can understand his desire to not be viewed as one anymore but I dunno, I generally interact with people and hope they'll accept me for what I am, a secular non-practicing muslim. I understand wanting to fit in, I had times as a kid when my religion prevented me from doing so and it pissed me off, but changing your name seems to be a bit much. But I guess to each their own.

 

BTW there are several Muslims in America who are fairly mainstream. The CNN anchor who's name I can't remember. The comedian Aziz Ansari. I don't think any of these people's Muslim background is preventing them from fitting in in America. It's why I think changing your name seems to be a bit too much but I guess it's not my decision.

[lino]

Changing one's name is their choice but doing it purely to 'fit in' is really silly in my opinion.

 

By the way I think you mean names with British and/or Anglo Saxon origin, not western... To whoever was talking about western names.

I have a western name and it isn't Anglo Saxon, British and neither am I.

[Art_Critic]

So you all are telling me that if you came across a neighbor, coworker, friend, or date who changed their name it wouldn't make you a little suspicious?

 

Why would I come across someone who has changed their name, unless you look at the public court records there is no way for me to know, a person who changes their name isn't going to advertise it and after a few months people who knew him by hi old name will no longer care...

 

Good for him, he is changing something about his life he feels he needs to leave behind, he wouldn't be the first or the last.. many people's lineage has some name changes in it, leave off an a or something like that...

 

My wife changed her name from marriage and after a few months nobody knew her from her old name.. that same effect will happen with him.