Anglicisation of names
The anglicisation of personal names is the change of non-English-language personal names to spellings nearer English sounds, or substitution of equivalent or similar English personal names in the place of non-English personal names.
Anglicisation of personal names
Classical, medieval and Renaissance figures
A small number of figures, mainly very well-known classical and religious writers, appear under English names—or more typically under Latin names, in English texts. This practice became prevalent as early as in English-language translations of the New Testament, where translators typically renamed figures such as Yeshua and Simon bar-Jonah as Jesus and Peter, and treated most of the other figures in the New Testament similarly. In contrast, translations of the Old Testament traditionally use the original names, more or less faithfully transliterated from the original Hebrew. Transatlantic explorers such as Zuan Chabotto and Cristoforo Colombo became popularly known as John Cabot and Christopher Columbus; the English-speaking world typically knows the French-born theologian Jean Calvin as John Calvin. Such anglicisations became less usual after the sixteenth century.Non-English-language areas of Great Britain and Ireland
Most Gaelic language surnames of Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man have been anglicized at some time. The Gaels were among the first Europeans to adopt surnames during the Dark Ages. Originally, most Gaelic surnames were composed of the given name of a child's father, preceded by Mac or Nic depending on the gender. These surnames would not be passed down another generation, and a woman would keep her birth surname after marriage. The same was originally true of Germanic surnames which followed the pattern +son/daughter. When referring to siblings collectively, the prefix for son or daughter was pluralised. By example, MacAoidh ''becomes MicAoidh and Clann MhicAoidh. The Jacksons in English would in Gaelic be rendered a MhicSheain.Over the centuries, under the influence of post-medieval English practice, this type of surname has become static over generations, handed down the male lineage to all successive generations so that it no longer indicates the given name of a holder's father any more than the suffix -son on a Germanic language surname does today. Among English-speaking peoples of Gaelic heritage, the use of Nic as a prefix for daughters has been replaced by Mac, regardless of sex. Wives also began to take on the surnames of their husbands.
Another common pattern of surname was similar to that preceded by Mac/Nic, but instead was preceded by Ó or Ui, signifying a grandchild or descendant. Not all Gaelic surnames signified relationship to a forebear, however. Some signified an ancestral people or homeland, such as MacDhubhghaill, MacFhionnghaill, MacLachlainn or MacLachlainneach. Others indicated the town or village of a family's origin, sometimes disguised as an ancestor's name as in Ó Creachmhaoil, which prefixes a toponym as though it was the name of a person. As with other culturo-linguistic groups, other types of surnames were often used as well, including trade-names such as MacGhobhainn, Mac a'Ghobhainn or Mac Gabhainn, and physical characteristics such as hair colour.
In anglicizing Gaelic names, the prefixes Mac, Nic, and Ó were frequently removed. Where they were retained, Mac was often rendered Mc, M', or Mag- and Ó/Ui became O'. MacGhobhainn, Mac a'Ghobhainn and Mac Gabhainn were anglicized as McGowan, Gowan, McGavin, and Gavin. In surnames which had been prefixed Mac, the final hard c sound remained when the Mac was removed. As Gaelic spelling rules required the first letter of a name preceded by Mac or Nic to be lenited is the son of Calum with the addition of an h after it after a consonant, and for the last vowel to be slender if male, the anglicized form of a Gaelic name could look quite different. By example, MacPhearais has been anglicized as Corish, and MacAonghais has been anglicized as MacAngus, MacInnis, MacInnes, Innis, Innes, and Guinness.
As with Gaelic and Germanic surnames, Welsh surnames and Cornish surnames had originally been mostly patronymic, though others contained toponymic elements, or were derived from trades, or personal characteristics. Surnames which remained fixed across generations, passed down along the male line of descent were adopted under the dictate of the English Government from the sixteenth century. As in the Gaelic-speaking areas, many Welsh patronyms were anglicised by omitting the prefix indicating son of and either exchanging the father's Welsh forename for its English equivalent, or re-spelling it according to English spelling rules, and, either way, most commonly adding -s to the end, so that the such as 'ap Hywell' became Powell, and 'ap Siôn' to Jones or Upjohn. The first generation to adopt this Anglicisation hereafter handed it down unchanged to children. Many Cornish names have been anglicised in similar ways.
Immigration to English-speaking countries
Anglicisation of non-English-language names was common for immigrants, or even visitors, to English-speaking countries. An example is the German composer Johann Christian Bach, the "London Bach", who was known as "John Bach" after emigrating to England.During the time in which there were large influxes of immigrants from Europe to the United States and United Kingdom during the 19th and 20th centuries, the given names and surnames of many immigrants were changed. This became known colloquially as the "Ellis Island Special", after the U.S. immigrant processing center on Ellis Island; contrary to popular myth, no names were ever legally changed at Ellis Island, and immigrants almost always changed them at their own discretion.
Traditionally common Christian given names could be substituted: such as James for the etymologically connected Jacques. Alternatively phonetical similarities, such as Joe for Giò ; or abbreviation, Harry for Harilaos, or Ricky for Enrique, as common in Spanish, instead of for Richard as in English.
The anglicisation of a personal name now usually depends on the preferences of the bearer. Name changes are less common today for Europeans emigrating to the United States than they are for people originating in, or descending from those who emigrated from, East Asian countries. Requests that the bearer anglicize their personal name against their wishes are viewed as a form of racism or xenophobia.
French surnames
immigrants to the United States often accommodated those unfamiliar with French pronunciations and spellings by altering their surnames in either of two ways: spellings were changed to fit the traditional pronunciation, or pronunciations were changed to fit the spelling.- Benoit: Bennett, Benning, Benway
- Boucher: Bush, Bushey
- Caúvin: Calvin
- Carpentier: Carpenter
- Carré: Carey, Carrey
- Carteret, Cartier: Carter
- Croquetagne: Crockett
- Cussaq: Cusack, Cusick
- DeMontgomerie: Montgomery
- Goúrdon: Gordon
- Gránd, LeGránd: Grant
- Olivier: Oliver
- Parquier: Parker
- Phillippe: Philips, Phillips
- Poitier: Porter
- Steuart: Stewart, Stuart
- Vernou: Vernon
Greek given names
Besides simple abbreviation or anglicisation of spelling, there are some conventional English versions of or nicknames for Greek names which were formerly widely used and are still encountered:
- Anestis: Ernest
- Alexandros: Alexander, Alex
- Apostolos: Paul
- Aristotelis: Aristotle
- Anastasia: Ana, Stasi, Stacey
- Andreas: Andrew
- Angeliki: Angela, Angel
- Athanasios: Thomas, Tom, Athan, Nathan
- Christos: Chris
- Demosthenes: Dick
- Despina: Dessi, Tessi, Tess
- Dimitrios/Dimi: James, Jim, Jimmy, Demi
- Dionysios: Dennis, Dean
- Haralambos: Harry, Bob
- Harilaos: Charles, Harry
- Eleftherios/Lefteris: Terence, Terry
- Eleftheria: Elli, Terrie
- Eleni: Helen, Elaine
- Evgenia: Eugenia
- Gavriil: Gabriel, Gabe
- Georgios, Yiorgos: George
- Ilias: Louie, Elias, Lou, Louis
- Konstantinos/Kostas: Gus, Charles, Dean, Constantine
- Leonidas: Leo
- Maria: Mary, Marie
- Michail: Michael, Mike
- Michaella: Michelle
- Nikolaos: Nicholas, Nick
- Panayiotis: Peter, Pete
- Pavlos: Paul
- Stavros: Steve
- Vasilios: William, Bill;
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Russian surnames
- Androff, Veronin: Andrews
- Butchinoff: Baker
- Baklanov: Bakly
- Bolderoff: Bolder
- Pivovaroff: Brewer
- Chernikoff: Cherney
- Arinin, Orloff: Eagles
- Carpoff: Karp
- Chernabieff: Sharon
- Chickenoff, Chickinoff: Chick
- Corneyff: Corney
- Domansky: Domane
- Egnatoff: Egnatu
- Elinov: Eleen
- Fetesoff: Martin
- Fettesoff, Fettisoff: Fettis
- Galitzen: Riley
- Gordonov: Gordon
- Goulokin: Golf
- Gvozdiff: Niles
- Hallivichoff, Golovachev: Hall
- Kalpakoff: Kalp
- Kashirsky: Kash
- Kasimoff: Kazy
- Kisseloff, Kesseloff: Kissell
- Klubnikin: Klubnik
- Konovaloff: Conway
- Kotoff: Kott
- Krasilnikoff: Krase
- Kriakin: Emerald
- Kuznetsoff: Cousins
- Laschenco: Lashin
- Ledieav: Liege
- Mackshanoff: Maxwell
- Martinov, Martynov: Martin
- Melnikoff: Melnick
- Moiseve: Mosser
- Petrov, Petrova: Peters
- Petrovich: Peterson
- Plujnkoff: Pluss
- Popoff: Preston
- Rabinovich, Rabinovitz, Rabinowitz: Robbins, Robinson
- Robertov, Robertovich: Roberts, Robertson
- Robinovich, Robinov: Robbins, Robinson
- Rudometkin: Remmy
- Rudometkin: Ruddy
- Semenisheff: Samoff
- Slivkoff: Martin
- Smitrovich, Zmitrowicz: Smith
- Syapin: Seaking
- Tikhunov: Saber
- Tolmasoff: Thomas, Thompson, Tolmas
- Urane: Durain
- Uren: Wren
- Varonin: Johnson
- Volkoff: Wolf