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.

The more general anglicisation of place names (or toponyms) most visibly occurs when a non-English language name is used in an English-language environment. In the case of place names this is commonly termed use of English exonyms for the foreign-language endonym. In the case of emigration or colonization and loss of the local language the English exonym may supplant the local endonym place name entirely. For example "Auckland" for Māori Tāmaki Makaurau.

Anglicisation of personal names

Classical, Medieval and Renaissance figures

Main article: List of English translated personal names

A small number of figures, mainly very well-known classical and religious writers, are given English names—or more typically Latin names, in English texts. This practice was prevalent as early as the New Testament, where figures such as Yeshu and Simon bar-Jonah were typically renamed Jesus and Peter, as were most of the other figures in the New Testament. (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 Caboto and Cristoforo Colombo became popularly known as John Cabot and Christopher Columbus; Polish astronomer Mikolaj Koppernigk had his name Anglicized and Latinized to (Nicholas) Copernicus, and French theologian Jean Calvin is typically known as John Calvin. This becomes unusual after the Sixteenth century.

Non-English-language areas of the British Isles

Main article: Irish names

Most Irish surnames have been anglicised at some time. Ó Briain has often become O'Brien, Ó Rothláin became Rowland, Ó Néill became O'Neill and some surnames like Ó Súilleabháin may be shortened to just O'Sullivan or Sullivan. Similarly, native Scottish names were altered such as Somhairle to Sorley, Mac Gill-Eain to MacLean, and Mac Aoidh to Mackay. Many Welsh names have also been altered, such as 'ap Hywell' to Powell, or 'ap Siôn' to Jones.

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.

Traditionally common Christian given names could be substituted: such as James for the etymologically connected Jacques. Alternatively phonetical similarities, such as Joe for Giò (Giovanni or Giorgio); or abbreviation, Harry for Harilaos.

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. (For example, politician Piyush Jindal, whose parents emigrated from India, is typically known by the nickname Bobby.)

French surnames

French immigrants to the United States (both those of Huguenot and French Canadian background) 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 (Pariseau became Parizo, Boucher became Bushey, Mailloux became Mayhew, Cartier became Carter, Carpentier became Carpenter), or pronunciations were changed to fit the spelling (Benoît, pronounced [bənwa], became /bɛnˈɔɪt/). In some cases, it could go either way (Gagné, pronounced [ɡaɲe], become /ˈɡæɡni/ or Gonyea), or something only slightly similar (Bourassa became Bersaw).

Scandinavian surnames

Scandinavian surnames were often anglicized upon the immigrant's arrival into the United States.

• Sjöberg : Seaborg
• Johansen, Johnsen, Johansson : Johanson or Johnson
• Kjellberg : Chellberg
• Hansen, Hansson : Hanson or Henson
• Blomkvist, Blomqvist, Blomquist : Bloomquist
• Pedersen, Petersen, Petersson, Pettersson : Peterson
• Møller : Moller, Moeller or Miller
• Jacobsen, Jakobsen, Jacobsson, Jakobsson : Jacobson or Jackson
• Nørgård, Nørgaard, Nørregaard : Norgard
• Andersen, Andersson : Anderson
• Daugaard : Daugard
• Nielsen, Nilsen, Nilsson : Nelson
• Östergård, Østergaard : Ostergaard or Ostergard
• Eriksen, Ericsson, Eriksson : Ericson or Erickson
• Hervik : Harwick
• Olsen, Olesen, Olsson, Olesson : Olson
• Skjeldrud : Sheldrew
• Larsen, Larsson : Larson
• Sørkjil : Surchel
• Guðmundsson, Gudmundsen : Gudmundson

Greek given names

For example besides simple abbreviation or anglicization of spelling, there are some conventional English versions of Greek names which were formerly widely used:

• Anestis: Ernest
• Athanasios: Thomas, Tom, Athan, Nathan
• Christos: Chris
• Demosthenes: Dick
• Dimitrios: James, Jim, Jimmy
• Haralambos: Harry, Bob
• Harilaos: Charles, Harry
• Ilias: Louie
• Konstantinos: Gus, Charles, Frank
• Leonidas: Leo
• Panayiotis: Peter, Pete
• Stavros: Steve, Sam
• Vasilios: William, Bill

Slavic given names

Having immigrated to Canada and USA in the late 19th - early 20th centuries many Ukrainians looked for English equivalents to their given names. In some cases, Canadian or American-born children received two names: the English one (for official purposes) and a Ukrainian one (for family or ethnic community use only).

• Orysya : Erna
• Yaroslav (Jaroslaw) : Gerald

See also

• Anglicisation

Bibliography

• H.L. Mencken, The American Language, 2nd edition, 1921, Chapter X, part 2. full text
• H.L. Mencken, The American Language, 4th edition, 1936, pp. 510–525.
• H.L. Mencken, The American Language, Supplement Two, 1948, pp. 516–525.