Name change?

[auld argonian]

Having family on my dad's side that came from Poland back in the late 1800's, I'm used to seeing names shortened/anglicised...lots of "Novaks" who started life as Nowicki's and Nowacyzki's. One of our favorite friendly jibes upon hearing someone give his name has always been, "...yeah?...what was it before you changed it?" Indeed, my family often just gives the name "Grant" instead of "Gronkowski" when making restaurant reservations just because we are tired of being asked if "...we can spell that...?"..."yes, I can spell it...can you? Just take your best shot at it." It's pretty simple when you stop and think about it.

Just remember that great old Conception Corporation sketch about immigrants arriving at Ellis Island...part of the joke is that they were on "The Immigrants...Chapter 37" and had run out of legitimate ethnic groups to profile so they're down to "The Hillbillies"...

"Okay, Hillbilly...what's yer name?"

"Michelangelo Buonorrati."

"Michelangelo Buonorrati? That's no name for an American! From now on your name is Mike Boone."

The Scottish side of my family is the Latta's and a few of my relatives have done a lot of research into the family and there are more variations on the spelling of the name than you can shake a stick at...ask for a Latte in France and you get one of my relatives.

I do like the tattoo idea, though...

Best

AA

[Wompet]

i guess I'm the exception that proves the rule - my father's family name hasn't changed in seven hundred years or so. Well, there was the one branch in the late 1700/early 1800s that dropped the second "T," but their kids put it right back. And when people hear it, they think of a harbor in upstate New York or a fictional family created by Louis L'Amour.

I would go with Colin's suggestion. It will honor your ancestors while sidestepping the mess legally changing your name, then chaning your driver's license, voter's registration, selective service registration, passport, credit cards, bank accounts, any service accounts (telephone, cell, internet, cable, utilities, etc). I had a couple of friends get married early last year, and they're still getting sorted out with the computer systems at work.

One of our favorite friendly jibes upon hearing someone give his name has always been, "...yeah?...what was it before you changed it?" Indeed, my family often just gives the name "Grant" instead of "Gronkowski" when making restaurant reservations just because we are tired of being asked if "...we can spell that...?"..."yes, I can spell it...can you? Just take your best shot at it." It's pretty simple when you stop and think about it.

Occasionally, when a member of the public gets upset with us at work:
"I'm going to complain to your supervisor! What's your name?!"
"Kwiatsekaski."
"How do you spell that?"
"Oh, it's the common spelling."