Name change?

[Colin]

I like this idea. I like it a lot.

I was already thinking of a tatoo that says "American Born, Celtic Always" but I may add my old name to it....

Just bear in mind that I had spent a couple hours under the tattooist's needle yesterday before I wrote that. I was still engulfed in new tattoo pride.

[IEScotsman]

I had a cousin that did the exact same thing. Name was changed at Ellis Island generations ago and he wanted to honor them by reverting to the old name. It gave him a sense of pride and history, I suppose.

[ckelly327]

My last name is Kelly. My great aunts spelled it Kelley but their brothers dropped the second "e". The first off the boat were O' Kelley but then the "O" was lost upun entry into the US. The official spelling of the family name in Ireland was O'Calleigh. My maternal grandmother's family was named Corden in the US. We have good reason to believe that they were more like Gordon in Ireland and the Corden came from the misunderstanding of the brogue when they made it to the states.

It's all part of my family history and things that I am proud of but it is definitely history and not what I am today. Keep your name and be proud of it. There's no reason to be ashamed of Anglicised names - they are all a part of our history.

[Woodsheal]

Just wondering: could "O'Longaich" be an Irish-ised version of the very English-sounding name "Long" (or "Lang" in northern England/lowland Scotland). Perhaps with "Long" you're actually using the original version of your family's name!
Lots of English settled in Ireland centuries ago and "went native." My Irish ancestors were named "Ford", also an English name originally....

[McClef]

Well it has to be what you will feel most comfortable with Gregory.

I don't know how difficult it is to do an official change in the US, over here it can be done by deed poll but it doesn't change details on a birth certificate.

I have problems with one simple letter. Some systems have me as Trefor and others as Trevor and the ones that have the v say they can't change it. All because a a registrar couldn't do Welsh spelling and he had a Welsh name himself!

[ccga3359]

Well it has to be what you will feel most comfortable with Gregory.

I don't know how difficult it is to do an official change in the US, over here it can be done by deed poll but it doesn't change details on a birth certificate.

I have problems with one simple letter. Some systems have me as Trefor and others as Trevor and the ones that have the v say they can't change it. All because a a registrar couldn't do Welsh spelling and he had a Welsh name himself!

If you had a real welsh name it would consist of 38 letters only 3 of which vowels.

[bikercelt1]

My brother chose to change his name. He did this for reasons that were deeply meaningful to him if a bit hazy to the rest of us. He chose to use a name that, while fictional, reflected what he understood of our family history and heritage. It caused great consternation and distress among many of the family members. Most of the family never embraced his new name and a few would never even acknowledge it.

I suggest you use Colins suggestion or find some other creative way to use your family name. If you really feel that you want to persue this name change at least try to get the buy-in from your family members before you do it. It will make life much much simpler.

Jamie

[thescot]

Long, Lang, or O'Finklestein doesn't change who you are or what you are. I don't say that lightly, nor do I make fun of your ideas. That comes from a guy whose own name has been bastardized along the way such that I can't even find my great-grandfather's census records. Instead of Long, try K-i-l-l-m-a-n. That's right, two L's as in "hitman." Ha. I am, in fact, quite a mongrel.

I would, with all due respect, advise you to be who you are. Believe me, we all have persecution, unfortunate events, etc. in our family histories. We also have a few low lifes, criminals, and general stinkers to boot. In the long run you have to look in the mirror and see who is there, and the spelling of you name won't change any of that. What's important is the integrity you live by.

But no matter what you decide, you'll still be Beloitpiper here, and we'll still like you just the same.

[macwilkin]

For years now, almost everyone I know -- parish priests, teachers, friends, etc. -- has at some point slipped up and called me "Scott" -- I don't know why, perhaps a subliminal reference to my Scottish heritage -- but there are times I have threatened to change my Christian name to "Scott" just to make it official!

With my surname, it's a little different. Here in the Ozarks, "Wilkinson" automatically becomes "Wilkerson" for many people. Unlike "Scott", the mispronounciation of my surname is one of my biggest pet peeves. I used to tell folks "WilkINson -- like the swords", but most Americans are not aware of the Wilkinson Sword (save military officers), so I would sometimes say "Wilkinson razor blades" -- sadly, Wilkinson Sword closed its doors in 2005, and I haven't seen a Wilkinson razor blade in years.

Cheers,

Todd

[Cawdorian]

Surname changes were quite common back in the 1400's and 1500's, in some cases surnames were none existent. These various name changes are part of our family history and heritage.

If you were to search the Kirk (church) records in Scotland, you would find many cases of the same individual listed with different surnames at different events in their life. An example would be an individual shown as Hugh Lamont at his birth, Hugh McPatrick at his marriage and Hugh Patrick at his death. The names are all septs of Clan Lamont, but are recorded differently at the different recorded events in their life. This was quite common in those days and tends to support the theory that surnames were not permanent in those days.