Anglicisation of names
Encyclopedia
Anglicisation of names is the use of English names in the place of non-English names. 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.
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 East Asian countries.
There are three major ways names are anglicized: etymology, James for Jacques; phonetics, Joe for Giò (Giovanni or Giorgio); and abbreviation, Harry for Harilaos.
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), 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).
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
.
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).
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
during the 19th and 20th centuries, the given names and surnames of many immigrants were changed.
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 East Asian countries.
There are three major ways names are anglicized: etymology, James for Jacques; phonetics, Joe for Giò (Giovanni or Giorgio); and abbreviation, Harry for Harilaos.
French
FrenchFrench people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
immigrants to the United States (both those of Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
and French Canadian
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
background) often accommodated those unfamiliar with French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
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), 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).
Irish
Most Irish surnames have been anglicised. Ó Briain has often become O'Brien, Ó RothláinÓ Rothlain
Ó Rothláin is an Irish name meaning "descendant of Rothlan". It is the pre-anglicized, Irish form of the names Rowlan, Rowland, Rowlands, Rollan, Rollin, Rolan and Rowley...
became Rowland, Ó Néill
O'Neill dynasty
The O'Neill dynasty is a group of families that have held prominent positions and titles throughout European history. The O'Neills take their name from Niall Glúndub, an early 10th century High King of Ireland from the Cenél nEógain...
became O'Neill and some surnames like Ó Súilleabháin may be shortened to just O'Sullivan or Sullivan. Similarly, native Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
names were altered such as Somhairle to Sorley, Mac Gill-Eain to MacLean, and Mac Aoidh to MacKay. Many Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
names have also been altered, such as 'ap Hywell' to Powell, or 'ap Siôn' to Jones
Jones (surname)
Jones is a common Celtic Welsh surname based on the English version of the parent's name ending in -S. In 1881 people with this surname were largely confined to Wales. By 1998 many Welsh people had migrated to cities in England particularly those adjacent to Wales. The earliest record of the name...
.
Greek
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: Crist
- Demosthenes: Dick, Demos
- Dimitrios: James, Jim
- Haralambos: Harry
- Harilaos: Charles, Harry
- Ilias: Louie
- Konstantinos: Gus, Charles, Frank
- Panayiotis: Peter, Pete
- Stavros: Steve, Sam
- Vasilios: William, Bill
Ukrainian
Having immigrated to CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and USA in the late 19th - early 20th centuries many Ukrainians
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
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).
- Ivan : John
- Maria (Mariya) : Mary
- Mykhailo : Michael
- Orysya : Erna
- Petro : Peter
- Yaroslav (Jaroslaw) : Gerald