Thread: Changing my name

Again, Volodymyr, you've not read /understand what I've written. Tamerlane has specifically asked for a Russian name, if he wanted to keep his English name, then he wouldn't have to change his name (read the title of this thread).

I don't know what you mean about "everyone putting everything into English these days", that's a very vague statement and doesn't seem to refer to anything anyone's said in this post.

In fact your whole last post doesn't make sense.

And regarding your grandpa from Ukraine; I'm not sure if I've understood you right, but having one grandparent who is Russian (was he actually Russian and not Ukrainian?) doesn't make you "definately Russian". That would make you 1/4 Russian, unless you have additional Russian heritage from other grandparents.

Originally Posted by Volodymyr

But he's not going to Russia, thats one thing- though I would still tell them my name is James. I think its unfortunate we put almost everything into English these days but I wouldn't expect ethnic Russians to come up with some American name just to make it easier for me.

Let me put it another way. Patrynomics are basically uniquely Russian, I know for a fact some couldn't care less, and others would be offended that an American had created one for himself. I have no interest in getting into a debate whether they should or not- but as far as I see it thats the case. So like I said, I personally wouldn't try and create a patronymic, if only for that reason.

And I do understand where you are coming from Tamerlane. I have struggled to figure out how to participate in my Russian heritage since I first found out my family was Russian when I was 5 or 6. It's not easy to this day, to some people you say your Grandpa is from Ukraine and you are definitely "Russian," others laugh and think you are weird for trying to celebrate a heritage like that (two or three generations back).

lol there are so many holes in your arguement- first of all how do you know i am not going to russia? for all you know, I AM! secondly, its simply not true that everything is put into english, my name has been put into chinese- and russian (my first name is already russian, the name changing is regarding my middle and last name)

Okay but I mean immigrating, in which case I figured you would have stated that (most people don't change their name when they go on vacation ). What I mean about everything going into English is stuff like "Иван" becoming "Ivan". What I'm saying is I know it happens, but that I personally don't expect Russians to come up with a friendly American name, meanwhile I'd hope they don't expect Americans to come up with a friendly Russian name. Names are names. Like I said, I know there are tons of reasons certain names translate into other names, I'm just saying IN MY OPINION. When I went to Russia the only translation I went through (my name) was from James to Джаймс.

Like I said for a variety of reasons I wouldn't try to make a patrynomic.

Oh and Taty: What I meant by some say that makes you "definitely Russian" is that you are definitely part Russian, others say at 1/4 that doesn't count for anything .

I'm not trying to start an argument or anything with anyone, I'm just saying in my opinion. Like I said we all try to figure out how to celebrate our culture our own ways. If you want to make yourself a patrynomic go for it. But this is the internets, its all about sharing ideas .

What I mean about everything going into English is stuff like "Иван" becoming "Ivan".

But you said you don't like how everything goes into English... Иван is Ivan...

Also James is Джеймс.
ай is the sound in time, bye, cry

Originally Posted by TATY

Also James is Джеймс.
ай is the sound in time, bye, cry

+1.

Originally Posted by Zaya

Originally Posted by TATY

Also James is Джеймс.
ай is the sound in time, bye, cry

+1.

x3

Originally Posted by Tamerlane

some reasons are private, others not so much.

I bet there is a girl.

That might be a good grammatical translation or whatever but they are not pronounced the same unless I'm missing something. (Ivan and Иван)

I've seen like 4 different spellings for "James" in Cyrillic. I figured I would look at my Visa to find a definitive one and the consulate entered it as Джэймс, which I had yet to see so no help there .

Originally Posted by Volodymyr

I've seen like 4 different spellings for "James" in Cyrillic. I figured I would look at my Visa to find a definitive one and the consulate entered it as Джэймс, ...

Which is wrong. Traditional transliteration for James is Джеймс.

Originally Posted by Volodymyr

I've seen like 4 different spellings for "James" in Cyrillic.

Now what?

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

Originally Posted by Volodymyr

I figured I would look at my Visa to find a definitive one and the consulate entered it as Джэймс, ...

Which is wrong. Traditional transliteration for James is Джеймс.

+1.
Но многим иностранцам в подобных случаях, увы, нравится именно «э».

Originally Posted by Zaya

Originally Posted by Volodymyr

I've seen like 4 different spellings for "James" in Cyrillic.

So what?

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

Originally Posted by Volodymyr

I figured I would look at my Visa to find a definitive one and the consulate entered it as Джэймс, ...

Which is wrong. Traditional transliteration for James is Джеймс.

+1.
Но многим иностранцам в подобных случаях, увы, нравится именно «э».

Originally Posted by Volodymyr

That might be a good grammatical translation or whatever but they are not pronounced the same unless I'm missing something. (Ivan and Иван)

I've seen like 4 different spellings for "James" in Cyrillic. I figured I would look at my Visa to find a definitive one and the consulate entered it as Джэймс, which I had yet to see so no help there .

To write Иван in English it has to be "Ivan". English people may pronounce it incorrectly, e.g. like Ivan, instead of the correct ee-van, but that's just English speakers' ignorance of correct Russian pronunciation.
It's the same with Vladimir; most English speakers pronouce it Vladimir, when with the correct stress it should be Vladimir. Basically you seem to expect that English speakers should be able to pronounce Russian names with perfect Russian pronunciation, and that Russian speakers should be able to pronounce English names with perfect English pronunciation. Clearly you have no idea what you're talking about.

No its the fact that no one has any interest in learning how to pronounce it correctly. It's not like I'm out there making a fool of myself by pronouncing it correctly, because everyone expects you to pronounce it the butchered way. Obviously no one is going to learn how to pronounce everything properly :fool".

Originally Posted by Ramil

Originally Posted by Tamerlane

some reasons are private, others not so much.

I bet there is a girl.

lol... i wish it were so.

Originally Posted by Tamerlane

Originally Posted by Ramil

Originally Posted by Tamerlane

some reasons are private, others not so much.

I bet there is a girl.

lol... i wish it were so.

I bet there is a man.

Originally Posted by xRoosterx

I bet there is a man.

yes its you!

Originally Posted by Tamerlane

Originally Posted by xRoosterx

I bet there is a man.

yes its you!

O rly же? Or is it really this guy?



Case closed.

xRoosterx, ты первый начал.
Нечего теперь вредничать.

Originally Posted by Leof

Hello.

As I know you can chouse the name of your saint patron by any reason: the day you will be baptisized usually has several patrons, you can be named after any famous saint or clerical person of the past, eventually you can chouse any favorite ortodoxal name which fits or which the priest will advise you.

Vasiliy is Bazil as I know and has nothing with William.

William is Willy, Will - [Uiliam/Viliam, Uil/Vil, Villi] - I would say it sounds close to Ilia/Ilja in Russian.

Geoffrey is Efrem - old and very rare today (but very good) Russian name.
Patronim from Efrem is Efremovich.

as a patrinomic- would it be Villiamovich or Viliamovich? and would it be appropriate to make the patrinomic to honor a particular person as opposed to using the fathers name? also regarding last names, would the end part of a laste name be sky or ski? such as Dostoevsky or Arlovski?

Originally Posted by Tamerlane

as a patrinomic- would it be Villiamovich or Viliamovich?

To choose between Vill- and Vil- you should discard latin letters and write your father's name in cyrillic.
If it's Вилльям then you should use double 'l', if it's Вильям, then use only one 'l'.

and would it be appropriate to make the patrinomic to honor a particular person as opposed to using the fathers name?

No, your patronymic should point at your father. You can change surname to honor somebody. My surname, for example, is not the same with my grandfather's since my grandma changed her own surname and her children's (my father's and uncle's) after him as a birthday present. You can change the patronymic, I suppose, since this all is, after all, a bit artificial, but I don't see the point. A patronymic should have your father's name in it.

also regarding last names, would the end part of a laste name be sky or ski? such as Dostoevsky or Arlovski?

Again, it's all -ский in Russian. The Russians use cyrillic letters, remember. The rules of transliteration still require to use -sky.