Modifying the way your mad Irish name is spelled - is it ok?

parc

I'm talking first names here - and I'm moreso talking in a legal sense but I suppose it's open up to a general discussion too. My name is Darragh and I live abroad, finished education and now I'm going around looking for a job, (god help me (if you exist))

I get phone calls back and the people are like "oh hi there Darr-aag-huh"

So I'm thinking of just changing my name to Darra on my CV to stop this. Not that I'm ashamed of course, but just for convenience sake. But will it cause problems if I do get a job offer, considering my passport says Darragh?

I'm expecting some offers from some pretty big corporates (lol, just kidding) so would this affect me if they see my name is spelled differently on my passport, even if I explain to them it the anglicised version of my name?

Christ the Redeemer

A friend of mine was called Ny um Haich by a doctor. Niamh!

PingO_O

What about just putting the pronunciation beside your name in italics or brackets or something? Would probably prevent confusion re. the passport.

minidazzler

People with foreign or harder to pronounce names are less likely to get a call for interview..... so definitely spell it in a way that is phonetically correct.

biko

Just change your name to Mark. Everyone knows how to pronounce Mark.

kneemos

Doubt anyone could care less,loads of people mess with their names these days in your case it's just a short version like Pat or Tom.

shruikan2553

As far as I know you can call yourself whatever you want as long as its not used for fraud. I read it somewhere but not sure the exact details or even if its true

ericsinjun

Try just using the Irish version (Dara) rather than the anglicised version. In your case it would be a lot handier.

the keen edge

Just use your boards.ie user name.

Till help impress them big corporate suits; you can't get a boards.ie user name unless you've use a computer at some stage in your life.

Tisn't everybody can use a computer.

hfallada

I know an african american who went by the name of Kerry in Ireland as every one pronounced Ciara as Ciara instead of Cee-air-ra like in America. You can change your name in Ireland with deed poll which is €35 and in the district courts.

Go for something everyone can pronounce like Obama or like Mclovin in Superbad( or his second chance Mohammad the most popular name in the world, but not the best name to have if you want to find work in the deep south of America)/

CrazyRabbit

Just do what a lot of the people in India do. Adopt 'English' names for international business.

I had a lovely chat with Peter Srininavidasikarim earlier today.

biko

I work a lot with China and they too have adopt English second names
Hui-Peter, Wei-Jack, etc

mattjack

biko wrote: »

Just change your name to Mark. Everyone knows how to pronounce Mark.

Or maybe a double barrelled name like Birth Mark.

derb12

Would they know how to pronounce English words that end in gh? If not, feck em.

Tell them that "AlthougGH there is a gh at the end of my name, it is silent" and see if they get it. Maybe one for the emails.

I've a complicated enough first name and a very complicated surname for non-irish people, but for the most part folks aren't thick and they just get on with it. In fact, it is easier abroad where they just treat it as a non-run-of-the-mill name.

COYVB

ericsinjun wrote: »

Try just using the Irish version (Dara) rather than the anglicised version. In your case it would be a lot handier.

That's a girls name in North America usually though -could potentially cause confusion

Sinfonia

My friend Aoife was called 'Oof' by her boss in London.

keith16

Sinfonia wrote: »

My friend Aoife was called 'Oof' by her boss in London.

Maybe she was acting like an Oof?

Sunglasses Ron

Are the way people are Gaelic- ising their names even accurate? The Celts did not follow the Roman alphabet, so none of these names were written in modern script until it was introduced at a latter point. Surely the adopted Roman spelling and pronunciation of a name differed by accent and location within Ireland? While some names were almost certainly changed over time by British census takers and civil servants recording them incorrectly (De Bruin becomes Browne for example) I have seen people Gaelic- ising names that are clearly not of Celtic origin. People called Johnson becoming Ui Jonstain or something similar, and other names when the name is presumably of English, Norman or Nordic extraction.

markomuscle

You could rename yourself 'The Oak' or derry after the county as the name derives from that i think.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dara

Peanut Butter Jelly

I wrote me Irish name down as Pódhl as a kid and loved it so I still use it, bet it would confuse the arse of some people.

Howard Juneau

I have a habit of booking into hotels under my name in Irish, not because I'm a native speaker or anysuch, but its a feckin mouthful & it's nice to see the European receptionists struggling for a change when trying to pronounce it!

Peanut Butter Jelly

When I first heard someone say "Pode-hul" or "Pod-hill" I nearly needed new jocks.

RhubarbCrumble

My friends name is Caoilfhionn Bhreatnach. She moved to London with work and within a few weeks had to become Keelin Walsh. She got pretty sick of being called Kweel-fi-on and Kay-oil-feen!

Lia_lia

I change my name to Eva sometimes when I'm abroad..just makes things easier. (It's Aoife..)

happyviolet

I really don't get why people cannot just look up the pronouncition of a name if it looks complicated for them to pronounce or at least ask the person in question how to pronounce it.
I just don't think it is fair that Irish people with Irish names should change them just so that it can be convenient for other people who are just too lazy to learn or even ask.

endacl

PingO_O wrote: »

What about just putting the pronunciation beside your name in italics or brackets or something? Would probably prevent confusion re. the passport.

That can lead to even more confusion...

Chonchubhair Krih - hoor (Conor)

Siosleis

Is it wrong to have an Irish name?
Seán/John/Juan/Johann/Jean...
I like Irish names and their silly little lines over vowels and names meaning things and stuff.

Ruu

Just count yourself lucky that your name isn't Michael Bolton.

Legs.Eleven

Lia_lia wrote: »

I change my name to Eva sometimes when I'm abroad..just makes things easier. (It's Aoife..)

Me too (my name is not Aoife though but similar sounding).

Menas

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

Me too (my name is not Aoife though but similar sounding).

Caoimhe?!

Toby Take a Bow

Sunglasses Ron wrote: »

Are the way people are Gaelic- ising their names even accurate? The Celts did not follow the Roman alphabet, so none of these names were written in modern script until it was introduced at a latter point. Surely the adopted Roman spelling and pronunciation of a name differed by accent and location within Ireland? While some names were almost certainly changed over time by British census takers and civil servants recording them incorrectly (De Bruin becomes Browne for example) I have seen people Gaelic- ising names that are clearly not of Celtic origin. People called Johnson becoming Ui Jonstain or something similar, and other names when the name is presumably of English, Norman or Nordic extraction.

Irish is standardised now, though, as far as I know. The gaelic-ising of non-Irish names is a fairly common practice around the world (that is standardising non-local names into the local language).