Do FSUW tend to anglicize their names or nicknames when they come to the West?

[Larry]

I was reading the freakonomics blog tonight and came across the following blurb:

A new paper (PDF) by Costanza Biavaschi, Corrado Giulietti and Zahra Siddique shows that first names mattered for immigrants to the U.S. in the first half of the 20th century: people who Americanized their given names did better economically thereafter.

http://freakonomics.com/2013/11/25/whats-in-an-americanized-name/

That caused me to think about FSUW wives and girlfriends and how they dealt with the name situation when they arrived in the West.  Some have it easy.  Yana is a Russian name that is incredibly easy for most people to pronounce and is somewhat common in certain Western countries.  Likewise, Elena shouldn't be too difficult, although very few Westerners will pronounce it correctly when they read it.  I suppose the same is true of Irina. Olga should be very easy to pronounce.   I know one Svetlana in the US who goes by the easy-to-pronounce name Lana.

Going up the scale, my guess is that a Tatyana might simply refer to herself as Tanya, which should be easily understood. 

I knew a girl named Evgenia, who Anglicized her nickname to Jenny, which, while not as lovely as the diminutive Zhenya, is easier for Westerners to pronounce.

What observations have you made regarding the names FSUW have decided to go by when they live in the West, and what difficulties have they faced regarding names?

On a related note, some time ago I was talking with a FSUW who lives in the West.  She told me that some people weren't crazy about her accent, which I regarded as very appealing.  All those of us who are searching for a FSUW wife, or have searched for one, love the accent, so it didn't even occur to me that there would be lots of people here who did not like it.

[Anteros]

I totally agree that immigrants who anglicize their names do better economically.  As far as accents I've always liked foreign women's accents.  Tone of voice makes a huge difference though--some RW can be very harsh and get labeled B. if they are not careful.

[pitbull]

I did Americans just cannot pronounce my name the way its spelled in my passport

I think I am doing quite well for myself. Not sure if an anglicized name has anything to do with it. Certainly, it helps that the place I work for is the perfect meritocracy. 

[sashathecat]

None of the FSUW women we know changed their names, but we live in a pretty diverse part of the US so do not think it matters much here. My wife's name is very unusual. For many Americans it poses an issue but the Latinos here have no problem pronouncing it.

Some of the RW we know do come off like batches at times due to the heavy and harsh accent. Part of that is the directness or word selection as well.  "What do you want?" versus "How may I help you?" for example.

[redroo]

yes, tone is everything.....and not something FSU females often get away with in western countries. They nearly always come across harsh and rude. The please/thank you bit drives me crazy having been raised by a VERY polite mother, and hanging up the phone without ending a conversation politely (or at all)! 

Anyway back to names;
My ex wife, and my wonderful son continue to use the Russian diminutives of their names without problem, ie Yvan is known as Vanya without issue by everyone, which I am very happy about as Ivan sounds so harsh in english and there is no way I would call him John.
Locally, Tatiana's call themselves Tanya, Anya's stay as Anya, Svetlana's as Sveta in the main although I do know one Lana, Ksusha's go back to Oksana as no one can pronounce it. Alexandria can stay the same or be Shasha, or Alex. Zhenia, like Shasha/Alex can be both female and male, and there is quite a famous young man here using that name publicly and often featured in the social pages

[bgreed]

My wife despises the English translation of her name so she remains Elena though rarely pronouced properly. All others I know go by their Russian names.

[GuppyCaptain]

My real Hungarian name was changed for me when I immigrated to the U.S. at the age of six to the American version. I now wish my parents hadn't done it. Actually at work I have to have my official/real/formal name on my I.D. I used to introduce myself as "Steve", but then most people would look at my I.D. and comment "Well, that doesn't say Steve". The usual four or so questions that followed got to be a pain the arse when multiplied by the number of different coworkers I met on a daily basis. Now I introduce myself as "Istvan" and usually only get one question.........."How do you say that again"?

Perhaps I'm being idealistic, but I would insist that my wife keep her name and not Americanize it. At the very least shorten it so people could pronounce it (I.e. Tatiana to Tanya.....although Tatiana is SO much prettier). One should take pride in one's culture and heritage.

[Mikeav8r]

My real Hungarian name was changed for me when I immigrated to the U.S. at the age of six to the American version. I now wish my parents hadn't done it. Actually at work I have to have my official/real/formal name on my I.D. I used to introduce myself as "Steve", but then most people would look at my I.D. and comment "Well, that doesn't say Steve". The usual four or so questions that followed got to be a pain the arse when multiplied by the number of different coworkers I met on a daily basis. Now I introduce myself as "Istvan" and usually only get one question.........."How do you say that again"?

Perhaps I'm being idealistic, but I would insist that my wife keep her name and not Americanize it. At the very least shorten it so people could pronounce it (I.e. Tatiana to Tanya.....although Tatiana is SO much prettier). One should take pride in one's culture and heritage.

My GF actually prefers me to call her Tanya as she feels it is more up close and personal.  If she comes here, I am hoping she keeps her full name but I am sure she will become frustrated at all the mispronunciations.  It would drive her crazy to hear Tat' tee' ana rather than the correct Tat' yana...

I agree that Tatyana sounds so much nicer...

[Manny]

How do you anglicise Olga? Unless you become Helga and be thought Swedish instead? 

[Pyotr Alexeyevich]

Maybe you have Olga as wife, No?

This name Ольга – Olga but somebody good and close person mybe they speak you about Оля for englsih her is Olya. If she okay you speak Olia and Olichka, Olinka, Olysia.

mama and papa speak Olyushka. Parents only this but some womans okay for muzh speak.

[Dogsoldier]

How do you anglicise Olga? Unless you become Helga and be thought Swedish instead? 

Heh, I can just see Olga's reaction when you call her Helga............
Mentioned it to Mrs and should have seen her reaction. 

[sparky114]

How do you anglicise Olga? Unless you become Helga and be thought Swedish instead? 

Heh, I can just see Olga's reaction when you call her Helga............
Mentioned it to Mrs and should have seen her reaction. 

Just try calling wifey Elena .....Helen 

[NS1]

I would not try, nor want my wife to change her name, to make it easier for others.
Let them learn her name. I enjoy that is is a little different, she Loves her name.
 

[Aloe]

I'd change my name to Alice, but i think dutch speakers will mispronounce it something like ah-lee-seh . I've always hated my name. When i was a teenager in russia, i told all new acquaintances my name was Alyssa, on the internet i was Alice. But Alice is kind of like my name, if you put the first 2 letters of my first name with the first 2 letters of my last name, you get Alice in russian (the pronunciation, not the spelling)

[Manny]

Heh, I can just see Olga's reaction when you call her Helga............

When she plaits her hair, people ask her if she is Swedish (old stereotypes die hard I guess). I call her Helga then. 

[2tallbill]

That caused me to think about FSUW wives and girlfriends and how they dealt with the name situation when they arrived in the West.

What observations have you made regarding the names FSUW have decided to go by when they live in the West, and what difficulties have they faced regarding names?

Angel Eyes doesn't care.

100% of FSUW call me Beeel, I sorta like it. I don't care either.

She told me that some people weren't crazy about her accent, which I regarded as very appealing.  All those of us who are searching for a FSUW wife, or have searched for one, love the accent, so it didn't even occur to me that there would be lots of people here who did not like it.

F#ck 'em! This is the melting pot.

[B.B.]

How do you anglicise Olga? Unless you become Helga and be thought Swedish instead? 

Helga is the Norse origin.  As it translates as "Blessed" or "Holy" then once could use "Holly", which I find to be a rather delightful name. 

I know a Zoryana who is "Zara" now, and ofc a number of Katyas who go by "Kate" and two Kristinas who did not change their names at all.

B/B

[2tallbill]

She told me that some people weren't crazy about her accent, which I regarded as very appealing. 

She might say that people don't like her accent but it's more likely that they simply
can't understand it and she gets frustrated. I think she is mistaking frustrated
with disliking her accent. Russian isn't a harsh language. Arabic languages sometimes
sound like a cat coughing up a hairball.

I am nearly fluent in Rushglish most regular Westerners are not.

Occasionally Angel Eyes says a word accenting all the wrong letters and switching sounds
of consonants around and I need her to repeat it many times to figure out what she means.

The first time she and Smiley girl said Idaho, Eeee dah-ha! with an emphasis on ha! It
was a real head scratcher. They were talking about a place was all I could figure out.
Finally they talked about feeding a squirrel and I put it together.

Russians learning English tend to drop articles and switch up the word order of their
sentences, making it difficult for people born, raised and never left Norf Dakody or
Oregon to understand.

I don't think that many people have a problem with the accent. They have difficulty
understanding it.

Texans by comparison know a little Texican and have communicated with enough
Spanish speakers as to not get frustrated at an attractive woman is speaking
with an accent. 100% of Latinas call me Beeel too.

 

[Guile]

There's a video on youtube of a Russian woman teaching a lesson with a dead eye Texan accent!!  You can hear the George Bushism in the inflection...

probably one of the most interesting hybrid mixes..she still has a bit of Russian accent but you can tell she's lived in Texas for a while..