Student, Winnie Qui said, “I’d rather they get my ‘fake name’ correct than my real name wrong.” It’s common to meet someone from another country that has either changed their names legally or are addressed by a nickname. Their reasoning is personal, but many people share a common idea behind their name change.

Winnie Qui is known by her nickname that her brother helped picked out because it is easier to pronounce. Winnie’s real name is pronounced Yau-zhi-Gwun. She believes that having a simple name is the first step to being looked at as an equal. Winnie says that her name suits her because most people consider it a loving name. She stated that because she grew up being called her nickname, she didn’t chose to be called that personally. Winnie told that when people mispronounce her real name she is understanding and tells them that they can just call her Winnie.

Almanbet Ibraimov, also known as Al, whose name’s origin is from Kyrgyzstan, says “It’s easier for students and teachers to pronounce,” when asked why he decided to be called by his nickname. Ibraimov says that he likes his full name because it comes from a great Chinese warrior, however he prefers not to be called by this name because it doesn’t suit him in American life.

Ayomide Coker, also known as Ayo, says that her nickname was a part of her life while growing up. She gets her name from her parents who are from Nigeria. “At first I didn’t like it because I thought it was hard to pronounce, ” said Coker. Coker has had a change of heart and now says that her name suits her and her personality.

Linwei Ma is known to her friends and other students as Mavis. Her real name is Chinese and her “fake name” was picked out with the help of her cousin. Mavis says that her “fake name” is, “easier for people to say and remember.” She explains that it makes her more comfortable when she is called by her nickname because her real name is considered weird or uncommon in America.

Suwaiba Afonja is part of the few who decide to keep their real name and not go by a shorten version. Her name comes from Ghana where her parents were born. Suwaiba likes her name because she said it’s unique and lovely and sounds like it would be the name of an island. She even stated that it doesn’t bother her if she hears someone get her name wrong. Afonja says that she thinks people shouldn’t care about what people think about their names because, “being different is cool.”