I Moved from Mexico to the U.S. to Spain. I Lost My Own Name in the Process.

"If your family immigrated to the United States in the 19 th century and/or you took middle-school social studies in the States, you've probably heard that officials at Ellis Island often changed newcomers' names, either because they couldn't spell them or because they wanted to make them sound more American. In fact, authorities in New York never actually wrote down anyone's name, they just checked each immigrant against the ship's passenger list, which would have been compiled by employees of the steamship companies."

"I was born in Mexico City, and my parents named me Leonel Giovanni García Fenech. It might sound a little baroque to Americans, but having four names is standard in Spanish-speaking countries. And it can be surprisingly useful if one of your last names happens to be García, the most common surname in Spain and the second most common in Mexico."

A Starbucks barista repeatedly called out an English name before the customer recognized it, illustrating everyday instances of non-Anglo immigrants changing their names. Many people believe Ellis Island officials changed immigrants' names, but New York authorities checked newcomers against ship passenger lists compiled by steamship companies rather than writing names themselves. Consequently, name alterations often occurred before arrival or through bureaucratic drift rather than explicit officials' renaming. Names carry identity, history, and culture, but interactions with another culture's bureaucracy can alter them. Four-part Spanish naming conventions can help distinguish common surnames like García and prevent mistaken identity in searches or job applications.

Read at Slate Magazine