For a few years now, I've been contemplating changing my name. Or at least adding a middle name that I can use as my last name outside of Norway.
Why? My last name is virtually unpronounceable in any language except Norwegian and maybe Swedish. Try to pronounce it yourself:
K j e m p e r u d.
I bet that if you're from any other country than Norway or Sweden, you have no idea how to even approach that. K followed by a J. I know, WTF.
So why wouldn't I just change my last name altogether? Well, I'm actually very proud of my last name. It's quite rare even in Norway, and ever since I was very young I have associated it with greatness. The first part of the name, Kjempe, roughly translates into "great" or "gigantic". The last part of the name (rud) doesn't really mean anything, at least not in modern Norwegian.
So what name should I adopt as my foreign last name?
The criteria
- It should be easily pronounceable both in English and Norwegian.
- It should preferably be acceptable as a middle name in Norway.
- If it somehow could relate to my heritage or perhaps even my passions, that would be a bonus.
The alternatives
- Scott. A name that works well both in English and Norwegian, both as a first and last name. It is also quite similar to the name of the place my grandfather originally came from, Skotselv. That's also the place my current last name comes from.
- Running. Not really a common name in either Norwegian or English, but it is easily pronounced in both languages and has a meaning in English that I absolutely can relate to. Running is actually one of my biggest passions. Also, my mother's maiden name, Rønning, is pronounced approximately the same way in Norwegian as Running is in English. In a way I'm just putting an English twist on my mother's maiden name.
I have also considered a few more names, but these are the two I like the best. Do you like any of them? If so, which one? Please help me decide - I will probably submit an application for name change before the summer. Thank you!