Anglicizing Ethnic Surnames

Abstract

After arriving in the United States, many immigrants “anglicized” their names. This essay merges the scholarship on this process of “anglicization.” We begin with dissecting the ubiquitous Ellis Island stories, highlight the work of early lexicographers, then end with the excellent collection of essays in Patrick Hanks's Dictionary of American Family Names. We end by explaining two decades of research among gravemarker scholars - suggesting a possible merging of lexicography with the Universal Discourse of Mourning.