Name shortening should not be taken as distortion ...it depends on the person . How a person prefers to be called, can be a very touchy subject. Bacause ones name is a very personal thing.
Our name is one of the the first thing given to us when we are born, and rightly so we can become very possessive about it at times . But lets look at some aspects of name changing.

Is shortening of name a really a distortion? maybe, maybe not , ...if it is shortened as a matter of ridicule , then it absolutely is a distortion and one must resist it .And resist it hard. But if it is done politely with permission just for the purpose of convenience then it should be taken as a compliment, it is an act which can help us feel a part of the mainstream . And it helps others by making it easier for them to pronounce our name without any embarassment.
In my case, people started calling me Sam in the beginning, later they got used to Samir and now everyone calls me Samir. I feel one should not get touchy about it , as most local names are shortened as well, and no one seem to mind it .

When Lawrence, William, Robert, Samuel and Andrew can become Larry, Bill, Bob,Sam and Andy without anyone minding it, then why should we mind shortening our names for convienience. Canadians find our names new and infact help us to get into the mainstream by suggesting a shorter name . Nothing wrong in agreeing to shorten the name as long as it is done in agreement and due respect to the person concerned.

And in some cases shortening is a must , with no offence to any community , i once came across a name "Thalayasingham Kathirgamanathan"....

now what do you suggest here ? If this guy was my friend even in india i'd have shortened his name there itself , what to talk about in Canada.

But as I said before ..It is entirely a personal choice of what one prefers to be called.

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What can be imagined, can be achieved.

Yeah, you are right. It is upto a person to accept or not.

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A Proud Indian Canadian

Even I have come accross some of the real est agents changing their names. The funniest was, AWESOME KHAN , I don't remember his real name, but I saw his ad outside one of the houses near Gerard St.

I make sure that my peers and colleagues, pronounce my name properly. I mean I handle the matter diplomatically. Not being rude but at the same time make sure that others don't disrespect our feelings.

To be honest, even for us, it becomes difficult to pronounce some of the names that these people have. I always ask them, pl let me know, if I pronounced their name correctly. Coz I feel we also have to respect others the way we expect others to respect us.

BUT I WILL NEVER CHANGE MY NAME.

My opinion

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Let's help each other to grow & prosper in Canada