To hate constantly having to explain my name?

[lsfhs]

I have a welsh name. (I don’t live in wales and never have.) No one can say it or spell it. Plus, my parents called me my middle name but gave me a first name that is different (and horrible.)

I can’t change it but I hate it. I really don’t think it’s an exaggeration to sa my life would be different if I’d been given a nice ordinary name!

Just change it. Even if you don’t do it legally just ask people to call you another name.
I’ve got an impossible to spell ‘foreign’ first name and always get comments - it’s never bothered me. In fact I quite like it.

Why cant you change it? Why can't you use your middle name?

Of course you can change it.

Is there an english sounding equivalent?

Yanbu but bite the bullet and use a different name. The key is to choose a nickname or alternate version/ spelling of your name and stick to it. Some people will resist but there's no need to indulge them.

You certainly can change your name. Plenty of people have. You can do it formally (deed poll) or informally ie just go by the name you choose (but be consistent).
Don't make yourself miserable over something you can actually change. People will soon get used to it and your parents will have to accept it. Parents have to accept all sorts of things

You can change it.

I can’t change it because I’m old. People can’t just suddenly start calling you Alice or Sarah or whatever. Besides, I’m not sure I could think of myself as something different now. If I’d known the headache my name was going to be at 18, I would have.

What’s the name?

My surname is Dutch. Ive spent my life explaining it, spelling it and telling people how to pronounce it. Drives me bonkers. Paired with a 1st name ive HATED since i was 5 and refuse to answer too🙈

Same here.
It’s why I discourage people from naming their children really obscure names. It’s really not fun having to pronounce and spell your name, and all my professional correspondence is addressed to varying spellings of my actual name.

I’ve an unusual non English name that’s hard to pronounce and spell, but recently has become more common but I love it.
I used to dislike it, but now make the most of having such a unique name.
I’m hoping that might help if you know someone else has made peace with their feelings in similar circumstances

I am in a similar position - I have a Welsh first name, despite not being Welsh, that most people where I live (SE England) don't recognise and can't say. I'm more ambivalent about it, though - it can be a right pain, but I also have benefited quite a lot from being very googleable (my surname is very not Welsh so the combination is very unusual, in fact there seem to be two of us in existence) and I was glad at school not to be Hannah H or Emma J or Laura B or whatever. I do also think my name is really pretty, though, which helps! And all that said, 'will never have to spell it out for people' was my no. 1 stipulation for my own DC's name..

This is why I always think it’s bad idea for English people living in England to give their kids Welsh/Irish/Scottish names where the pronunciation isn’t obvious to the people they’re likely to come into contact with, they’re going to spend their lives explaining it and getting frustrated!

Can you keep the name but change the spelling to make it a bit more manageable? E.g. Niamh becomes Neve.

Of course you can change it. I know two people who've changed their names. Just start calling yourself something else and tell everyone that's what you want to be called from now on. Depending on how different the new name, after a couple of times/months they will be used to it. If you don't make the change, things will stay the same!

Is there any way to change the spelling

Heavens! What is wrong and what is right? If it's part of your heritage you shouldn't be bending to xenophobia and fitting it around that. Might as well lose brain cells as well. Change it if you're so bothered, but I find that rather sad.

And in the real world...

It’s not part of my heritage. I’m not welsh!

I know what you mean about being too old to change your name.

As others have suggested, can you change the spelling? Would that help?

Not really - it’s one of those names that doesn’t really have an English equivalent.

I think it really singled me out at school, which led to bullying.

I'm welsh. Born in Wales. Lived in wales practically my whole life.

I didn't give my children welsh names because one day they may decide to leave Wales. YANBU.

I obviously don't know what your name is but some of them can not be said well without some knowledge of the language. So I sympathise.

When you say you can't change it because you're old...what is 'old' in this context?
If you're 50, you can change it.
If you're 90, you can change it.
(just showing that age is really no barrier to changing your name if you really want to).

You just need to get really good at answering people "Oh, I'm not called X anymore as it was causing me too many issues. I've decided to be called Y instead. Can you please call me Y in the future? Much appreciated"

What’s the name?
There's always one on these threads. Why is it relevant what the name is? If you don't like it, are you going to tell the OP so? What use will that be? And if you do like it, will your saying so change how the OP feels about her name? Of course not. So don't be an idiot by asking for outing information.