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Michael Theoklitos becomes Michael Theo

Brisbane Roar player formerly known as Michael Theoklitos has changed his name (by deed poll) to Michael Theo

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Michael Theoklitos becomes Michael Theo
14 Aug 2012

Foreign sounding names are often difficult to pronounce but should foreigners feel they have to change their name to sound more Aussie?
Brisbane Roar player formerly known as Michael Theoklitos has changed his name (by deed poll) to Michael Theo.
It's causing quite a stir with concerns he's worried his Greek sounding surname didn't fit in in Australia.

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I somehow doubt it was changed to sound less foreign because going from Theoklitos to Theo hasn't achieved that. I suspect it's more of a case of not having-the-mickey taken out of the second part of his surname -klitos- , for obvious reasons that I shouldn't have to elaborate on, which could be subject to jokes and ridicule, and perhaps have been in the past. Still, it's his choice, he has a right to do it as many others do all around the world. In Greece many non-Greeks have also Hellenised their names in the past to try to 'fit in' to Greek society without being prejudiced as they claim can happen with a non-Greek sounding name. However if Thoeklitos feels his Greek sounding surname didn't fit into Australia, that'a a pretty poor reason because there are hundreds of thousands of Greek sounding surnames in Australia as Greeks are now an integral part of the identity of this nation and they're not complaining or feel affected about not fitting into Australia due to their surnames, including his former coach Ange Postecoglou (which sounds even more foreign than Greek some will say). But like I said, if he thinks shortening his name just to Theo (which is clearly a Greek name anyway) will make it more mainstream, then that's his right, even though I don't think he's achieved what he's supposedly set out to achieve. Alexandros Melbourne PS: BTW, I like my Greek sounding name which I changed to Alexandros from Alexander :)
Submitted by Alexandros on Thu, 2012-08-16 15:52.
But, i thought their was no such thing as racism in Australia.
Submitted by Toumba on Wed, 2012-08-15 12:57.

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