Names

In this episode Rory and Maria discuss "Names" - another very

common topic that
comes up during IELTS Speaking test.

Vocabulary
 Combination (noun) - a joining or merging of different parts or
qualities in which the component elements are individually distinct.
 Embarrassing (adj.) - causing (someone) to feel awkward, self-
conscious, or ashamed.
 Middle name (noun) - a person's name placed after the first name
and before the surname.
 Surname (noun) - a hereditary name common to all members of a
family, as distinct from a forename or given name.
 Unusual (noun) - not habitually or commonly occurring or done.

Questions and answers

Maria: How did your parents choose your name?

Rory: It’s a combination of factors, actually. My parents chose my first

name because it’s easy to spell, but it’s quite traditionally Scottish at the
same time. And then my second named Fergus was actually
quite embarrassing. It’s one of the names of a friend’s dog. My parents had
a friend whose dog was called Fergus. So this is one of the reasons they
chose that. They liked the sound of the name.

Maria: Exciting! Does your name have any special meaning?

Rory: Yes. So like I say, my middle name, Fergus, is after a dog. So it’s kind
of like a family joke. But my first name, Rory, actually means red-haired. I
have dark hair, so I’m not too sure what my parents were thinking. But it
does have a special meaning.

Maria: Right. Is your name common or unusual in your country?

Rory: Actually, my name is both common and unusual in Scotland because

it’s common in the sense that there are people called Rory, but it’s unusual in
the fact that it uses the English spelling of the Scottish name. Like I say, this
is because my parents chose it because it was easier to spell.

Maria: If you could change your name, would you?

Rory: Actually, I have changed my name. I didn’t change my first name or

my middle name, but I did change my surname and I changed it from
Duncan to Duncan-Goodwillie. Duncan is my father’s name and Goodwillie
is my mother’s maiden name. So I wanted to have both of their surnames in
my surname, as opposed to just one of them.
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