Why the spelling Sri Lankan names in English vary
Have you wondered why the same name (eg. Jayatillake) is often spelt differently? (This is largely AI generated with some human intervention) Sri Lankan people write their names in English in multiple different ways primarily because there is no single standardized system for converting Sinhala and Tamil sounds into the English alphabet. Variations stem from […]
The spelling of Sri Lankan names in English can vary widely due to several factors. Primarily, there is no standardized system for converting Sinhala and Tamil sounds into the English alphabet, leading to multiple variations of the same name. This stems from linguistic phonetics, the legacy of colonial rule, and traditional legal document practices.
Dental and retroflex consonants present a challenge because Sinhala has specific letters for dental 't/d' sounds (made with the tongue against the teeth) and retroflex 't/d' sounds (tongue curled back). When these sounds are transliterated into English, some people use 'th' for the dental sound (Rathnayake, Goonathilake), while others use 't' (Ratnayake, Gunatilake).
Vowel mapping also leads to discrepancies. The short schwa vowel sound, common in words like Vardhana or Krama, gets interpreted differently, resulting in variations like Jayawardena vs. Jayewardene, or Wickramasinghe vs. Wickremesinghe.
During British rule in Ceylon (1796-1948), administrative clerks registered names in English, often adding an extra 'e' at the end of Sanskrit and Sinhala-derived roots to ensure English speakers could pronounce the ending vowel. For example, -nayaka became -nayake (Rathnayake), -singha became -singhe (Wickramasinghe), -vardhana became -wardene (Jayewardene), and -ratna became -ratne (Karunaratne). Some families later reverted to earlier spellings, while others kept the British-era versions.
Portuguese and Dutch colonial influences also contributed to name variations. Many Sri Lankans carry Portuguese surnames due to centuries of Portuguese rule along the coasts, which have evolved into distinct English spellings. For instance, Pereira vs. Perera, Pieris vs. Peiris, Peries vs. Peeris, Pireis, and De Silva vs. de Silva. Fernandopulle, a Portuguese name, is another example with multiple English spellings.
In Sri Lanka, legal identity is linked to the spelling on official Birth Certificates and National Identity Cards. Minor spelling variations persist due to the strict adherence to the spelling on these documents. Historical caste indicators also appear in name spellings, such as Goonewardene (karawa) vs. Gunawardene (govigama).
Lastly, English language journalists were once advised to "spell a man’s name the way he spells it."
Written by urgent.news from The Island Sri Lanka's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
