Could Billy have been mistaken? Or been as famous, had he been called John Fletcher or Philip Massinger? (The two writers that some Skakespearean critics have allotted the authorship of many William's sonnets and the play, HENRY V111.
Now, I'd like to take up this 'what's in a name' argument with Shakespeare, for one important reason. How many people (including yourself) do you know, like the names given to them?
After a quick survey, I found that 80 percent of people are dissatisfied with either their given name, their surname - or both.
As Jews, fortunately or unfortunately, we are guided by our Yiddish traditions. We are expected to pass on the name of a dead grandparent to our offspring. To keep alive the memory of that deceased person for another generation.
All fine and dandy, when Biblical names, such as, Aaron, Daniel, Miriam and Sarah are commonly used by both Christians and Jews alike. But, when you are stuck with a name like, Chaim, Moshe or Bashevis you're in big trouble with both pronunciation and spelling among the Goyim even before we enter into the issue of surnames.
Some of us were luckier than others. When in the 50's and 60's it was customary for migrants to Anglicize their difficult to pronounce surnames. In a bid to make life easier and for the benefit of Australian Immigration officials, who could not comprehend European phonetics, Liechtenstein was changed to Light, Zabludowski became Zable, and Zelazko was literally translated to Irons.
Notwithstanding, the greatest name changing has to be among the Yidden of Hollywood. How dramatic would the wit of a redheaded, bespectacled Woody Allen have remained with audiences if written by an actor called Allen Konigsberg? Or how macho would've the screen, sword-n-sandal characters of Spartacus and Demetrius (the gladiator) have been if accredited to actors called, Issur Danielovitch and Wladek Mankowicz?
Up until the 1960's, Hollywood in its infinite wisdom, sought to find a hidden association between a name and a particular screen image they wanted to create. In the case of Issur Danielovitch the transition to Kirk Douglas and Hollywood's coded message becomes clear. Firstly the given name Kirk meaning church in Scottish and immediately the Yiddish inference disappears. And put Kirk against the family clan-ish surname of Douglas and the analogy bring forth a strong message of power and stability. Thus we have a Spartacus!
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