Transliteration of Names: How to Get the Names Spelled Right on Your Certified Translation

Is your father's name spelled one way on your birth certificate translation and another way on his passport? That small difference is one of the most common reasons mistakes happen in translation, and it usually comes down to one thing: transliteration.

Names written in Arabic, Cyrillic, Chinese, Korean, Greek, or any other non-Latin alphabets do not have a direct one on one translation. They are transliterated, which means the sounds are written in English letters. Because there is more than one way to do that, the same name can appear with several correct spellings. The good news is that you decide which one goes on your certified translation. When you order with MotaWord, you can leave a note for translators at checkout with the preferred spelling of every name.

What Is Transliteration, and How Is It Different From Translation?

Translation carries the meaning of a word into another language. Transliteration carries its sound into another script. A city name, a street name, or a person's name has no meaning to translate, so translators transliterate it instead.

Take the Russian name Сергей. Translated, it would mean nothing in English. Transliterated, it becomes Sergei, Sergey, or Serguei, depending on the system used. All three are correct transliterations of the same letters.

Why One Name Can Have Several Correct English Spellings

Different countries, agencies, and time periods use different transliteration systems. Common examples include:

• Korean: 김 is Kim on most passports and Gim in Revised Romanization
• Arabic: محمد can be Mohammed, Muhammad, Mohamed, or Mohamad
• Chinese: 张 is Zhang in Pinyin and Chang in Wade-Giles
• Russian: Сергей can be Sergei, Sergey, or Serguei
• Greek: Γεώργιος can be Georgios or Yeorgios

Passport offices follow their own rules, and many align with the transliteration tables in ICAO Doc 9303, the international standard for machine-readable travel documents. A civil registry, a university, or a translator working without guidance may follow a different system, which is how one person ends up with two different spellings on two documents.

Some languages add another layer. Serbian documents, for example, can be issued in either Cyrillic or Latin script, and the same name has to stay consistent across both. See how we keep names consistent in Serbian Cyrillic and Latin documents.

Why Name Spelling Matters for USCIS, NVC and Other Agencies

An immigration file is read as a whole. USCIS compares the names on your birth certificate, marriage certificate, passport, and forms, and a name that appears in two spellings can raise questions about whether the documents belong to the same person. That can lead to a request for evidence or a delay. Read why translation accuracy matters more now that USCIS can deny a case without an RFE.

The father's name on a birth certificate is a typical example. The certificate was issued in the original script, the father's passport uses one English spelling, and a translation without guidance may use another. If you tell us the passport spelling when you order your translation, the translation uses that spelling and any ambiguity is avoided. See how we translate birth certificates.

Names that changed after marriage or by court order need the same care, because the translation has to connect the old name and the new one. Learn how name change documents are translated for immigration and records.

How to Tell MotaWord the Spelling You Want at the Order Stage

Our online ordering is available 24/7, and giving us your preferred spellings takes one extra step:

1. Upload a scan or take a picture of your document with your phone for an instant and no-obligation quote.
2. At checkout, leave a note for translators with the preferred spelling of each name.
3. Write every name exactly as it appears in the person's passport, and say whose name it is, for example: "Father: Mohammed Ali Hassan, as in his passport."
4. Add any other proper noun whose spelling matters to you, such as a place of birth or a school name.

Our translators use the spellings in your note throughout the translation, so the same name is spelled the same way on every page.

If you notice a name you forgot to include, revisions are free. Once you order, a MotaWord client dashboard is automatically created for you, where you can follow your order and talk to us at any time via live chat. See everything you can do in your MotaWord client dashboard.

What If There Is No Passport, or Your Documents Already Differ?

If the person named on your document has no passport, use the spelling on their other English documents, such as a visa, a green card, or a previous USCIS filing. Consistency with the rest of your file is what matters most.

If your original documents already spell a name in different ways, a translation cannot change what the originals say. Tell us the spelling you use in your file, and ask your attorney whether the agency needs anything else to show that both spellings belong to the same person.

How Much Does a Certified Translation Cost, and How Fast Is It?

Certified translations cost a maximum of $24.50 per page for common languages, with delivery in as little as 12 hours and free digital notarization. MotaWord translates certified documents in 120+ languages. Every translation carries a signed certificate of accuracy, and live chat is available 24/7 for support, whatever your time zone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I request special spellings for names? Yes. You can leave a note for translators during checkout, asking for the preferred spelling of proper nouns. This matters for USCIS, because names should match your passport and the other forms in your file.

Is transliteration the same as translation? No. Translation carries meaning into another language, while transliteration writes the sounds of a word in another script. Names are transliterated, which is why one name can have several correct English spellings.

Which spelling should I use if my documents spell a name differently? Use the spelling in the person's passport. If there is no passport, use the spelling on their other English documents, such as a visa or a previous USCIS filing.

Should I keep accents and special letters in names? Follow the passport. Many passports drop accents and special letters in the English spelling, and matching the passport keeps your file consistent.

Can I choose the spelling of place names too? Yes. Your note can include any proper noun, such as a place of birth, a town, or a school name.

What if I forgot to add a note when I ordered? Contact us on live chat 24/7 with the spellings you need. Revisions are free, so we can update the names in your translation.

Names are the part of a translation that USCIS and other agencies check first. Order your certified translation for USCIS and tell us the spellings you need at checkout. Live chat is available 24/7 for support.

Irem Kocaslan - Senior Community Manager at MotaWord

Written and reviewed by Irem Kocaslan, Senior Community Manager at MotaWord, drawing on the MotaWord team's experience with name spellings on certified translations of birth, marriage, and identity documents. MotaWord is SOC 2 Type II certified and a corporate member of the ATA and ITI, producing certified, USCIS-accepted translations in 120+ languages. See how we translate documents for immigration cases.