[FoxwoodsFiend]

So basically I hate my name. My name is Ariel. It's pronounced like the letters "r", "e", "l" strung together. My name has the following serious problems:
a) When I introduce myself to people they never quite understand/hear me right. It's a name which is both not in most of their mental rolodexes of names they recognize and starts off with some slurred/soft syllables so it's hard for me to pronounce clearly. A lot of the times when I say "I'm Ariel" people hear it as "I'm Moriel" or something like that. It's a constant source of apprehension and annoyance whenever I'm meeting people knowing that i'm going to have to repeat myself. I know this doesn't seem like a huge problem, but it is actually a very awkward stumbling block that really makes a chore out of what's supposed to be a routine social interaction.
b) Many people when they finally figure out what my name is say something like "oh, Err-iel" pronouncing it like the little mermaid as if that's what I said because now they have a name they recognize. Or they just cut to the chase and make some moronic comment like "oh, like the little mermaid." At this point in my life I've given up on correcting these numbnuts and consequently there are many people I associate with (at my gym, in the poker world, former professors, etc.) who call me by a girl's name.
c) Because each syllable in my name is a letter, when I leave my name for limo/restaurant reservations or have to give it to somebody for whatever reason when they ask me my name i say something like "it's Ariel, that's spelled A.r.i.e.l." and the dumb [censored] still almost always ignore the fact that I gave my name first and then spelled it, writing down the letters "R.e.l." then looking at me confused like "that's not a name." When I tell them how to spell it they add my name to the end of what they'd already written down and then they think my name's Relariel and we have to start all over. It's shocking how often this happens but when I try skipping the saying my name part and just spelling it for me they look at me confused because I didn't give them a name first and I have to start over.

So that's what's wrong with my name. I want to legally change it but I'm concerned that it's just too late in life. I know my friends will never call me by whatever name I choose because they just won't feel comfortable doing it and I don't want to have an awkward period of constantly reminding them to call me by my new name and that giong by Ari is not an option as it's not quite as bad as Ariel but still a name that is pretty awkward. I would've thought that it's a common name now because of Entourage but I've found that that's just not the case.

I'm also worried that the people I know will just find it weird: very few people change their names. My friends find it funny enough when we go out to dinner and I've made the reservation under Ari (they kind of laugh like "so now you're Ari to the service industry but not to us?), I can't imagine how weird it would be to them if I start introducing myself to other people as Matt or Prometheus or whatever new name I choose.

So I guess I'm wondering a few things: do any of you know of somebody you are close to changing his/her name? If so, was it a smooth transition for this person or was it very awkward getting people in his/her life to go along? What was it like for the person going out with people who knew him/her by one name while he/she was introducing his/herself by another?

Regardless of whether you know anybody who's done it, do you think I should change my name? Any good name suggestions? It's really hard picking a new name: I was thinking of something Jewish but not awkward like David but found most such names underwhelming. I guess I want a cool name that's not awkward. Also, it's worth mentioning that my parents are fine with me changing my name.