How did you choose your name...and how many times did you change it...

[Kareil]

I am stuck with the uncommon unisex nickname of my obviously-female birthname (uncommon as a nickname for that name, I mean, commonly used on its own however - I don't want to say what it is) for as long as I'm stuck with my family - they're untrainable.  I spent years trying, back when I thought if it became readily apparent to the rest of the world that I was female, things would all sort of fall into place.  But no, when I asked her to call me what I preferred to be called, then, which just so happened to be what she had *actually named me and was on all my ID*, she just said she'd call me what she wanted and I should be glad it wasn't something with four letters.  Ten years and she still only called me my full name when accompanied by my middle and last names when she was mad at me, my dad only slightly better, and I don't think any of my extended family knows what my full name actually *is*.

So, no choice there.  But I can pick a middle name.  For me, I had to eliminate anything that's horribly trendy with people under about 15, if the name was almost unheard of back when I was born, anything I can remember a kid in my class or a close friend's brother having - anyone close enough that my first thought is of them when I hear the name, any guy I've ever had a thing for (that'd be more than a little embarassing!), any of my past bosses, and other guys I've run into that have stuck out in my mind as people I do not want to be named after.  I don't need to use Jacob/Julian/Joshua because they've been taken by friends that had kids.

So...you can call me Toby.  Which I like, fits all the requirements, yet clashes with the first name in the "two nicknames" way, though spelled out on a driver's license in full as Tobias would look just fine.  But it's still not the nicest fit, so something else might be best wedged in between the two of them there...

[Al James]

When i was in my twenties i went by the name i would have had if i'd been born into a boys body. Then i went back to my female name. This time round i decided to keep my initial so went for Alex cos at the time i needed a name that was uni sex. James was always going to be part of my name so Alex James was born although sometimes i wish i'd just stuck with James

[Wintery]

I still don't have a name I'm comfortable with. I've tried a few but nothing has really stuck. My last try was Winter hence the username. But that failed as well. I've been looking in baby name books and at some of my favorite book series, but I'm having a hard time finding a name. My birth name doesn't suit me at all. I heard it and it sounds like they're talking about someone else. I want something that just fits. I guess for now I'm nameless.

[deejayk]

I didn't even pick my name. One day I had to introduce myself and I simly said "Hi, I'm Jake". That's it. Never thought twice about it.
Been identifying myself with Jake for a strong three years - when I noticed I'm really a guy.

[Hadrian]

I still don't have a name I'm comfortable with. I've tried a few but nothing has really stuck. My last try was Winter hence the username. But that failed as well. I've been looking in baby name books and at some of my favorite book series, but I'm having a hard time finding a name. My birth name doesn't suit me at all. I heard it and it sounds like they're talking about someone else. I want something that just fits. I guess for now I'm nameless.

Wintery,
Have you tried looking up Winter or Snow in different languages? For instance, Yuki means Snow in Japanese.

[Wintery]

That's a good idea. Though Winter really doesn't fit me at all. So I'll look at some of the other names I've used and their meanings. Japanese names are so pretty. I just hope I can't find something people won't totally butcher. There's other languages too though so I'll be on the lookout.

[Hadrian]

That's a good idea. Though Winter really doesn't fit me at all. So I'll look at some of the other names I've used and their meanings. Japanese names are so pretty. I just hope I can't find something people won't totally butcher. There's other languages too though so I'll be on the lookout.

Good idea, and good luck.

[Wintery]

Thanks so much.

[Hadrian]

You're welcome.

[Maga Girl]

I put in google ''nombres de mujeres'' XD

Alexia>Sasha>Mia>Narela>?? 

[Rook]

My given name is very unique. Whenever I have introduced myself people have asked "is that your real name? cool" and nobody has ever spelled it right without being corrected. I have never met another person with my name. And aside from it being girly, I always liked it because it was unique.

However, since growing up, being unique is no longer important to me. And a big bonus to my transitioning is that I will no longer have attention drawn to me. I am no longer the token dyke, or the tomboy, or the tough girl, or the girl who played video games. I'm just your average Joe, and I love it.

Therefore, when looking for a new name, I wanted something plain, easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and masculine. I scoured baby name websites for months. Choosing and changing my mind over and over and over again. I didn't want something that someone I know had, or a name and had connotations to friends and family. I was so worried about choosing a name, and then regretting it, because there are so many names I could choose from, and now that I can have any guys name that I wanted, I didn't want to make a mistake.

In the end I chose a common male name for my first name, and a slightly less common one for my middle name incase I ever miss being the only person in the room with a unique name. Yet I still agnonized about whether or not I would regret my choices.

Then one day I realized that it really doesn't matter at all. People always say "i hate that name because i know a guy who i hate with that name" or "i love that name because this guy i love has that name" or "you cant have the name chris because i know someone named chris already". A name is just a name. It only matters if you like it. Everyone else will adjust. They don't care nearly as much as you do anyways. If its a name they used to hate, you will give it new meaning and they will learn to like it. I used to hate the name miranda because of this kid in pre school who used to kick me when one one was looking, then I fell in love with a woman named miranda as an adult and now I like the name. And unless its some crazy out there name that isnt really a name, or in some language that you don't even speak or from a nationality that you don't even know anything about, someone you encounter is going to share the same name as you eventually.

So, just pick a name, don't over think it, and stick to it. Because in the end it really doesn't matter. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

[kyle_lawrence]

I had a somewhat organized process to choose my name, which is odd considering I usually have trouble doing things in a logical way.  I think my brain is just too random.  I feel like a lot of guys choose names that are new and trendy, and that weren't popular when they were born, and I knew I wanted to avoid that.  Like how Aiden (in all the various spellings) has become a "trans-name" in my head. 

First I found a list of the 100 most popular names for baby boys in 1984.  Then went through and eliminated any name that was the same as a close family member or friend.  From the names that were left, I had about 5 that I was considering,  and Kyle kept jumping out at me and felt like it was appearing again and again.  After I realized that it was similar to my middle name (Kate, just change out the middle 2 letters) it just seemed even more 'correct'.   I had started out trying to find a male version of my legal female name, but I couldn't come up with anything at all, so going with something that was similar to my middle name seemed like a good compromise.

Some where along the line I had asked my mom what she would have named me if I was born male, and she said Lawrence.  I knew I didnt like it for my first name, so it be came my middle name.     All of my friends so far have agreed that Kyle suits me, and I really havn't had any second thoughts about it.   

[ajborelli]

i lost touch with both of my parents and they were the reason i went with andrew so since that my legal name will be changed to Skylar Drew but i go by drew still.

[nogoodnik]

It took me a LONG time to find a first name I was happy with, but I didn't "try on" any others first, I just knew none of them were right.

Part of my problem was that I was trying to find something similar to my birth name, since I love the first letter of it, and didn't want to discard that letter. However, there aren't many male names starting with it, and the only common one is already taken by one of my half brothers. It was years before I hit on the idea of getting rid of my birth surname (I don't have any strong feelings of attachment to it), turning my birth first name into my surname (it's unusual enough that it works), and picking a new first name.

After that, it was extremely obvious. Nik and other spellings and variations on that name had been my favourite since childhood. I'd just never considered it for myself because I was so hung up on keeping the same first initial.

I haven't changed my name legally yet and don't even go by it openly IRL, but I've been going by it online for several years now, and my best friend IRL knows it and calls me it some of the time. It's well beyond the trying on stage, it's comfortably my name now. It's at the point where I hesitate when people ask me IRL what my name is... I automatically think "Nik" first before remembering I haven't got around to changing my name yet.

I did sort of try on a different middle name before settling on the one I picked. But really it just came down to "names I like" and figuring out which sounded best and felt "right". I considered meanings as well, but it wasn't a big issue as none of the names I liked had meanings I objected to.

I didn't really think about family members or anything like that. I wasn't named after any family members and most of my male family members have names I don't like that much. My mother changed her entire name in adulthood so I doubt she will mind. My father might object to me discarding his surname, but he also changed his surname in adulthood, so that'd be a bit hypocritical. He hasn't been any part of my life whatsoever besides sending the occasional rude letter every ten years, so I feel he's forfeited his rights regarding any aspect of my life, really. Why consider his feelings when he has none for mine? Of course, it's possible he won't care either.