Name Survey - Part 2 - Relation Between Old/New First/Middle Names

[tgchar21]

Here's the second part of my three-part survey on the names we've chosen (the first part, dealing with your last name, is here). To avoid the issue with the mods like last time (thinking I was trying to seek personal information), I am not asking anything about one's specific name but rather general info used statistically that may be of interest to future TSs deciding on a name.

The first part of this round asks about whether or not you matched your former initials when you chose your new name. I've heard some say that it helps in certain cases, while others don't care. The "partially the same" option means that either your first but not middle (or vice versa) initial match, or the initials match only via a nickname (e.g. if you were born Robert but called "Bobby/i" and transitioned to Barbara). For this question ignore your last name whether or not it was changed (that subject was covered previously). Vote for only one of those three options.

The second part asks some miscellaneous questions on how some of us frequently arrive to our chosen names. Vote for any options that are true in your case.

Participate in this poll only if you've either made the legal change or have made a final decision on what you want your name to be. If you're still deciding on a name then please abstain from voting.

[LilDevilOfPrada]

I changing my first name but kept my middle name so my initials will change but by 1 letter.

My middle names unisexual so i have no reason to change it.

[Constance]

On 19 January 2011, I chose what would become my real name: Constance Anne. I had been named David William by my parents. My court date to make this my legal name is 25 January 2013, about 2 years after choosing it.

I had thought about choosing a name such as "Dana Winter" or "Dana Willow" so I could keep my initials and my email addresses wouldn't need to change. But the more I thought about it I wanted a name that would be completely mine from the beginning. So I went with something completely new.

What's in a name?

[ZoeM]

My old (current) initials are CSM; My new first initial is Z, but I don't know what to do with no. 2.

For some crazy reason I'm partial to "Irene" - maybe because I feel sometimes like I'm invading a space where I don't belong?

Umm... suggestions?

[kerrianne]

I actually had a unisex first name to start with (slightly more often a girl's name actually) which I always loved. I could have left it but I wanted people to remember to use new pronouns so I feminized it more. Also, when paired with my new last name it sounded kinda goofy so adding more to my first name made it less so.

My middle name was def male so I changed it and I chose my gramma's first name, which is also the feminine version of my late oldest brother's name - a kind of double tribute.

And then I changed my last name because I always hated the original and didn't like the man who gave it to me in the first place (altho to be fair he did give me life, hmmm). I chose the maiden name of my gramma, because her and her 3 sisters were raised by a single mom in the early 20th century and were all kick ass women who influenced me a LOT.  

I LOVE my new name!! And I made it legal in 2009.

[FTMDiaries]

I told my parents since I was 5 years old that I was really a boy and wanted to be known by a boy's name.

I kept saying it over the years, and eventually my mother admitted that she'd had a feeling during her pregnancy that I would be a boy so they'd originally planned to name me after my grandfathers. Unfortunately I was assigned female at birth, so they decided to name me after my grandmother instead.

I kept that little piece of info in mind... and when the time came to transition, I went back to the name they'd originally chosen for me if I'd been born a boy. It seemed poetic; it was a way of putting right a tiny bit of what went wrong when I was labelled incorrectly at birth. 

My grandfathers' names are nothing like my grandmother's name so it was a complete change, including my initials.

[Nero]

My first two initials (first and middle) are the same. I know for me, I simply was not comfortable with a first name that didn't start with my original initial. I had gone by another male name before transition, but it still didn't feel right because it started with another letter. The first name initial had to be the same in order for it to 'feel like me'. The middle name is simply a more formal, masculinized version of the original diminutive.

I've known all along what my parents would have called me if I had been born 'right'. (Incidentally, it also began with the same initial. I was destined for that letter of the alphabet one way or another!)
I've always identified with it, and was jealous of boys who had it when I was little. Somehow though, it just no longer fit when it came time to change my name. Which is kinda sad because after I came out to my dad with my name already changed, he told me he would have preferred it. I don't think it would have fit me though.

[milktea]

What's wrong with a male middle name??

[Nero]

What's wrong with a male middle name??

Nothing. Why? Do you have one?

[sweetashiro]

The middle name I use is from best friend, Nikolai. My first name my ex helped me pick out.

[Bosch]

Probably going to keep my name because my parents, by some odd coincidence, gave me a name appropriate for my identity. And it's just easier on everyone that way.

Hah, or change it to a woman's name... I mean, I spent the first half of my life saying "no, really, despite the name this girl here is who you're looking for" maybe I should spend the latter part doing the opposite? "Yup, this dude you're looking at is named Courtney."

[AlexD]

My birth name is Alexandra. When I was a kid, I used to get called Alexander a lot, and it usually offended me because, well, it wasn't my name, and the other kids (and teachers!) were deliberately doing it to annoy me. For that reason, I won't change my first name to Alexander -- I don't want to give the f***ers the satisfaction. But I do really like the name Alex, so I'd keep it as a middle name, and change my first name to my parents' choice had I been born male.

Assuming I ever transition. *sigh*

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

When I chose my new name, I did not know it was a feminine version of my old name.  But my middle name is nothing like my old middle name.

[DriftingCrow]

I went with a completely different name then my initials, and nothing that's in the family. My birth initials for first and middle name are S. F. I was thinking of going with "Sean" and keeping my middle name since I heard that some guys have that name just without the "e" at the end (my female middle name is "Faye", I do really like that name, on women, and it's runs in my mom's side of the family), but I decided on going with Henry David after a writer I admire, because I just know way too many Seans that I felt like we really didn't need another one in our circle. My female first name can't be masculinized.

[unknown]

I thought: why not change all my name if I'm going to change it anyway! I mean it costs the same anyway.

[Teela Renee]

my Old name was Thor,  And I changed it to Teela. Both Nordic backgrounds. Changed my middle name to Renee.  Old last name I kept.  So my intials are still the same.  My mother over the last 6 months has been very supportive and when I changed my name I kept her last name out of respect.

[Shawn Sunshine]

*derail a little sorry*

So Teela is this you?



Oh I am changing my middle name only , from Edward to Sunshine, so my initials will be SSS

[Nero]

my Old name was Thor,  And I changed it to Teela. Both Nordic backgrounds. Changed my middle name to Renee.  Old last name I kept.  So my intials are still the same.  My mother over the last 6 months has been very supportive and when I changed my name I kept her last name out of respect.

Thor? Your old name was epic! But not very feminine, so I get it.

[Brittany North]

I kept my last name as I've always liked it   My first name went from Brett to Brittany, which is not quite the feminine form of my old name, but it is similar.  And if someone screws up and yells Brett out, I can pretend they said Brit... 

My middle name I changed to my grandmothers first name (never met her, but it's a nice name).

[Shawn Sunshine]

Thor? Your old name was epic! But not very feminine, so I get it.

well actually the marvel Thor has been female a few times: