Who do you think I am?!

[Ltl89]

You already are special.

Aww, thank you. 

Lene? Svetlana? Misha? Mikayla? Jailene? Sybil?

Those are cute names, but they wouldn't go with my extremely Italian sounding last name.

I don't have any specific suggestions, but my best piece of advice is to take something relatively ordinary. Trans or not, people with strange names (however beautiful) are likely to be looked at weird. Now add being trans and that's a rather unwanted factor. You don't need to take the one name that was the most popular in your high school or anything, but try to get something within a reasonable fork of normality among women of your age and demographic profile.

If you're not Russian, don't take a Russian name. And for the love of lovable things, don't 1) invent or dig up a name that you've barely if ever heard or 2) spell a name very originally. These are such huge stereotypes about trans people that if you have an extreme case, some people might instantly wonder if you're a drag queen or what, with that kind of name. And even if not, someone who has doubts about your genetic gender might start thinking about your name or vice versa.

Of course, in the end even naming yourself Khatterynne (from Catherine) or Antolianna (just invented this one) can be without major consequences. But if I were you, I'd still try to put all the chances on my side.

I don't have any specific suggestions, but my best piece of advice is to take something relatively ordinary. Trans or not, people with strange names (however beautiful) are likely to be looked at weird. Now add being trans and that's a rather unwanted factor. You don't need to take the one name that was the most popular in your high school or anything, but try to get something within a reasonable fork of normality among women of your age and demographic profile.

If you're not Russian, don't take a Russian name. And for the love of lovable things, don't 1) invent or dig up a name that you've barely if ever heard or 2) spell a name very originally. These are such huge stereotypes about trans people that if you have an extreme case, some people might instantly wonder if you're a drag queen or what, with that kind of name. And even if not, someone who has doubts about your genetic gender might start thinking about your name or vice versa.

Of course, in the end even naming yourself Khatterynne (from Catherine) or Antolianna (just invented this one) can be without major consequences. But if I were you, I'd still try to put all the chances on my side.

I agree.  I feel choosing a common name makes it a little easier to blend. 

yeah go with a name that is common in your age group. Molly is fine. I'd go with Molly. I'd stick with something the same letter as your first name. I'm lucky I'm just going to use the name that everyone calls me in the first place. Which is a feminized version of my male name.

Yeah, I just might go with Molly.  There are just too many names that I love.  It's too hard.  I also think about going with Mandy because I love the name and it is close to my nickname, but I realize the first three letters could get me in trouble.  "How's it going MANNNN  DY."  I could see some jerk doing that. 

[Theo]

Those are cute names, but they wouldn't go with my extremely Italian sounding last name.

Leila / Laila / Layla? Actually Arabic, but might go well with an Italian last name. (and there are multiple common spellings to choose from)

[Just Shelly]

I love the name Samantha!! even though it can be shortened into a male name...I still think Sam is cute!!

I will warn you...what ever name you choose you will like better a couple others you get to know later. 

I recently worked with a Shelby....I loved her name...she also liked my name Shelly...we would often get called each others name by accident. Quite the compliment for me...she was so adorable and had a great personality! Two things I don't have

[Anna++]

You could always take my route of looking up how popular your name was in the year you were born and finding the matching name in the female column

[JennX]

Hard decision to make. Take your time, and discuss it with friends.

PS: I go by Jen or Jennifer... But absolutely hate Jenny. Yuuuuuck. Not sure why either.

[Ltl89]

Hard decision to make. Take your time, and discuss it with friends.

PS: I go by Jen or Jennifer... But absolutely hate Jenny. Yuuuuuck. Not sure why either.

I am discussing it with my friends.  Oddly enough, the name ally comes up which is my mom's nickname.  It either makes me smile or cry depending on where I am with my mom.  If I choose Jen, I would mainly go by as Jennifer.  Still, I do love Jenny.

I love the name Samantha!! even though it can be shortened into a male name...I still think Sam is cute!!

I will warn you...what ever name you choose you will like better a couple others you get to know later. 

I recently worked with a Shelby....I loved her name...she also liked my name Shelly...we would often get called each others name by accident. Quite the compliment for me...she was so adorable and had a great personality! Two things I don't have

I like Samantha, but I know so many Sams that were men.  It wouldn't be the proper choice as a result.  Perhaps I will share my list of names and set up a poll for people.  We can have a contest for my name,lol. 

[Ltl89]

First prize is one date with you.  Second prize is two dates.....

If we can line up some guys for this, I am ready for the contest

LTL is sad that she doesn't attract the boys.   However, I am getting there and I could of sworn the pizza guy sort of checked me out tonight   Yay for validation!

[Rachel]

Pamila

[Silvermist]

Late last year, I began making a list of favorite female and male names, which I continue to update every once in a while. The list represents the names that I find to be the most pleasing to my ears and does not take meanings into consideration. It's just a nerdy, OCD exercise, but I'd like to refer to it if I ever have children someday. Maybe one of these fits you?

Athena
Naomi
Lorelei
Arcadia
Sabrina
Lyra
Lillian
Celine
Brianna
Rachel
Abigail/Gail
Celeste
Rena
Doris
Olivia
Arianna
Mirabai

[Jennygirl]

literal LOL @ JennX

How about Gia?

[A]

My province has a registry of baby names since 2007, and it records the most popular ones for each year and gender (here, not that it's very relevant to you http://www.rrq.gouv.qc.ca/interactif/pr2i121_prenoms/pr2i121_prenoms/pr2sprenoms.aspx ). Of course, 2007 is a bit late, but looking around, I found a few less official sources that seemed relatively trustable, too. I'd suggest looking at the top 100's of your year of birth and around and shopping around in that.

As for me, I found that my name came up in the top 5 names for girls about 5 (if I remember well) years after I was born, and was in the top 20-30s on my year of birth. I had already chosen it before looking at that, but even though I'd have wished it to be maybe a little less ordinary, it was a relief to see it was indeed pretty ordinary.

[Tessa James]

What fun, thanks LTL.  I named my 40 yo daughter Jennifer and she ended up in 1st grade with a half dozen other Jennifers.  Now she likes Ginny to be more "special."
I do like Molly for you but it seems casual for such a bright star.
I took the name my older sister gave me as a three year old.  Several folks wanted anything else and often thought that 1st initial or feminized version of my old name was important.  That part seems most relative to transition and that is just one aspect of this journey eh?
Being a comfortable fit for you seems the critical determinant for a name that could be you for the rest of your new life?

Thanks for letting us share

[Ltl89]

It seems a lot of people like Madison for me.  I don't know though.  I feel like it isn't common enough.  I don't want people to think "oh your name is Madison..... YOUR TRANS".  Maybe I should just pick any name that sounds pleasing and forget about it being me.  Eventually, it will become my name and define me in time. 

[Theo]

You could always take my route of looking up how popular your name was in the year you were born and finding the matching name in the female column

While I am cheating and using the name my parents were planning to give me anyway (...and had to rethink once I was born), this is pretty much exactly what I originally started doing. Something like http://www.babycenter.com/0_100-most-popular-baby-names-of-1990_1738066.bc can be really useful. (not my birth year, I wish, but might be relatively close to LTL's? )

Other than that I couldn't help think "Lucy" earlier? (not that it's on the list )

[Nero]

Other than that I couldn't help think "Lucy" earlier? (not that it's on the list )

I like this too.

As for Jennifer, I'd expect more a girl about 10 years older than you with that name. Not that it matters, but it is kinda one of those names that belongs to a certain era (ie. MY generation lol)
Not that it would really stick out or anything but to me it immediately brings to mind someone born in the 70s/early 80s.

[Danielle Emmalee]

I like this too.

As for Jennifer, I'd expect more a girl about 10 years older than you with that name. Not that it matters, but it is kinda one of those names that belongs to a certain era (ie. MY generation lol)
Not that it would really stick out or anything but to me it immediately brings to mind someone born in the 70s/early 80s.

Well, I'd expect someone at least 90 years old with the name Lucy.  Jennifer to me goes at least up to 1990.

[calico]

hmmm, well I have read though this and seen previous post, and I will add this input and my suggestion....

when I chose my name I wanted a name that said who I was and told others about what was in my heart, it didn't matter how different it was, and while yes unique names attract people, unambiguous normal name while do not attract attention they don't always say who you are, this being said some people here know what I chose and some think they know and I will say my middle name which is Samantha was chosen because it sounded regal or as if it came from royalty and sounded (to me) of ellegance . If you want to know my first name you may pm me as for my suggestion....  I think Melaina and yes it is unique, but so is the person

[Ltl89]

While I am cheating and using the name my parents were planning to give me anyway (...and had to rethink once I was born), this is pretty much exactly what I originally started doing. Something like http://www.babycenter.com/0_100-most-popular-baby-names-of-1990_1738066.bc can be really useful. (not my birth year, I wish, but might be relatively close to LTL's? )

Other than that I couldn't help think "Lucy" earlier? (not that it's on the list )

I like this too.

As for Jennifer, I'd expect more a girl about 10 years older than you with that name. Not that it matters, but it is kinda one of those names that belongs to a certain era (ie. MY generation lol)
Not that it would really stick out or anything but to me it immediately brings to mind someone born in the 70s/early 80s.

Well, I'd expect someone at least 90 years old with the name Lucy.  Jennifer to me goes at least up to 1990.

I like Lucy, but I sort of agree with Casey.  It seems like a name for someone of an older generation. 

hmmm, well I have read though this and seen previous post, and I will add this input and my suggestion....

when I chose my name I wanted a name that said who I was and told others about what was in my heart, it didn't matter how different it was, and while yes unique names attract people, unambiguous normal name while do not attract attention they don't always say who you are, this being said some people here know what I chose and some think they know and I will say my middle name which is Samantha was chosen because it sounded regal or as if it came from royalty and sounded (to me) of ellegance . If you want to know my first name you may pm me as for my suggestion....  I think Melaina and yes it is unique, but so is the person

Thank you. 

That's a gorgeous name, but it sounds so much like the name of a good friends soon to be wife.  In fact, it's the exact name without the M.  It would be awkward if I choose that. 

I'll probably narrow things down and have a poll or something.  I don't know,lol.   

[Silvermist]

It seems a lot of people like Madison for me.  I don't know though.  I feel like it isn't common enough.  I don't want people to think "oh your name is Madison..... YOUR TRANS".

I'm not sure why you would think that because Madison is a very common name for girls! It's FAR more common than Molly in fact. Madison is more common nowadays than virtually all other names that have been suggested so far in this thread (except for maybe Samantha and Isabelle). Over the last two decades, I've seen and heard Madison used many times in movies and TV, and I'm sure that there were a few Madisons at my middle school and high school. I can't say the same about Molly. Molly is a very classical name; it has a timeless quality. That's why you can find middle-aged women with that name as well as (occasionally) little girls. But Madison is modern, trendy, hip, and even preppy. All of the Madisons that I've encountered in fiction and real life have been attractive girls from upper-middle-class households.

The Social Security Administration maintains a database of popular baby names, which you can search by year: http://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/popularnames.cgi

I've done the research for you. Madison first appeared in the top 25 in 1996, at #15. It has grown increasingly popular since then. Here its rankings up to last year:

1996: #15
1997: #10
1998: #9
1999: #7
2000: #3
2001: #2
2002: #2
2003: #3
2004: #3
2005: #3
2006: #3
2007: #5
2008: #6
2009: #7
2010: #8
2011: #8
2012: #9


Ever since 1996, Madison has been more popular than Jennifer, which was the most popular female name from 1970 to 1985 but dropped out of the top 25 in 2000. Jessica dominated the mid-1980s to mid-1990s but fell below Madison in 1999. (Interesting fact: In 2010, the 25th most popular name for baby girls was Nevaeh. It was actually more popular than former champs Jennifer and Jessica.)

So how has Molly ranked? I don't know because Molly has not been in the top 25 since at least as far back as 1960. It's not really that common at all, though perhaps it just sounds "ordinary" rather than fancy or exotic. I'm very surprised that you consider Molly as common enough to be unsuspicious but not Madison, when the statistics suggest that the opposite should be true. So trust me, NOBODY will assume that you're trans if you call yourself Madison. The name has positive and attractive connotations (more so than Molly, IMO), and if anything, strangers might think that your parents were somewhat forward-thinking by giving you that name.

I couldn't care less if you choose Madison or Molly or Jennifer or whatever. But if you don't choose Madison, then I just hope that your reason isn't that "it isn't common enough."

[Ltl89]

I'm not sure why you would think that because Madison is a very common name for girls! It's FAR more common than Molly in fact. Madison is more common nowadays than virtually all other names that have been suggested so far in this thread (except for maybe Samantha and Isabelle). Over the last two decades, I've seen and heard Madison used many times in movies and TV, and I'm sure that there were a few Madisons at my middle school and high school. I can't say the same about Molly. Molly is a very classical name; it has a timeless quality. That's why you can find middle-aged women with that name as well as (occasionally) little girls. But Madison is modern, trendy, hip, and even preppy. All of the Madisons that I've encountered in fiction and real life have been attractive girls from upper-middle-class households.

The Social Security Administration maintains a database of popular baby names, which you can search by year: http://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/popularnames.cgi

I've done the research for you. Madison first appeared in the top 25 in 1996, at #15. It has grown increasingly popular since then. Here its rankings up to last year:

1996: #15
1997: #10
1998: #9
1999: #7
2000: #3
2001: #2
2002: #2
2003: #3
2004: #3
2005: #3
2006: #3
2007: #5
2008: #6
2009: #7
2010: #8
2011: #8
2012: #9


Ever since 1996, Madison has been more popular than Jennifer, which was the most popular female name from 1970 to 1985 but dropped out of the top 25 in 2000. Jessica dominated the mid-1980s to mid-1990s but fell below Madison in 1999. (Interesting fact: In 2010, the 25th most popular name for baby girls was Nevaeh. It was actually more popular than former champs Jennifer and Jessica.)

So how has Molly ranked? I don't know because Molly has not been in the top 25 since at least as far back as 1960. It's not really that common at all, though perhaps it just sounds "ordinary" rather than fancy or exotic. I'm very surprised that you consider Molly as common enough to be unsuspicious but not Madison, when the statistics suggest that the opposite should be true. So trust me, NOBODY will assume that you're trans if you call yourself Madison. The name has positive and attractive connotations (more so than Molly, IMO), and if anything, strangers might think that your parents were somewhat forward-thinking by giving you that name.

I couldn't care less if you choose Madison or Molly or Jennifer or whatever. But if you don't choose Madison, then I just hope that your reason isn't that "it isn't common enough."

Perhaps it's just my age.  It may be a younger girls name, so that's why it doesn't register for me.  Having said that, I should be able to pull it off at 24.  I'm just so indecisive so I find reasons not to like a name.  I just want to find the "right" name, but I guess there isn't such a thing.  You just pick what you like and it becomes your name.