How did you choose your new name...

[Kara Jayde]

I'm currently looking through names and I've finding it hard to resonate with any of them. I never really felt like I resonated with my birth name as it is, but all the feminine names I really adore are used within my social circles, and I don't want to 'steal' somebodies name. At the same time, I'm not sure about picking something more obscure/unique (which would fit my personality) since that may make it harder to pass (your name is what?). I've heard the right name can be instrumental in being accepted (would you agree with that?)...

I'm just curious, how did you go about finding your new name? Did you choose something you had always liked? Did you choose something similiar to your birth name to make the transition easier on those around you? Or did you just, by some spiritual voodoo, know deep down?

[Northern Jane]

I guess I would qualify for the "spiritual voodoo"  When I was 3 or 4 years old, a new girl moved to the neighbourhood and I thought her name (which wasn't Jane  ) was the prettiest I had ever heard so I adopted it for myself. That's 60 years ago now and I have never had any doubt that it was the right name for me.

[Elyra]

I went with Emilia for quite a while. I just love the sound of it, and I thought it resonated well with me. This was back in the days, pre-everything, when I was still questioning whether or not I was trans at all, and I thought I'd stick by it.

Then four years ago, my cousin had a baby girl and named her... yes, you guessed it. And from there on out I've felt increasingly detached from the name, feeling as thought it belongs to someone else and doesn't really fit me anymore. And now I'm fine with the runner-up name Thea, which is closer to my boy name. And I like it more and more. Still wondering if I should go for the long version (Theodora) or not though...

Elyra is just my preferred online nickname.

[immortal gypsy]

I'm keeping my original name as it's unisex and generally used as a girls nickname anyway.  My middle name when I get around to changing it will be a feminine version of my grandfather's (Isley/Isla), as he taught me my values and morals. Plus that island is a producer of Scotch Whisky and neither of us drink

[Veronica M]

Mine was pretty simple... My Boy name is Ron, and my mother always called me Ronnie. Being a fan of the Archie's growing up. (Boy did I just date myself.. LOL) I always liked Veronica... (Swave & Sassy) Also it fits with my birth name which is Martin. So there it is... Cats out of the bag now... LOL.

[Kathryn_:)]

There is a good section on choosing a name at TSRoadmap.
http://www.tsroadmap.com/reality/nameindex.html

[Veronica M]

There is a good section on choosing a name at TSRoadmap.
http://www.tsroadmap.com/reality/nameindex.html

Very interesting read... Thank you.

[Teela Renee]

My old male name was Thor, I wanted something strong and went with Teela (strong willed) ray was my middle name, came up with reene. and my last name, a tribute to my best friend who helped me through my whole transition. I have her last name.

[Yukari-sensei]

I was originally using the feminization of my name, as I actually liked my name due to the history my parent's alluded to in it (and the funny debates over whose origin of the idea is the correct one ). One problem, my wife could not stand the sound of it. In the end, she came up with a name that would honor my heritage, still be feminine, and close enough to neutral for safety during transition - Mieke. For me it came out of left field, but I have to say I like it and feel it's special since it's another gift my wife has given me in our marriage.

[KatVonDoom]

Mine is similar to my boy name, has an abbreviation that happens to be a nickname I already have, and is the name of a girl I knew years ago, someone who at the time I was convinced I was in love with, the whole crazy teenage boy trip, and realized after a bit that it was more of her being completely the type of girl I wanted to be. So much of my "masculine" behavior (which I'm hearing more and more from people was apparently way more androgynous than I thought ) was modeled after her on a subconscious level, because she was the first person I ever met who I could identify with. It's ALSO a grandmother's name, haha, so it just kinda seemed pretty much perfect.

And taking my mom's middle name. Figure that'll make up a bit for the whole "sorry 'bout dropping the family name" thing XD

[FrancisAnn]

I forgot. It's been 20 years since I started with a better name. I do remember the first Cosmo magazine I received in the mail to Ms. Francis Ann _________. That was way cool back then.

[BeingSonia]

My parents chose Sonia if I was to be born female. I always liked this name, more than my male name...
Now, only my close friend to whom I came out to call me Sonia. My brothers still call by my male name.

Sonia

[kathyk]

Kathy and ultimately Katherine grew out of the name I commonly called myself while daydreaming of being a girl, and later a woman.  It felt very natural, and came from the Chatty Cathy doll I couldn't have in 1959.

From Finnish ancestry my name meaning is:
Katherine - Pure
Henna     - Leader of the home (Feminine version of my original name Henry)
Koski       - Rapids (From something like Perrittikoski, supposedly a person, house or mill by the rapids)

A good name will choose you, and will grow from a part of your life.  That includes the feminine names many of you chose from your old male names.  But since those male names defined who we were in the past some of us find it impossible to use them as a base for our new name.

[Michelle G]

My name is just the obvious girl version of my birth name, I'm sure others with the male version can confirm that while growing up they were teased and call Michelle countless times by "boys being boys", with me it always just made me smile inside by hearing the name I wanted in the first place.

The last company I worked at had a couple of those smart ass type jokester guys that for the 20 years I worked there would call me Michelle, guys named Pat would get called "Patty" one guy name Joe was always called "Josie" this was at a big tough construction company that I ran the art department for. Not one single time did I mind it but the others were very annoyed for sure.

[allisonsteph]

I chose Allison as my name simply because I have always liked the name. My entire life whenever I wrote a story that had a female character her name was always Allison. It wasn't until I received my new Driver's License and was removing my old one from my wallet that I realized that Allison is a feminine version of my middle name (and my father's first name) Alan.

[EllieM]

I wanted something that began with the same first letter as my birth name but didn't sound too much like it, so I thought Ellison, but that sounded too pretentious so I chose the diminutive form of it, hence Ellie. I dunno, kind of fits. By the way, it is not a reference to the Clampett family, I don't even have a see-ment pond.

[WFane]

My name is a little embarrasing, but it stuck. Alessa Gilespie is the primary antagonist in the Silent Hill game series, and her nightmares manafest themselves. I was going through a personal hell, and figured that was my nightmare. So Alessa seemed fitting. Alyssa eventually came out of it when I realized things were going to be okay. Now I respond to Aly, Alyssa, Lyss, etc.

[emilyking]

I first picked out Katie-Ann Elizabeth.  However, when I got sirius About going forward, I needed to pick a new name since my half sister's name is Kathy.

I always love the name Emily from Clifard the Big Red Dog.
For my middle name, a female friend of mine gave me the nickname Ru.  I think it would be a bit of a tribute to what I'm leaving behind. 
For last name, just kept my current one.

So....
Emily Ru King

[Xhianil]

Mine was rather simple to choose, I didn't want a common name, nor did i want something i didn't connect with on some level, then I saw the name (Xhianil) in a furry web comic i like and it belonged to a dragoness, and since my son a is a dragoness and the name sounded cool I chose it and made it my own.

[Misato]

I saw Paige on the office door of someone named Paige. For some reason I took a shine to it.

I'd gone through a bunch of names before the one I selected for reasons of I met someone with the name or someone else took it. Paige still feels like my name. Though it is still sometimes very weird knowing that Paige is my name now, legally and all.