How did you choose your new name...

[Cris Zoe]

My given boy names were Christopher David. I remember hanging around with a girl when I was about 14-15 - called Tucker, now there's an different girl's name - when she flat out told me, you're not a guy, you're really a girl and you need a girl's name. She gave me a watercolor painting with "To Cris" painted on it, and I've used Cris ever since, it's even on my driver's license and passport. Now that I'm transitioning, I needed something for my middle name - I'm keeping Cris and my last name - and I went searching various name databases on the net. I thought about feminizing David, but decided a clean break was important. I ended up picking Zoe which is French for "Life", which I thought was appropriate as I'm starting a new part of my life. Plus it makes me feel a little bit French and sexy

BTW, Zoe actually has an acute mark above the 'e' to give it a cute French flair, but I can't figure out how to get it to show up here.

[AnneB]

I had been playing Disney's Pirates Online game for abt 7yrs as a female pirate, named Kat Heartbreaker, I LOVED the name Kat (short for Katherine), I have a fav aunt named Cathy, so that may be my attraction to it, but I also created, and played Anne (current avi name).. I was truly able to play, speak, type, emote as my inner self, and I was joyous each time!  But sadly the Rat shut the game down on Talk Like A Pirate day.. 

So last month, when I came out to my mom, knowing she had several miscarriages, and then me.. I asked "this may be hard to answer and I'm sorry if it is,.. but if I was born a girl, what would you have named me?"

She replied, "Paula Christine, but you father nixed that idea as the other Christine he knew at the time (I'm a 50's baby) was Christine Jorgensen, the first TG girl in worldwide news, and he wasn't going to have any kid of his named after that..  "Well", I said..  "Christine, huh?  .. perfect.. named after a transgendered person.. that's fitting.. as that's what I am, Mom."  The rest, as they say, is a nightmare..  I've been getting used to Paula Christine, and just a few days ago, said to my therapist, that's what I'd like to be called, please.

I also really like Lisa, and Stephanie, Katie, Caitlin (derivatives of Kat), Susan is a very nice one also.. but I think that Paula Christine might be it..  my given first name is a famous apostle, and middle, named after the Angel of hopeless causes (again, very fitting) but there is -no- way to feminize that.  I guess I will see if it really grows on me..  a name change will probably be my birthday present.  And likely, an avi name change sooner..

[HoneyBunny]

I chose honey because I liked the way it sounds and people some times shorten it to hon. It is kind of unusual yes, but I like it.

[Kimberley Beauregard]

I go into detail here: https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,161385.msg1400594.html#msg1400594

[Monica_M]

I chose Monica because she was the only a girl among those I fancy that I couldn't get as a dude and she had the most gorgeous body you could dream of and she became an obsession to me to the point I wanted to be her.

[Christinetobe]

This is kind of funny.  Or ironic anyways.  I have been thinking of myself as Christine for as long as I can remember and I do not know why.  After my wife at the time became more accepting she wanted to make me up and dress me.  I agreed (it was my first time totally made up). Then she said I needed a name because mine just didn't fit.  I told her since she was being so understanding she could choose and I was just praying it would be something I could live with.  She thought about it for a few minutes and finally just said I think Christine fits.  I never told her that it was what i was already thinking of myself as.  Well I guess Christine it is and I am hoping someday to have the courage to make it permanent.

[JulieBlair]

When I was 23 years old I was in love with one of the loveliest young women I have ever known.  One day she told me that she was leaving because I was too feminine, and she wanted to be with a real man.  It broke my heart at the time, but had the ring of truth even then.  For a long time I remembered her words and thought about it.  It became one of the things that helped me come to terms with my own reality.  I took her name, both to remember her charm, and to acknowledger her insight. (And because I really like it) Who wouldda thunk?

j

[Kara Jayde]

Okkkay, sorry to dredge up a slightly old post, but I did it...

<-- *points to profile name*

I'm very happy with it, it took weeks of figuring out. I needed one that seemed to fit me, that I liked, that I could see other people using, that wouldn't be too difficult to transition with, that didn't sound too nuts or out there but was unique enough that it represented me, and that meant something cool (to at least me).

I was tossing up between a lot of names, mostly lara, lana, sara, sarah, laura, karli, kayleigh, kaylah, lila, fina, aya annnd the list goes on, but I think Kara is a nice middle ground and I think the K suits me (it's weird how some names seem to fit, whilst others don't). Sarah is my favourite female name, but it doesn't suit me at all And I love Lara, but I know so many girls with L names it just didn't seem right using it.

Anyway, thank you everyone for the help please call me Kara Jayde here on out ^_^ <3

[LivingTheDream]

When I was 23 years old I was in love with one of the loveliest young women I have ever known.  One day she told me that she was leaving because I was too feminine, and she wanted to be with a real man.  It broke my heart at the time, but had the ring of truth even then.  For a long time I remembered her words and thought about it.  It became one of the things that helped me come to terms with my own reality.  I took her name, both to remember her charm, and to acknowledger her insight. (And because I really like it) Who wouldda thunk?

j

I was madly in love with someone I met on the net a few years ago myself. We'd play games all the time and talk to each other. After a few years of both of us sorta drifting through life, she got her shet together and got a real life. I knew what was happening and where we was heading and watched as she moved on without me. After trying to reconnect a bunch of times over a long period of time with her, sending her msg's and being ignored, I sent her a msg a few months ago saying good bye I guess (the super short version of it).

I've always loved her name and have used it before in certain situations but idk if I could use it as my legal name though. She was a great person to me, totally loved her and had many great times with her but it still hurts the way things went.

Oh btw, HI KARA! Sorry I totally derailed your thread.. I did notice that you changed your name before I read this tho!

[Monkeymel]

I had no name until I made the final decisions to transition a year ago. Then I woke up one night with the name Melissa clearly stuck in my head. Mel worked well for work colleagues and because I wanted to protect my real name. Deedpoll last September and new passport with F in January. Life moves fast.

Melissa is derived from French Melisse and also one of Zeus's nannies. The name fits well and I'm happy. I guess when you find the right name you will just know. But it should not be an expedition... If you find it alien talking to yourself using the new name then it is a poor fit.

[Dee Marshall]

I didn't. My birth name is androgynous and I see no need to change it. The name I use here, "Dee" is what my mom always called me. It's what I ask my best friends to use. At least I won't have the "using the wrong name" problem when I'm completely out, although I don't doubt I'll have the "wrong pronoun" problem.

Dee

[FalseHybridPrincess]

I go by the name Phil these days,I know most people consider it to be a male name but it actually works as a female name too

I mentioned  before  that since I dont strongly indentify as a woman , maybe a demigirl or something , this name makes me feel comfortable as long as people use female pronouns with it or gender neutral ones.

[Jill F]

Because Jills are awesome!  Every Jill I have ever met was super cool. 

Well, my parents would have named me Juliana but my baby sister got it.  Gillian is the anglicized version of that name and is anagrammatic of my given name. In fact, G------ -illia- -------n.

Perfect.  Fit me like a glove.

[ErinWDK]

Erin is now taken as a feminine name.  Years ago it was considered ambiguous.  I sort of like ambiguous at this point.

Then again, in World War One the Royal Navy had a battleship named of all things... Erin (at that point it was a poetic term for Ireland - before the Irish Revolution).  So, this satisfies me as a totally odd mixture.


Erin

[Lady_Oracle]

I went to the largest site for baby names. And literally went through every letter until I had about 5 names I liked the best. Then I just continued making my list smaller until I had a name that I felt fit perfectly.

[RosieD]

http://www.westons-cider.co.uk/products/old-rosie-and-traditional/the-product/

Rosie.

[naomi599]

I ran across Naomi while browsing the web a few years ago. I loved the name and it just stuck to me. My legal name on the other hand isn't to bad considering its androgynous in nature. If anything I meet more women with my legal name than guys.

[Satinjoy]

Satinjoy? ummmmm.......   Guess?


Wife calls me Pagel.  Indian for crazy in love, although the wrong gender spelling, it is supposed to be Paglee.

Fine.  Its affectionate and I'll take it because its affectionate and from her heart.

[Carrie Liz]

Back around age 14, I'd always write stories on my computer late at night about what it would be like if I could somehow turn into a girl by magic. So I started thinking up female names for myself that were basically versions of my birth name, "Charlie."

The first one I thought up was "Cheryl," but that to me sounded like too much of an 'old' name. The one and only time that I ever did a drag show, at a pool party, my name was "Charlene." But that to me just sounded too obvious, too blatantly like nothing but the female version of the name "Charlie," and therefore sounded unfeminine to my ears.

So eventually I settled on "Carrie." And I've been using that name for myself ever since. It sounded cuter, younger, and more feminine than the other names to my ears, so I've always loved it. Then one night, about 3 months into transition, I had a dream where I was crying and a middle-aged woman comforted me by endearingly calling me "Caroline, dear..." So I started gravitating toward using "Caroline" as my official name, and "Carrie" as a nickname. And then what sealed the deal was twofold... first, my aunt Patty criticized me for changing my name, saying "you're named in honor of your great uncle, who died young of cancer. You should keep your name to honor that." And I realized, "Caroline" is the feminine version of "Charles." So really, I was still honoring him. I was still named after him, just a girl instead. And then when I asked my mom whether I should go with "Carrie Elizabeth" or "Caroline Elizabeth," she definitively said "Caroline," it sounded really pretty that way, so that finalized it.

My middle name, that was obvious since day 1. "Elizabeth" was the name of my grandmother, who died mere months before I was born. My mom LOVES that name, and it would have been my middle name had I been born a girl. So go figure... just a mere month from now, my legal name will be "Caroline Elizabeth D******," and I'll be going by "Carrie."

[Amandaww]

Honestlyy, I am still wondering which name I like the most... "Gabriella" or "Amanda" ... Gabriella would be the feminization of my boy name, HOWEVERR, I find the name "Amanda" SO pretty, both have nice meanings and stuff, this is my biggest struggle with transitioning really :[ .
I would like you peeps to give opinions :3.
Amanda Rodrigues, sound better than Gabriella Rodrigues? My middle name is Rodrigues...
I am afraid if I change my name to "Amanda" my personality may go with it, but Gabriella may be a little giveaway, or maybe not? help meh