Your forum name - how did you choose it, and why?

[Julia-Madrid]

Forum family, recently I got to wondering why we choose our forum names as we do.

I mean, some are obvious, but others speak of serious mental angst or life upheaval.  Maybe they are a true reflection of the state of the person, or maybe not.  Some might be trivial, like using the image on the coffee cup we're using.

So, in all seriousness, how you did you choose your forum name, and why? 

I'm particularly interested in those who've chosen names that jump out at us for their emotional impact.  But thinking about it a bit more, for many of us the name we have chosen does have personal emotional impact, and this too would be interesting.

To get the ball rolling, Julia was the name I chose for myself when I first fully realised I was trans 20 years ago.  It was a desperate time for me emotionally, realising that I was a girl, and also that I was more attracted to males.  Julia seemed to be a very feminine name - I never contemplated others.  Madrid is easy; I live here. 

Your turn...

[Cindy]

An interesting start to a post that may well reflect things. I started off here as Cindy James; a mix of my new and old. As I 'became or accepted' Cindy; James died, so I changed my name to Cindy - and that is who I am!

Funny, I was talking to my original psychiatrist recently and he asked me what my male name was? He couldn't remember and I struggled to remember. He has gone and I do not miss him

[Jenny07]

My name is in honour of my former partner.

Her name is Jennifer. She had a horrible accident that was beyond words to describe.
It happened in 2007 thus the 07.

I lover her terribly but things will never be the same again.
I miss her so much.

[Anna-Maria]

My name is the name my parents chose if I would have become a girl. Now, they got a girl, just a "different" one 

[LordKAT]

Well,...I'm a KAT and I think you can figure out the rest.

[Matthew]

Welp mine's fairly simple hehe

When I was younger I drew comics and for one I wanted to make into a proper book I made the main character a young boy called Matt. He reflected a lot of me, he did things I wished I could and he was based on me, but that was a secret.

So, I thought Matthew could work, and it just seemed to fit. On the forums I get one name, so I made it my formal name, Matthew. But on the chat I go by Matt, Matthew (if I'm grumpy ) Mattchu or MattKitty

[Mark3]

I was boring, I just used my first name, but it was taken.
Mark1 seemed too cocky, Mark2 seemed too much a play on words (2-two-to-too), but Mark3 sounded okay to me.?

[Ms Grace]

In the past I might have used the code name of a female comic book character but this time I decided to use the name I was planning on taking once I transitioned - so Grace it was. The Ms is just a reflection of the fact that I hated being called Mr and was dying to become a Ms!

[cassieohpia]

Named after the star system, named after ancient Greek vain queen, Cassiopeia, who 'boasted of her unrivalled beauty'.
Tongue firmly in cheek.
And I like the name Cassie. I would have been Cassie o'pia - Irish sounding if the apostrophe was allowed.

Pretentious? Moi?
:-)

[ImagineKate]

I like the name Kate and even if I ultimately do not go with it, I'm using it here. The "imagine" part is how I cope. I try to dream and imagine myself in the correct gender.

[Mariah]

I chose my forum name by using my first name that would become my legal name not to long after joining the site and then the year that I started my transition medically being 2014.

[Edge]

My dad's former best friend who I felt close to once described me as "someone who walks on the edge of the way the world is supposed to be." At the time and still, I felt like that was an accurate description and felt proud of it. Not because it's necessarily a positive thing (although it's not necessarily a negative thing either), but because it's me.

[VeryGnawty]

It's my old AOL handle.  After trying a dozen variations of "Id" or "Demon of Elru" and all of them already being taken, I decided to use a name from a less well-known character.  I chose VeryGnawty, a boss in the old Donkey Kong Country video game.  Just like the real VeryGnawty, I will probably fall down if you stomp on my head thrice.

[Julia-Madrid]

My name is in honour of my former partner.

Her name is Jennifer. She had a horrible accident that was beyond words to describe.
It happened in 2007 thus the 07.

I lover her terribly but things will never be the same again.
I miss her so much.

Jenny, I think you are amazing.  Strength, sister!

[BreezyB]

I used a simple take on what we all know as a 'Busy Bee', one that has lots to do. However adding the breezy component reflects my attitude to life, I believe in not being too serious.

Oh, did I mention my names Bree also xx

(See, it just simply works) 

[Lyric]

Years ago I was web cruising on my day off from work and read a news story of the murder of a pretty young rising actress named Lyric Benson. She had defied her religiously conservative Midwestern parents and gone to Hollywood. She had done a few small roles in network TV shows. After a breakup with her boyfriend the guy had shown up at her doorstep and shot her to death, then killed himself.

We hear stories like this in the news all the time, but for some reason I spent a good while on the web learning about the lady and thought she seemed like a pretty interesting person. It seemed to me super sad her life had been cut short so soon. I sent $100 to a charity fund her parents had set up in her name and decided to honor her life by recalling her with my online username here and in several other places.

[Athena]

Was listening to Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit and thought it seemed appropriate.

[Jaime R D]

Its my first name followed by middle and last initial. I used to use different names, but I got too many complaints about them.

[Bombadil]

Interesting thread.

I am actually thinking about changing my name here as I'm using my real name. I am out at work where I contact a lot of people and I've had some folks approaching me asking for advice about transitioning and such which is really great. I'm just a bit paranoid that someone who is new to transgender issues may stumble here and realize who I am. I'm not hiding my transgender status but I have talked about some of my issues like having PTSD and an ED and stuff. I don't necessarily want people at work to know that. Also, word has trickled back to my crazy family that I have transitioned. I do NOT want them finding me here. Yes, that's paranoid but they found me once online and I don't ever want that to happen again.

So... what should my new name be? Hmmm..

[Rachel]

I chose Cynthia because growing up I was good friends with a Cynthia and I wanted to be her. I like the name Rachel so perhaps when the time I will have a tough choice. My middle assigned name is Michael so Michelle way easy. So Cynthia Michele is my present chosen name.