I keep running into my old name....

[PPatrice]

Yes, very very hard to completely expunge old names from one's personal history. I knew a professional person who worked very hard to ensure that that all reference to the former name were altered.  A few years passed, but the former name popped into public view one day.

I don't believe my acquaintance's efforts at editing out the former name were remiss in any respect.  I think the problem is that in many circumstances the old records are not actually destroyed.  My knowledge is perhaps dated, but used to be at a least a few government agencies and other entities don't destroy old records subsequent to said records being amended (i.e., the amended record was just tossed into a file with the old stuff).

[Mariah]

Sorry to hear that. Have you tried sending the request again and sending the needed documents a second time. It might be worth trying. I know how frustrating it can be at times. Sorry it took me a few days to respond I have been actively involved in something new in my life and that has taken some time up.
Mariah

I have changed the information with all of my banks without any problems prior to trying to change it with PayPal. I sent in a copy of my driver's license along with a copy of my court papers along with a statement saying that I have legally changed my name and need to change it with them. I got an email from them where they questioned why I was doing this. I was confused by this, especially since it the question was already answered in the email I sent them. I just reiterated that I legally changed my name and need to change my name with them.

I followed it up with a call to PayPal, and they stated that I had to send them proof of a name change. I told them I already have but nothing has happened. They didn't give me someone else I could talk to or a different email address or snail mail address to send this to. After some frustrating back and forth over this, I gave up.

Still nothing has happened to this day.

[JoanneB]

I had about the same problem with an auto parts store. Feed the phone number into the great god of the electron and pops my wife's name. A lot lot of retailers use your phone to find you and keep track of your purchases. (BTW-for auto parts at Advance Auto great for in warantee issues when you don't have the long ago faded out thermal printer reciept)

[JayDawg]

I didn't see any reason to keep my old PayPal account, so I just closed it. If I need a new one, I'll create one with my new name. I do keep getting snail mail in my old name, and I expect it will take some time to completely eradicate the old name. I did a lot of the name changes in person with a copy of the court order in hand, and people were surprisingly cool about it.

Still pisses me off that I can't change it on my concealed carry license. That has to wait until I renew in 2 years. At least by then, I might have some facial hair and a M to go along with the new name

[alexbb]

I got lucky with a gender neutral name, Id be hopeless trying to remember a new name!!

[Alana_Jane]

Me:  "Have you read my paper on X, Y, and Z in P, D, and Q"
College: "I didn't know that was your work it was written by  Xxxxx Xxxxxxx"
Me -> OUT 

It's hard to be a professional when you have a past in the old name.  Even so I'm really just a nobody.  I don't ever expect to leave my male self behind completely.  Rather I hope to make a future where I can be the lady I know I am inside, realizing that on occasion I'll have to reference that I used to be him.  After all he did help me to get where I am today. 

-Alana

[Sydney_NYC]

This happens to me a lot when I go back and change a piece of software code that has my old name in the comment part of the code. I update and change it as I go along, and only me and 3 other people can see it and they change it when they run across it as well.

[Eva Marie]

This happens to me a lot when I go back and change a piece of software code that has my old name in the comment part of the code. I update and change it as I go along, and only me and 3 other people can see it and they change it when they run across it as well.

That's been happening to me too!

[Jill F]

Yup,  happened again today.  Went to get a smog check on my car, they enter the Lic# and *BAM!* there it was.

[Jenna Marie]

Yep. 5 years out it's mostly junk mail and spam coming in that name, but every once in a while I trip over something like the rewards card thing. On the other hand, some guy named Lou KEEPS giving out our home phone number as his own, and I've never met the dude in my life, so it does happen and most customer service people should have seen it all by now.

My wife also reminds me that she changed her name 15 years ago (and only lived under the other name until she was 22 years old), and it still pops up. It's the gift that keeps on giving in the database age, I guess. Heck, I got my tax return in the wrong name three freakin' years after I legally changed it... and then the bank teller told me that happened to her for 8 years. (I would have gone shrieking insane by then.) So it'll never *completely* go away so long as you have the same personal data - especially Social Security number - but the farther away you get from the time you changed it, the more it will also start to look like typical database garbage and/or someone like good ol' Lou messing things up for you.

[immortal gypsy]

I have started to become my "partner" with rewards cards recently more often.

"Do you have a rewards card with us?"
"Yes but it's not on me"
"Ok that's all right we'll just check the system"
Moment of panic "oh we share my partner's card"
"Alright his name and suburb"

Time to go to other stores and 'rejoin' as me

[Sydney_NYC]

I have started to become my "partner" with rewards cards recently more often.

"Do you have a rewards card with us?"
"Yes but it's not on me"
"Ok that's all right we'll just check the system"
Moment of panic "oh we share my partner's card"
"Alright his name and suburb"

Time to go to other stores and 'rejoin' as me

I've run into this a few times with rewards cards. The first time was at Pep Boys (and I didn't want to loose me points.) It went like this:

Cashier: "Do you have a rewards card?"
Me: "Yes, but I don't have it with me."
Cashier: "What phone number is it under?"
Me: "<gives phone number>"
Cashier: "Ahh whats the name it's under?"
Me: "Sydney <lastname>"
Cashier: "Ahh I found it under<male name>, is that your husbands?"
Me: "No, not anymore!!"
Cashier: "Would you like me to change it?"
Me: "Yes please, he want be using it anymore."

The only thing I had to out myself for was frequent flyer miles with Jet Blue and Southwest. I had to send them a court order and my new ID so they would change the gender. (Since that has to match when you fly.) Jet Blue even called me back to verify that my gender did change and they were great about it and did it within an hour of faxing them my court order. Southwest took 3 weeks to update my account after faxing them the info, but they didn't give me any hassle over it.

[allisonsteph]

The rewards cards are the first things I tackled actually. I sacrificed all my rewards points on everything because I couldn't stand one more minute of hearing my old name. The very first thing I got with my current name is a new Starbuck's gold card, a month before I even filed the paperwork to legally change my name. The only thing that I know is looming on the horizon is my pending divorce. My wife filed it using my old name despite the fact that I legally changed it months earlier (we had an epic fight shortly after separating and didn't see each other or speak for 6 months). Her logic was "I married Scott, I'm divorcing Scott". That should be final in February 2015.

[CynthiaAnn]

My caller ID on the phone was outing me, even after I changed the account name with the phone company.

It took a separate effort (trouble ticket) to have my caller ID transmissions changed to my current name.  Even then the phone company rep was asking me "but what about your husband ?" 

C -

[Beth Andrea]

Yup,  happened again today.  Went to get a smog check on my car, they enter the Lic# and *BAM!* there it was.

I'm told the Fish and Game people here in WA use one's SSAN to index licenses...which means if one got a hunting or fishing license or whatever, they still have the old name in their system.

This may be true for other states and agencies also, depending on various things.

[Jayvin]

My common excuses for that is that it's a partner or ex's name, or family member's name. Then ask them if there's a way to change it. Generally they won't really create too much of a problem with it, either they can change it or they can't, but they won't stop you from using it (unless it's a bank card sorta thing)

In some cases, you can call and say "Hey I lost my old card" and see if there's a way to get another one without needing a new account. Say that your partner (whom never used the card, doesn't currently use the card, moved away, etc) was the one to originally sign up for the account, and they want you to just switch it onto your name. They might be able to help switch things (like for loyalty cards) that way without it effecting the account.

[immortal gypsy]

Our state election is this weekend. My new name is on the electoral roll, I have checked. When I look up my old name it comes up not registered to vote at this address. Guess which name keeps getting sent the promotional mail I at her address.

Yes old me that's who.

(we have compulsory voting in Australia. I'm seriously thinking of just voting for the (a) first party to send me mail in my name. (b)not voting for the party that next sends out mail addressed to my old name)

[Sydney_NYC]

^^^  That happened to me the last election in November.


Today I had a funny experience. One of my clients, where about have the people in the office knew me prior to transitioning, one of the salespersons was hired 3 months after I went full time and he happens to have my old first name as his name. Since he was gone today and he has a bigger monitor for me to plug my laptop is I used his desk. One of the girls who I've know for 7 years came is looking for him. She walks in and says, "Ohh, your not <old name>..." and we both finished with " well not anymore" and we both laughed. She has been one of my biggest supports when I transitioned and always gave me helpful advise on hair, whether I was passing or not, etc.

[yaka]

Our state election is this weekend. My new name is on the electoral roll, I have checked. When I look up my old name it comes up not registered to vote at this address. Guess which name keeps getting sent the promotional mail I at her address.

Yes old me that's who.

(we have compulsory voting in Australia. I'm seriously thinking of just voting for the (a) first party to send me mail in my name. (b)not voting for the party that next sends out mail addressed to my old name)

Exact same thing happened to me. Weird enough, I got a letter earlier on with my current name and my current address stating I was on the roll - and yet neither that name nor address wasn't on the roll.

I've had it happen when I tried to buy tickets, with my partner close by who has no idea about my past.

[sparrow]

That'll be never for me. I have old publications and comics and artwork with my guy name plastered all over them. Just gonna have to roll with that.

Yup.  I've got publications, and I'm defending my PhD thesis in December.  I'm mostly sure I'm going to transition, I want to change my name ASAP... but I'm pushing hard to work at a company where everybody only knows boymode.  They'll... probably be okay about it?