How to you know when you've found your name?

[kittenpower]

Some fail to take into account that a new name should sound typical if one wants to blend in, and not draw unwanted attention. I know my name does not raise any eyebrows when spoken.

There are some that do want the attention. At some point, they might regret it. If it sounds like a stripper name, it might fall in this category.

No one seems surprised when I tell them my name is Kitten 

[Harley Quinn]

No one seems surprised when I tell them my name is Kitten 

Really?  That's AWESOME! I love it! 

[Devlyn]

No one seems surprised when I tell them my name is Kitten 

They do chuckle when they find out your last name is McMittens, though! 

Hugs, Devlyn

[kittenpower]

They do chuckle when they find out your last name is McMittens, though! 

Hugs, Devlyn

😀

[Harley Quinn]

You two are making me laugh... which is awesome, the VA hospital is always so depressing.

[abd789]

Ive also been thinking the same thing.... I just knew my name was Rita 15 years or so ago when I started using it. But lately it doesnt seem to fit me. I feel like a Michelle for some reason. 

[Aria94]

When I picked my name, It was a shortened version of my first name. It was androgynous to say the least. Then I decided to go with my middle name because it was unisex. But then when it came time to legally change it , I felt "did I really come this far to still have a somewhat masculine name?" So I played on it and made the spelling more feminine and went with it.

I love my name shortened as "Ari" and I don't have any regrets. The only thing I would change if I could, would be to honestly change my name to a simple, very common first and last name so it's harder to clock my transition name. And just use Aria as an alias. But whatever. It's my name and I love it.

[Wild Flower]

On Second Life and multiple virtual realities I think a rose smells as sweet if called something else.

I think I related to Mujina and Cynthia best though out of the names I choosen in past lives. Arusha is a good name.

I think I would like Shania a lot too... But too famous of a name.

[Wild Flower]

Ive also been thinking the same thing.... I just knew my name was Rita 15 years or so ago when I started using it. But lately it doesnt seem to fit me. I feel like a Michelle for some reason. 

Michelle what are you waiting for?

[SiobhánF]

I think I would like Shania a lot too... But too famous of a name.

Made me think of this:

[Daisy Jane]

I've been called Charlie by nearly everyone my whole life. I like it, so I think I'm going to legally change it from Charles to Charlie. I feel it fits me. 

[alice1234]

i found when i did it.  i thought to myself i want a formal name that can be shortened like most people will do with it.  for example allison it can become ali or alice.  it took me like 6 months to pick mine but i found for me anyway i grew into it ,i became allison and people will see you happy and no longer who you used to be, i found they will like and accociate whatever name you choose with you soon enough.  but find 5 names you love and call yourself them outloud for awhile she which ones makes you feel happy.  them embrace it and you will become thst person

[Tristan]

Get a stripper name. Put it on your license plate!



Hugs, Devlyn

lol devlyn. 

[Tristan]

I don't know if this name for me will stick but how i found mine is i looked up the meaning
behind the name. For me i liked that it related to the round table it was neat and reminded me of a worrier more then anything although the meaning is actually "love" it doesn't completely fit but eh i felt it worked at the time.
It's possible this one will fade for me too fairly quickly. But for me its looking things up or asking friends that's how i come up with names for myself. I just haven't met anyone yet or had anyone use mine so it never clicks or stays with me and always fades.

[Devlyn]

No stealth for me, Tristan! 

Hugs, Devlyn

[abd789]

Michelle what are you waiting for?

I dont know, Ill try it for a while and see how it feels....

[michelle]

You know you found your name when you light up inside when somebody calls you by it.

[EmilyMK03]

I'm going to offer a different perspective.  And some of you may disagree, but this is my opinion.

It's just a name.  It's not a big deal.  It doesn't change who you are.

I was born in South Korea, and was given a male Korean name at birth.  When I moved to the United States, I kept my Korean name.  It was difficult for my friends to pronounce, but they got used to it.

Just before I started college, I thought it might be helpful to have a more common American name, anticipating all the new friends I would meet.  So I legally change my name from a male Korean name to a male American name.

Many years later, when I first started going out into the real-world TG community, I chose the name "Mirya" for myself, because I thought it was pretty and unique.  (it also happened to be the name of my primary World of Warcraft character, and I'm a huge gaming nerd!).

Eventually when my transition progressed to the point where it came time for me to do my legal name change, I decided I wanted a more common first name in order to make things easier when meeting new people.  So I chose Emily.  And I made Mirya into my middle name.

Now I am thinking about what kind of name I want to have as my female Korean name.  I settled on 은비  (pronounced Eun Bee in English), which means "Silver Rain".

So as you can see, I have gone through many different names and changed my legal name twice (once as a guy, and once as a girl!)  Through it all, I never felt anything weird or special about each name change.  Again, it's just a name.  It doesn't change who I am.  It doesn't define who I am.

[Beth Andrea]

My former male self made it a point to not read lists of names while he gave me time to name myself. 

Beth.

It only took about 3 weeks, and how did we know it wasn't just a random name?

This is how:

You know you found your name when you light up inside when somebody calls you by it.

It's definitely a process though, take your time and do what's right for you.

[Rebecca]

First time I sneaked a look at the Jem cartoon as a kid Rebecca clicked. She was good, fun, emotional, gorgeous, intelligent and more than 1 person to people so yeah that really resonated deep inside even back then even if I couldn't explain it and I dearly wished I could grow up to be her. Always wanted her earrings but don't we all.

When the time came and I got my memories back I just knew that I was Rebecca the same kinda way I just knew I was a girl. Y'know like it was so obvious that I felt silly for not knowing it sooner.

I set my work password to "I am Ms Rebecca Helena -----" and smiled every time I typed it and still do.

No polling or questioning I just was and am Rebecca so hearing it and telling people is as natural as breathing to me.

While a name certainly doesn't change who you are they often contain hope for the future from those that give it. You have the unique chance to name yourself which for me was a wonderful thing.

To me my name is who I am and a reminder of who I wanted to be. Yeah it's true I totally wanted to be a boring cartoon girl who also got/had to be a rock star to help people I can so live with that lol.

If your name makes you smile when you look in the mirror and say "I am....." then world be damned you take the name you like and rock it ☆