How many names did y'all go through?

[Sophia Sage]

Bad Wolf, huh?

Names...

We take the words and scatter them across time and space. A message to lead ourselves to ourselves.  I believe that when we die, we can see all of time and space, every single atom our lives flashes before your eyes, a leaf on the wind, for everything comes to dust, all things, everything dies... Which is why I like this idea of the name as a promise. A promise to ourselves, so we can remember... after we let go, when we're dismembered... a process that might better be named anamnesis.  There's a serenity to that. 

Anyways, I don't think I could go back to a high school reunions, not that ever did before transition, but I certainly won't afterwards.  I recall, just coming out of transition at the turn of the century and reading the experience of Dr Becky Allison back in the day, such a positive experience she had of going to her own class reunion.  Even in the ideal scenario (in the sense of what could happen in the real world) I don't think I could do it.  Not to say it's an idea I don't play around with. 

I like to imagine joining the catering staff as a waitress, and flitting from table to table to hear about how people's lives have gone since I saw them all that time ago.  Some good people.  The only way I'd be recognized, I hope, is through my spirit.  Alas, I suspect that's only for the evangelion of the final homecoming. 

In the meantime (oh that's an interesting word to parse) I don't think they'd wonder why I wasn't there, but I have no idea if the story of my life has made it to their plates.  I wouldn't want to stoke that story, and have it spread like wildfire; I don't want to be haunted by smoke.  And I don't want to raise the dead, to resurrect the ghost of who I was, at least in the eyes of the people who knew me in the before-times, for that spectre wasn't the real me.  I dunno, I play around with the idea and it always leads back to dysphoria.  So I have to let it go, and look onwards onwards onwards. 

I have to follow my bliss, and alas, my bliss is not in the past.

Not yet.

So I will be Sophia, or at least... I will try. Promise.

[Angela Drakken]

I've been dead set on mine since childhood.

[HappyMoni]

Alora,
   I don't know why you would limit your choice of a name to the same beginning letter. You needlessly eliminate some great possibilities. If I had to pick another name, I would start with letters of the alphabet I like (like M) and check out a baby name book or try  a google search. For me, I wanted a name that wasn't unheard of but still one where there wouldn't be 5 others with the same name in a group of 30. Most everyone I know call me "Moni" but if I meet someone I don't know I say "Monica" so I don't have to spell it for them. Its funny, people "get" "Connie", "Bonnie", "Ronnie" but get lost on "Moni." I  would say don't stress, enjoy the process. You most likely only will do it once.
Moni

[Susan Baum]

I feel fortunate in that I have only used three names plus a few variations thereof; four if you count the one given at birth.
Initially I used my given middle name (a paternal family name) which is one of very few that is carried by both men and women and can either be a first or a last name.
For a while I went by Elizabeth, the name given me by a sympathic neighbor who caught me dressed with poorly applied make-up. Angela and I spent hours together as she showed me how it should be done.
I came out to the lady who would be my bride early in our relationship. I loved her deeply and did not want to jolt her but feared my crossdressing (oh, how I foolishly thought that was all it was) could be a deal breaker. I needed not to have worried, however because she embraced all of me - with one exception. She said my name had to go and christened me Susan. And Susan it remains.

Susan

[RavenMoon]

Only two, not counting my male name. My mom was going to name me Penelope. She was certain she was having a girl! (Surprise!). She never even picked out a boy's name. Lol. My brother named me.

But then I used the name Raven since the late 80s. So I was undecided which name I would want to use. But recently I decided to use Penelope. I'll keep Raven as a middle name.

I have no interest in retaining my initials, and I might even change my last name. Just for effect.  lol.




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[SpeakYourMind]

Hey ladies,

So lately I've been thinking about names. I meet with a friend that suggested I think about a name that starts with the letter of the name I use now.

Currently, I go by Clark. Right now I have been going by Alora. However, when she mentioned this to me it sorta made sense. The more I thought about it the more I've been thinking Alora isn't really supposed to be my new name.

My birth name was Joshua. The only thing I've liked about it is that it could be shortened. There really isn't a way to shorten Alora. I have been think about going with Kaylin Alora Clarke.

With Kaylin as a first name I could also go by Kay to my very close intimate friends or partner.

Has anyone else gone through this kind of name dilemma?

Loves [emoji182][emoji173][emoji182]


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I'm not a lady but i'm man
And yes, my birth name was actually very feminine but could be shortened into a masculine way
i loved the shortened version the only reason why i changed my name was because it reminded me of the past.
Although the shortened version of my name i have nothing agents and i think it can be a wonderful name i liked it for a short time myself before things just reminded me of my past more often then not.
I wanted a name that started with S which would have been like my birth name but i couldn't find anything i liked and i was looking for months nothing felt like it fit me and i didn't feel a connection to the names i found with S so i moved away from that idea and went onto other names even though i didn't want to but it ended up alright.
I first started with a couple names it was so constant at first people where probably getting annoyed with me about changing my name so often but i didn't care, i just wanted to figure out what i was comfortable with for a name.
I used around 4-5 names before i found the name i use outside of the internet and that is Tristan and so far iv'e stuck with this name and haven't gone backwards. Although i still think i'm going to try and find a middle name with the letter S so i can have some connection to the old name because i didn't think it was horrible.   

[rebeccal]

One.

Albeit with an important caveat; namely that my Mum and grandmother once told me in passing what my name would have been if I was born a girl, and it just so happened that I liked it.

[bluepaint]

Other than my transition name change , I did use what we witches call a magical name, a name we choose to best represent the essence of our spiritual self, its a power name and its only used within our coven, in between other witches and in ritual where we invoke it in our spell casting in communicating with Goddess and God!


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[Lilliana]

I am blessed with an already feminine name so I am keeping it.  My parents expected a girl so their gift to me was what they thought was an appropriate name for a male but in reality, is more of a girls' name.

[katie Brennan]

I did go through a few names, but spaced through about 40 years.

I remember having a discussion with my family: Mom, Dad, two sisters and two brothers when I was about nine or ten.  The topic of what name my parents would have given each of us if we had been born a different gender.  I was very interested in knowing since I was well aware of my gender conflict at this time.  When it came to my turn, my mom told me that she would have named me Kathy if I was born a girl.

I thought about that for a few years, but it never felt right.  When I was 13 and playing D&D back in the mid-70's, I had two Player Character's that I played under: Anela and Nieha.  During about the same time, I had a friend who's name was Lisa and she was the only person that truly understood me, and we spent most of the summer of 77 together.  Years later, I wanted to give myself a feminine name and Lisa was the first one that came to me and I went by that name for about 10 years.

In my 30's, I was going through my old records and found my D&D stuff, and after some thought, decided to name myself Anela as my first and Nieha as my last and that stayed till about 5 years ago.

I had decided that my name Anela Nieha, was too exotic and I just wanted to live a normal "Plan Jane" life.  I remembered Lisa, but it didn't sound right.  Also I remembered having a boyfriend that used to tell me that I looked more like a Kathy then a Lisa.  Wow, that's the name my mom would have called me if I was born a genetic girl.  Maybe it was a sign.  I really didn't like Kathy, and thought that Katherine sounded better.  So that's the name I chose, which I also used when I legally changed it.  years later, as friends tended to call me Katie for short and that's where I am today.

So, I think that choosing a name, to me, is so much more personal when it comes from your own personal history.

Katie

[Pisces228]

I use my birth name at work where I am still presenting as male.  Tara at my Dr's, therapist's, and electrolysis office.  When I meet new people (I moved across state a year ago and haven't really met new people yet) I say I'm TJ.  It feels better than my birth name but still isn't blatantly female since I am still presenting as male. 

[Thessa]

The name my parents would have given a girl wasn't very appealing to me, so I had a look at my family tree.

My grandmother, my great-grandmother and a few more of my ancestors where named Theresia. I just dropped the i to give it a slightly more modern touch.

It clicked an I really love my name.

I can still use my shortened signature and also my initials. 
How convenient is that.

Last but not least, I was always very interested in history and on of Austria's most prominent rulers had Theresia as her second name.

Frederick the Great - King of Prussia once wrote about her:

That woman's achievements are those of a great man.

I don't want to conquer new lands (don't worry) but I will conquer my transness, my situation, my life and I will emerge victorious from this struggle.

I will not give up and my name is also a constant reminder of the promise I made to myself.

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[Alora]

Thanks everyone. You've all shared such great stories and really helped me understand that being fluid with choosing a name is important.

I'm going to play with Kaylin and the shortened version Kay and see how I like them.

Love you all [emoji182][emoji173][emoji182]


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[RavenMoon]

Other than my transition name change , I did use what we witches call a magical name, a name we choose to best represent the essence of our spiritual self, its a power name and its only used within our coven, in between other witches and in ritual where we invoke it in our spell casting in communicating with Goddess and God!

Merry meet!  That's where my name here originated. It's my witch's name.

I'm not a member of a coven. So it's just been my name for a long time.

[bluepaint]

Merry meet!  That's where my name here originated. It's my witch's name.

I'm not a member of a coven. So it's just been my name for a long time.

I love your name, It is very "witchy"   Witch names are a great way to invoke our witch selves that lie dormant within us!  Our witch selves that are better in shielding off bad, negative energies sent to hurt us and creating barriers against them, a more purified powerful us, our true selves really but distilled from the day to day woman!
Merry meet as well RavenMoon and blessed be! [emoji177] Julie!


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[RavenMoon]

I love your name, It is very "witchy"   Witch names are a great way to invoke our witch selves that lie dormant within us!  Our witch selves that are better in shielding off bad, negative energies sent to hurt us and creating barriers against them, a more purified powerful us, our true selves really but distilled from the day to day woman!
Merry meet as well RavenMoon and blessed be! [emoji177] Julie!

Blessed be Julie!

Interestingly I'm not even sure where this name came from. It just came to me one day with very little thought involved.

It chose me. [emoji3]


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[Sophia Sage]

Witch names are a great way to invoke our witch selves that lie dormant within us!  Our witch selves that are better in shielding off bad, negative energies sent to hurt us and creating barriers against them, a more purified powerful us, our true selves really but distilled from the day to day woman!

"If that which which you seek you find not within yourself, you shall never find it without... for behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am that which is attained at the end of desire."

--Aunt Doreen

[Niki Knight]

Hey Hon

My given name can be either male or female ( Don or Dawn ) but wanted a name that was based closer to my personality so I went with Niki Marie Knight. Im a very out going individual so I felt the name stated that. It also sounds much better in the type of job I now do where I'm in the public eye. Im moving forward this year changing DL, Passport, Nexus card Etc. I can't wait to make everything official and its just another positive step in the transition process.

[Mariah]

Between my first transition and the transition that I went all the way with I only went through exactly one first name and that is the name I kept in the end. I decided on the Mariah in the first place and never looked back. Hugs
Mariah