The name you choose needs to be something you love and will be happy not just calling yourself, but also happy hearing others call you.
You may want to consider the "mistake" I made, though. While I'm happy with "Stephanie," and it's appropriate for my age, many people call me "Steph." That's fine, too, but it's very close to "Steve," which is who I used to be known as.
The problem? The names are so close that the new one doesn't trigger the recognition in certain people that they should be using different pronouns. All of my neighbors picked right up on the name, but some of them can't seem to get the pronouns right. "Steve" and "Steph" are a little different, but "Ray" and "Rey" are probably pronounced exactly alike. If you want people to think of you differently it could become a problem.
That said, you need to do what makes you happiest! Good luck!
Stephanie
