How many names did you go through before settling on one?

[Nero]

hey guys and dolls,

How many names did you go through before settling on one? How long did it take you to decide on your legal name?

[Christo]

A lot. Chose Chris b/c thats the dude's version of my birth name 

[katherine]

Hi Nero,
My name isn't legal yet, but I settled on it more than 15 years ago.  Prior to that, I didn't really have a female name, still trying to figure out what my "problem" was.  I considered quite a few names, but always came back to Katherine.  I wanted my name to be obviously fem with equally fem nicknames.  Some of the names I considered had masculine nicknames, like Samantha.  I decided I absolutely did not want a name that could be masculinized in any way.
By the way, did you finally settle on Nero?  I voted yes for that because it is very masculine and unique...

[Nathan.]

One, for along time I was thinking about calling myself Ryan but I wasnt sure so when I came out me and mum sat down with a book with baby names in and picked Nathan, as we both liked it.

[sneakersjay]

I tried not to overthink it.

I had maybe 5 names I considered, and kept the one that seemed to fit best.  Though I don't like the shortened version of my name at all, but it seems that that's what I'm being called any way.  The other names had other issues.

I wanted to keep my initials and a similar but masculine name.  Kinda limits the options.  Bottom line was I didn't dwell on it.  I never liked my female name either.


Jay

[Miniar]

I didn't go through many at all... to be honest, I don't remember considering other names than the one I chose.

[K8]

I think I tried out two or three others.  That was 10 or 15 years ago, and I really don't remember the process.  I've had a number of people ask me how I came up with Kate (Katherine) and I don't remember.  

When I hit on it somehow, it just seemed to fit.

- Kate

[Teknoir]

Two. Sort of.

The "first" name I used was only on Facebook for about a week or two - it was just a male version of my birth name. It never really sat right with me. I'm using a version of that name while I study for the next 6 months, just so my academic records will link to my birth certificate without looking too weird.

And then there's the name I'll be changing to early next year, which has no resemblance to anything else .

Heard that name many, many years ago. Loved it, got peeved I couldn't use it at the time. Used it online instead when I needed a fake real name.

10 years later (in other words, now) needed a name. Remembered the old name I loved and BAM. That was that. I'm still really happy with it (though my family hates it).

All in all, it took about a month or two to go from birth name, to male version of birth name, to decided name.

Much of that was sitting around thinking "Do I deserve to use the cool name I've wanted to use for so long? Am I good enough to pull it off?".

[Nero]

Two. Sort of.

The "first" name I used was only on Facebook for about a week or two - it was just a male version of my birth name. It never really sat right with me. I'm using a version of that name while I study for the next 6 months, just so my academic records will link to my birth certificate without looking too weird.

And then there's the name I'll be changing to early next year, which has no resemblance to anything else .

Heard that name many, many years ago. Loved it, got peeved I couldn't use it at the time. Used it online instead when I needed a fake real name.

10 years later (in other words, now) needed a name. Remembered the old name I loved and BAM. That was that. I'm still really happy with it (though my family hates it).

All in all, it took about a month or two to go from birth name, to male version of birth name, to decided name.

Much of that was sitting around thinking "Do I deserve to use the cool name I've wanted to use for so long? Am I good enough to pull it off?".

Okay, got to hear this cool name now! 

[LordKAT]

Only used or thought of the one I have. It fit and its MINE!!

[Ellieka]

I went through three. The first two were way over the top.

1.) Kilee - after a girl I went to grade school with that I had a huge crush on.
2.) Ellieka - Toon name from World of Warcraf random name generator
3.) Cameron Elizabeth - Suggested by my ex wife. It was what she wanted to name her daughter if she had ever had one. It fit, and I love it.

[myles]

I picked my first name pretty easily, the female version of my name is my brothers name so that was not an option. Picked it in a hour and have never changed it.
Cheers, Myles

[Sandy]

hey guys and dolls,

How many names did you go through before settling on one? How long did it take you to decide on your legal name?

And how many names did you go through, dude?

-Sandy(two for me)

[Mr. Fox]

I'm on my second . . . and having doubts.  But I've already changed it on facebook, and I can't think of anything better.

[Walter]

I've gone through at least twenty. I'm trying to stick with Walter. Everyone on another forum though calls me "Vega". I might take that as a nickname and Walter will be my first name

[lizbeth]

when I was really young (like under 8 ) i had a cousin and friend that each named me Jennifer. that was sorta weird becuase i came to find out that had I been born a girl, my mom would have named me Jennifer (dad would have named me Renee).

The first name I chose for myself was Rachel (femme version of my birth name richard), but I didn't really like it. I also have a very weird last name, so I wanted to use that opportunity to change that as well. my first name became my last name and I took most of the letters in my last name to make a new first name (elizabeth).

but when I sat down with my mom, she was sort of taken back by that name becuase one of my aunts is named elizabeth. it never dawned on me since she has always been a betsy, but my mom would have never named me after that particular aunt.

so I'm torn, i've used beth for a while now, and i'm at the point where it's time for me to consider legal name changes and stuff. it might be a nice thing for me to honor my parents (the birth givers!) and go with the name Jennifer Renne <current last name>.  i just feel like I know way too many Jennifers (it was the number 1 name in my birth year, as im sure it was in yours too).

so since I never chose jennifer, I have chosen 2. if you count jennifer then I have gone through 3 (so far!! )

[lisagurl]

1

[Jeannette]

1

Ditto

[Northern Jane]

I chose mine at age 5 (and it isn't Jane! LOL!) so it has been with me 55 years now. Never even considered anything else.

I met my birth mother when I was 40 and she said she was going to name me Sheila. I told her I was glad she didn't keep me!    I hate that name. If she had named me that, I would have changed it LOL!

[Chamillion]

One, but it wasn't because I changed my mind but because my mom finally told me she didn't like that name after I'd been using it for a year.  I just changed my name legally a few weeks ago, and there's no way in hell I'm going through that again, so this name is gonna stick!