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?".
