Anybody have any last minute name change tips, legal or otherwise?

[Nero]

hey guys and dolls,
Anybody have any last minute name change tips, legal or otherwise? I won'
t post my final name choice here for privacy concerns but I'm about to make it official. I had to make a compromise as there were many factors to consider and for some reason this has been harder than all my other transition decisions put together. One thing lost in the compromise was my monogram.  A google search turns up nothing but information on close relatives - this is how rare my surname is. So, I realized I had to change it somewhat. I'm still going over it in my mind at the last hour. I just don't want to make a decison I'll regret in the future. This is really hard but I can't just sit back with 'female name' on my license forever, particularly since I'm about to change the gender too. It looks like there will never be a perfect choice with this name thing.
Any last minute things to consider?
Does it matter if I can't find anything on myself (old name) through a google search? Does that mean anything (other than the fact I haven't done anything noteworthy  )?

[tekla]

Try here, most people who are not professionals consider it the best place to start.

http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp

[LordKAT]

My personal opinion is that if you have a name that you feel is yours you will be happy and life is good. If you choose it to please someone else or just an idea or after someone else, you may feel regret at a later time. My father said he would never name a child after anyone else so they don't feel obligated to "live up" to that person. I feel he is correct on that.

[K8]

It looks like there will never be a perfect choice with this name thing.

True, true.  I am delighted to be Katherine (Kate) but had second thoughts about my middle name after the official paperwork came through.   It's a lot easier if you don't think about it and let your parents choose when you are really, really little.

Like all big decisions, you do the best you can and live with the results.  No second guessing, Nero, you'll do fine.

- Kate

[sneakersjay]

Heck, a lot of people go through life with names they don't love but don't change it.  Pick something you like, but I don't think there is One Best Name.  New parents go through this all the time trying to pick a name for their kid.  In the end, the name usually seems to fit the kid.

I find my name shortened to a nickname I'm not overly fond of, but it's no worse than my F name, and it's not a big deal.  For me it was more important to stick close to my birth name and initials.

Once it's done, don't think about it again. 

[Renate]

If you have an actual court date and if you have a nice judge, bring a camera to snap the happy moment with you and the judge!