Did you change your last name?

[Silver]

I won't. I don't like the family it came from all too much, but I don't really see them so it's not really "their" name to me. It's relatively uncommon, I think it is German. I like it and therefore will keep it. I'll probably keep my middle name (sounds kind of female, nobody can read it and it's my mother's maiden name.)

First name has to go though, there are no male "Julie"s.

[Katelyn-W]

I'm not going to change mine, although I've considered it. It's common enough and I don't want to distance myself from my family, they've been my biggest support. Hopefully I don't regret it

[Arch]

First name has to go though, there are no male "Julie"s.

I did hear it once as a nickname for Julius (or maybe it was Julian). And it struck me as pretty odd at the time.

[Silver]

I did hear it once as a nickname for Julius (or maybe it was Julian). And it struck me as pretty odd at the time.

Fine, I rephrase into "I am unlikely to associate with people accustomed to males referred to as 'Julies.'"

[LordKAT]

Remove the i and be Jules. Jules Verne style.

[Arch]

Fine, I rephrase into "I am unlikely to associate with people accustomed to males referred to as 'Julies.'"

Oh, I'm not trying to poke holes in your statement or be snarky, just point out that in all my many years on the planet (my therapist said recently, "If YOU'RE an old geezer, what am I?"), I've only seen one instance.

[Cyndigurl45]

All of it, all three 

[PanoramaIsland]

My name was originally a masculine Jewish first name, a masculine Jewish middle name, an Eastern European family name from my mother's side, and an anglicized French last name from my father's side.
I've changed it to a feminine Eastern European first name, a different (and very Jewish) Eastern European family name from my mother's side, and the same anglicized French last name from my father's side.
Since my family has been very supportive and I'm quite attached to them, I'm basically treating it as a matter of heritage.

[Ali Noir]

My chosen middle name is my dad's mom's first name, and I still haven't decided whether or not to keep my last name. But, I'm planning on using family names, regardless. I'm still a part of them, even without their name. :p
xoxo

[LordKAT]

5 times legally

[kelliBennett]

I am not sure yet. For privacy reasons I don't use it since I am not fully out yet. However I am kind of partial to my actual last name not to mention people use it since I have such a common male first name. It might help during the transition. I am also going to take into account my parents reaction when I tell them about me.

[Teknoir]

Yes. I don't regret it.

It was a package deal with the first name. It's my former online "real name". I decided on it a little over 10 years ago (well... I blatantly stole it. Close enough ).

Also, I wanted to stay neutral. Various factions of my family would want me to take their name. Screw that, I don't want a part of their BS infighting.

And all their names sucked anyway.

I didn't care about my former last name. I didn't share it with anyone I actually liked. Everyone else in my family ended up with other names through marriage or deed poll changes anyway.

A lot of them got rid of what was my former last name after someone did a family tree. It turned out our family got the name through someone 3 or 4 generations back evading tax. He stole his dead friends identity and legged it (That didn't factor in my decision at all - I just think it's funny).

[blackMamba]

Yes, I changed it.  And if there is anything I have second thoughts about regarding my transition, it's this.  I did it because I wanted to live relatively stealth and it was one more thing that might clue people in.  I've since changed my mind.  Although my family was verbally supportive about my transition, there were a couple siblings that expressed some concern over the last name change.  I'm thinking about changing it back, not for them, but for me.

But, I have to say that my new last name has served me well.  It's pretty amazing when you think of it, to completely reinvent yourself.

[Chamillion]

I didn't change my last name, didn't see a need to.  If I had changed my name when I was older and had already established myself in a career with my name I might have, but there's nothing for people to really trace back besides irrelevant high school jobs so I'm not worried.  Also I like being connected to my family through my last name, and I think it was probably easier when I had to change my name on everything that part of it was still the same

[Nemo]

I didn't. I'm not that keen on it, but I see no point - my family are still close, and it generally makes things easier regarding practical stuff. I just went from Sarah Sandra to Samuel Simon, so no need to change initials or practice a new signature

[V M]

I've been practicing a new signature for awhile and finally came up with one I like 

[waynerob]

Hi there,

Julie was my birth name also, I took on my dads first name as my first and my grand-fathers first name as my middle...............wish I had of changed my last because it isn't very common.

I won't. I don't like the family it came from all too much, but I don't really see them so it's not really "their" name to me. It's relatively uncommon, I think it is German. I like it and therefore will keep it. I'll probably keep my middle name (sounds kind of female, nobody can read it and it's my mother's maiden name.)

First name has to go though, there are no male "Julie"s.

[Teknoir]

I've been practicing a new signature for awhile and finally came up with one I like 

Wait... people think up and practice those? Is that the usually done thing?

Interesting. I always wondered how other people's signatures got that weird elaborate unreadable look.

After years of signing my old name on stuff, it never actually looked like a real signature. My new name just morphed into a signature looking thing after signing it on things 5 times a day for a week

[V M]

Wait... people think up and practice those? Is that the usually done thing?

Interesting. I always wondered how other people's signatures got that weird elaborate unreadable look.

After years of signing my old name on stuff, it never actually looked like a real signature. My new name just morphed into a signature looking thing after signing it on things 5 times a day for a week

Well actually, my original signature developed out of years of signing and/or initializing several papers etc. over several years

So I want my new signature to have the same consistent quality of professionalism with the add of a more feminine quality

Then again, I guess I could just carry a box of Crayons about and sign everything with what ever color suited my fancy at the time 

[tekla]

Then again, I guess I could just carry a box of Crayons about and sign everything with what ever color suited my fancy at the time

That's what I do, but that's pretty much because they won't let me have anything sharper than a crayon where I live, and at that, I eat those from time to time.