Okay, so this is going to be long, but I think very interesting!
So I hang around an Aussie fish forum, and I posted a picture of one of my tattooes in a thread on there, all fine, but as a side note I commented on how some of the people in previous pages had talked about how they had their kid's names tattooed on their skin. What I said was:
I should also say, the comments from forever ago about never getting a name tattooed unless you're married or it's your kid's name, I have to disagree. It's a good thing neither of my parents had my name tattooed on their skin, because I changed it. 
I hate my birth name, and if one of my parents had it written on them, I'd hate that more than anything. Just something to think about parents.I didn't go into details about why I changed my name or anything, and don't plan to, but these are some responses I got:
I have my kids names tattooed on me and they both think it is great, they are happy with their names so I guess that helps. I'll be getting my wife's name soon. What they do in the future doesn't matter as the tattoos reflect who they were to me when I got them. If they change their name or who they are to me I'll probably get another tattoo to reflect that. I've got plenty of skin and as certain areas don't seemed to have stopped growing (my toes are a distant memory!) plenty more to come!
Just sayin'. And:
i dont thikn it matters what the kid thinks at all. the parents chose a name for a reason.
whether they want to get their kids name tattood on them has no relevance to what the kid wants, i think having a parent tattoo their child's name onto them is awesome, its a really loving gesture that they want their kid's name permantly on their body..
no offence max, but i also think that changing the name that your parents gave you is a slap in their face. it's like saying that you wish you weren't theirs or that what they chose for you as their child and son/daughter was just not good enough.
i obviously know nothing about your situation so i'm not attacking your decision, ok, a little bit, but yeah.. im just generalising.
btw, what does expectations of who you are going to be have to do with what you are named? surely they are independant of each other unless you think that a name defines you? I think I'm probably going to give myself away with my next response, but I think it doesn't matter as much as getting the point across, so this is what I wrote in reply:
'Okay, well we're really getting off topic here, but I want to get this point across.
btw, what does expectations of who you are going to be have to do with what you are named? surely they are independant of each other unless you think that a name defines you?Okay, so you name your son Simon. Simon starts to grow up, and when he's thirteen he realises he's actually a girl, that the chemisty in his brain is all wrong for his body, and that as he grows up he's going to change into a woman. You've tattooed Simon's name on your skin. For him it will forever be a reminder of what you expected him to be, and perhaps he will feel pressured because of it. Perhaps as Simone grows up she will grow to resent you for having such a clear reminder of a traumatic childhood etched forever into your skin, whether your intentions were good or not.
I have a few friends in this situation, I asked one of them what she would have thought about having her birth name tattooed on one of her parents, this was her reply:
'I think I would hate it. People calling me by my birth name brings back traumatic memories, I had a terrible childhood because I didn't like who I was, or the way I was being treated, and being called by my old name brings back all of those feelings. It's like it invalidates the person I am today, like the girl that I am isn't real, when I know this is who I really am. I think if my mother or father had my name tattooed on them I would feel horrible every time I saw them, I would probably avoid going for visits and things like that, because I wouldn't want to see it. It was hard enough telling my parents I was a girl at heart, it would have been even worse if there was permanent proof of my being born male written so plainly for everyone to see.'
Deep eh? I'm not saying the chances of this happening to your kid are high, but they are there. It's a new world, and calling your son Simon is still an expectation of who he will grow up to be, you are
expecting him to grow up male. At any rate, it's not a risk I'd ever take, not with something as permanent as a tattoo, not when things in our time can change so quickly.
I think getting a tattoo of someone's name IS supposed to be a heartfelt gesture, but I'm not sure it's ever the right one to make.
Oh, and just a note forocious (forocious was the author of comment):
no offence max, but i also think that changing the name that your parents gave you is a slap in their face. it's like saying that you wish you weren't theirs or that what they chose for you as their child and son/daughter was just not good enough.I was seventeen when I had my name changed, which meant that both my mother and father had to sign legal documents allowing the change, they did so with no fuss at all, they're totally on my side. '
Okay, so I made up the female response myself, but I didn't think it was too unreasonable, pretty much just put my own thoughts into it.
So now my question is, what do you guys think? If one of your parents had tattooed your birth name on their skin what would you think of it? What reactions would it invoke in you?
Also, if I get any more replies on that thread I'll post them here so you guys can see what the everyday public thought of my oh so shocking argument
I have the feeling the ->-bleeped-<-'s about to hit the fan...
