Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Soo, the name you chose to be called. How did you come up with it and what made it stick? How many names did you go though before finding your name and did you ever get tired of that name and or go back to another one? And how long have you been going by that name? Also, did you have people calling you by that name then switched between names you chose and the people that heard the new name, what was their reaction? I am asking because, for me, I can't think of but one name to call myself and whenever I'm called that name, I don't know, it just feels weird and I don't know how else to word it but it does have another feeling to it besides weird, like, it's not my name yet is but I don't know. >_< Maybe it just takes time getting used too? Any advice/help etc. I thank you for in advance.

just used my name

Hey shana chan  :D

You said that each time others call you by a current name you ve though makes you feel wierd...
that happened to me a lot too...

The thing is that you still havent figured out your name , cause when you ll find it , it wont feel wierd to be called like that...it will feel just natural.

It took me a long time,,,just keep thinking and search for names,meanings etc

i just looked at a few, thought over it, tried to find one that had no negative association or even really positive ones. Settled on Marla. just happens to be similar to my current name.

Originally I had my fathers name but I never really used it, for a time I used my middle name, then a nickname. When I went to pick a female name the once I settled on is an anagram of my mothers name, I basically hate my parents but It felt right to have my name give a discreet nod back to them. I still don't understand it, but it feels right so I stick with it.

I chose my name simply because I liked it. When I looked back at every short story I had ever written since I was eight years old, there was always a character named Allison. It just seemed like a natural choice. I'm still getting used to hearing it though. My doctor's office allows people to use a preferred name instead of their legal name. So my records say Allison AKA Male Name. I get a little kick every time they call me Allison rather than my given name.

I actualy used a veriation of my name for a very long time throught my life. My wife was actualy the one to come up with Sheala. she said it and i thought it over for moment and it stuck, I loved it and it fits me so well.

Falseprincess is 100% right once you find your name it will feel right. it wont feel odd or a strugel.

Natalie is my third name and I love it but, I'm not sure why I chose it. I still think it's still weird hearing it from certain people, though :)

Dang, I wrote a nice reply and I backed up before I posted... Let's see how this one comes out lol.

I kinda think any name you choose is gonna start off a bit weird because all you're life you've been called one name and have grown used to it. I think it will prolly take some getting used to being called a new name as well.

Are there any names you've heard growing up that you really like? Have you tried looking up baby names on the web or in a book, maybe you could find an awesome name that way. You could also ask your parents what your name might've been if you were born a female. I would avoid using a friend's, family member's or even just an acquaintance's name.

I ended up settling on Kelly, at least for now, because I like that name, it's close to my birth name, and it fits in with the theme my parents sort of had in naming us (my brother, my mom and I all had names starting with "K"). I'm not out or anything yet, so nobody calls me it, as I'm still very new to all of this, so idk if I'm gonna end up keeping it or not yet. It took me awhile to pick out that name, so I know deciding on a name is difficult. I hope this helps a bit, I wish you the best, hope you find a name that you love!

-Kelly

LOL. Here is my story. I was watching a classic Dr. Who one night and one of the character's names was "Lady Jane" (not Sarah Jane). This was about 3.5 years ago and was the  same night PrideFest ended in St. Louis. Someone posted on Facebook about "being yourself." That night, in bed, I "came out to myself" and searched my mind for names. "Jane" popped up, I liked it, and it stuck. My g/f gave me my middle name.

I LOVE it when she or others call me by that name because it IS who I am.

Jane

Found one that sounded like my former name, thought about several, now I am Tori.

I picked this name in part because I do not know many Toris, and I hate none of them.

Clearly I am not from England or into their politics.

Funny, Victoria is really growing on me now. I picked the nickname and I am beginning to love the long form.

I tend to like traditional names, and I really wanted to name my daughter Katherine.  But my wife wasn't going to have it.  She wanted a more modern name.

After coming out to myself, it just came to me...I want to be called Kate.  And suddenly it all became very real to me.  Naming someone (or even yourself) is a powerful experience.  I've been transgender my whole life, but it was like Katherine Elizabeth was born in that moment.

When I was aged about three, my girl cousins who were between nine and 12 years older than me used to play with me whenever we went over to visit. They loved teasing me and if I sulked about anything they would start calling me Alice instead of my birth name.

Even at that age, I realised I really liked it when they did that and used every opportunity to make them call me Alice. When I got older they stopped doing it, like when I was approaching my teens they would put my then long blonde hair in curlers and paint my nails and say someting like: "Look, Alice is back" .

I used to dream about really being Alice. So you would have thought my name now would be Alice. But then along came a rock star called Alice Cooper and it kinda put me off the name.

I became Caroline because it had long been a name I had liked. It lasted me for a few years before transition and fitted well, so I stuck with it.
Sometimes you just have to try and see what you're comfortable with.

A friend of mine had adopted the name of Davinia because it was the female version of her birth name, but I felt it didn't really suit her.
One day we were talking about names and she said she was going to legally change hers to Davinia. I said I didn't think it really suited her.

We tried a few variations and I said that for some reason I had always felt Liz would be a good name for her. She mulled it over for a while and agreed and became Liz.


Why not try a few names with your friends around and see what they think.

Caroline

I was trying and trying to figure out a name, but I couldn't decide on one for a few months.......then one night in a dream an old friend (the first person I ever told I was trans) showed  in a dream and was calling me by the name I use now......she got hit by a bus in Houston over a year ago when that happened.....

she just called me by that name, as if it had always been my name.....so I started going by it.....

its the only name that ever seemed right

I had originally, came up with Katie-Ann Elizabeth.
However, since my sister's name is Kathy it didn't seam right.
(I'm not afraid to use my real name or my new name.  My name is on file in the FCC database.)
My first name (for now at least) is Rudy.  I wanted a name that was short, and ended with Y.  I tried quite a few until I choose the one I like.  Besides, I've always liked the name since it was in one of my favorite books as a child (Clifford the Big Red Dog).
Ru, was a nickname given to me when I was working at a grocery store.  One of the girls I worked with gave it to me, and I liked it.  In a way it's a nod to who I will leave behind, but yet feminine.

So, Emily Ru King.

It took quite a while before I came up with any name really.  Since I really tried so hard to repress my feelings, I never gave it any thought.

On a side note, my Mom told me before I came out that she would have named me Lela, from Doctor who.  While that would have been cool, I didn't feel the name fit me.

Best of luck!

I always enjoyed the fact that my name was a gender neutral one so I've never felt any real need to change it. Still, since I was little I would think about if I was female and my name was always Alexis. So that's why I've decided that I will change it, even if that is only for occasions where my full name is used.
As for my last name. I don't have that strong a connection to my original last name, so I chose one that sounded. I figure I will change my middle name as well so that my name has a better flow to it when you say it.

So, after reading all the posts here, I can't help but wonder if it's "normal/natural" to have to get used to being called a name we picked out for ourselves? Maybe it just takes time of being called that name before it feels normal/natural?

My advice whenever looking at picking a name is to simply go to google and search for common names in around about the year and place that you were born. (most places have census data etc)

Have a look through the list until you find one that you like and go with it.

This way you should find a name that suits your age and birth place, like most cis gendered peeps, and avoid any alarm bells ringing due to a strange name not quite fitting with what you expected. I mean everybody has met one person who you thought "wow that's a really old name" or whatever, this way you avoid that.

I also think it's important to not over think your name. Most cis people don't choose their name, their parents do, it's just a title that people can identify you with, it does not need to compliment or symbolise you or your life in any way, it's just a name. When people put too much though into it is when we end up with some really strange or out of place names imo.

Speaking of parents, that's another idea, most parents have multiple names for their unborn kids, male and female, try asking them what they would have called you had you been born female. That could be a really touching gesture for them that you considered them in the naming process.

But that's just my 2c ^^

The name is something that I'm stuck on as well.

I would have been named Robin if I were born a girl, but I don't know if I like that name.

I feel like a V-name would be ideal for me. I've been debating between Victoria and Veronica and Violet. Leaning towards Violet, it seems to resonate better with me. Only coincidence my name would be Violet Black, two colors, hahaha. I don't know what I think about that, but I still like the name Violet a lot, and thinking of being called that name feels better to me.

Is it weird though, to have a name that is comprised of two colors? It's totally unintentional, I just like the name Violet.

Quote from: ath on February 04, 2014, 03:54:38 AM
The name is something that I'm stuck on as well.

I would have been named Robin if I were born a girl, but I don't know if I like that name.

I feel like a V-name would be ideal for me. I've been debating between Victoria and Veronica and Violet. Leaning towards Violet, it seems to resonate better with me. Only coincidence my name would be Violet Black, two colors, hahaha. I don't know what I think about that, but I still like the name Violet a lot, and thinking of being called that name feels better than me.

Is it weird though, to have a name that is comprised of two colors? It's totally unintentional, I just like the name Violet.

I would not recommend it :S It sounds very much like a stage name and will definitely draw additional attention.

Violet is also a very old name, not sure how old you are but unless you were born in 1924, the chances of you being called that naturally are very slim ^^

http://www.babycenter.com/baby-names-violet-4628.htm

I was born in 1989, and I'm 25 now, so I was born nowhere near 1924. I do know a 7 year old named Violet, though. I don't mind having an anachronistic name.

It does seem like a stage name though - that's my main hang up on it. Not sure I'd want that as my actual name. Are 'Victoria Black' and 'Veronica Black' sound any better though?

Another one I like is Lucy - pretty much the only non-V name I like.

Quote from: ath on February 04, 2014, 04:16:39 AM
I was born in 1989, and I'm 25 now, so I was born nowhere near 1924. I do know a 7 year old named Violet, though. I don't mind having an anachronistic name.

It does seem like a stage name though - that's my main hang up on it. Not sure I'd want that as my actual name. Are 'Victoria Black' and 'Veronica Black' sound any better though?

Another one I like is Lucy - pretty much the only non-V name I like.

I guess "Black" is a hard second name to work with :D

At least the good thing about this naming process is that you can try it on for a while and see how it fits, just get some of your close friends in on it, explain to them that you are trying a new name for a while and get them to call to you as that for a bit, see how it goes?

If you like it then it doesnt have to sound good to others,,,

Violet is a nice name ,,, victoria and veronica are nice too

Id go with victoria but im not you so yeah XD

Quote from: ath on February 04, 2014, 04:16:39 AM
I was born in 1989, and I'm 25 now, so I was born nowhere near 1924. I do know a 7 year old named Violet, though. I don't mind having an anachronistic name.

It does seem like a stage name though - that's my main hang up on it. Not sure I'd want that as my actual name. Are 'Victoria Black' and 'Veronica Black' sound any better though?

Another one I like is Lucy - pretty much the only non-V name I like.

Victoria is age appropriate. My girls are about your age and had friends with that name. What about Valerie? That might be a bit too old for you though...

Another name I've thought of was Clara. I don't think it sounds bad with the Black name. Clara Black. However it would make me and my sister have rhyming names, lol. So I think right now I'm leaning more towards Victoria.

Valerie is also a good one - I haven't thought about using it yet. Could be a contender haha.

As for middle name, I'm pretty set on Alexandra. I know way too many Alexes and Alexandras and Alexandrias, etc. For me to want such a common name as my first name, but I do like the name Alexandra.

My birth name is Dylan, and it's unisex, plus I love it, so I'm not gonna change it.

I personally don't care about an "age appropriate" name if there ever was such a thing. My name that I picked doesn't make the SSA.gov list of top 1000 names for my birth year. In fact it doesn't make the top 1000 from 1984 to 2008, and peaked in popularity at 65th most popular girls name in 1915, though in a weird bit of strangeness in the last decade it has been in the 500s. This name just "fits" for me, even if it was much more popular in 1885 than 1985.

I would like to point out though, my name is an anagram of my mothers name which hasn't been in the top 1000 since 1962 and peaked at 352 in 1921. It was never a popular name.

The way I see it, having some sort of connection to a name is more important than the statistical data behind it; I mean Jessica Smith would be an incredibly common name for someone of my generation but, that name just wouldn't feel like me.

By the Way, I find the best place to find first name data is http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/#ht=2 (http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/#ht=2) the SSA will track names for you back to the 1800s if you want, without trying to sell you anything. Of course this data is all based on US Social Security data and might not be 100% accurate (for example I wasn't issued a Social Security number til the 90s because I was born at home with no paperwork filed, and some groups like the Amish opt out of Social Security) but, it can at least be broken down by state, year, etc.

Edit: Just noticed my male birth name was in the 30s in popularity in the 1880s and in the 200s in the 1980s; so I guess I always had an old timey name.

My birthname can be either boy or girl so I haven't saw the need to change it. Sure there are other names I like better such as Julie, anna, etc., that are more femminine but I lost my biological Mom when I was six. And keeping the name she gave me just feels right. The only thing I need to change on my paperwork is gender. Allyda is my first middle name. My first name is Phoenix, so my friends just call me Phoe for short. It just fits me. ;)

Quote from: Hikari on February 04, 2014, 05:09:36 PM

By the Way, I find the best place to find first name data is http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/#ht=2 (http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/#ht=2) the SSA will track names for you back to the 1800s if you want, without trying to sell you anything. Of course this data is all based on US Social Security data and might not be 100% accurate (for example I wasn't issued a Social Security number til the 90s because I was born at home with no paperwork filed, and some groups like the Amish opt out of Social Security) but, it can at least be broken down by state, year, etc.

Thank you for that. My chosen name was number 202 the year I was born... and I'm happy with that. Plausible for someone my age yet not overly popular to the point of being cliche. My birth name on the other hand is in the top 20 for the year I was born and always hated that.

I worried over it for a little while. I had it narrowed down to a few names and finally just picked one arbitrarily. You have some room to try it on, take it out for a test drive. You can change your mind if you don't like it. Relax. The right one will come to you.

My mother once told me that if I had been born a girl, she would have named me "April". That also happens to be the month I was born in. Lee was the middle name of my mother.

Imo it shouldn't matter how "popular" your name is that you chose, even if it does draw some attention. What matters is if you like it or not. Take the name I came up with, it's not in the top 1000 female names for at LEAST the last 100 years! I'll be darned if I'm going to let people/fear/drawing attention etc. decide what name I go with! I've had enough of that crap as it is anyway and they're NOT getting the better of me with my name! No, what I'm more concerned with is whether it's normal or not for it to feel weird and like it is my name yet not my name when people call me by the name I chose? Maybe it just takes time? Also, I am TERRIBLE at naming anyone/thing and it can take me hrs just to name a single thing. -_- So for myself I can see it taking a LOT longer... -_-

It really comes down to what you're like as a person.  IMO it's actually not too different from the passing vs not passing argument.  If your goal is to blend in, a super unique name/spelling can work against you.  But if that isn't important, then you can be as creative as you want.

Another consideration is what you do for a job...or hope to someday.  In corporate America, a unique name on a resume can actually make it more difficult to get interviews.  It shouldn't be that way, but it is.

In any case, Violet isn't a strange name by any means.  Of your choices, I'd pick Victoria.  But if you like Violet...go for it!

Quote from: LivingTheDream on January 31, 2014, 10:25:15 PM
Dang, I wrote a nice reply and I backed up before I posted... Let's see how this one comes out lol.

I kinda think any name you choose is gonna start off a bit weird because all you're life you've been called one name and have grown used to it. I think it will prolly take some getting used to being called a new name as well.

Are there any names you've heard growing up that you really like? Have you tried looking up baby names on the web or in a book, maybe you could find an awesome name that way. You could also ask your parents what your name might've been if you were born a female.

Yeah. Your name has strong ties to your sense of identity. In many ways we define ourselves by name. Obviously as we transition we're changing our identity (even if only on the surface), so a new name is appropriate. But, it feels strange at first because it's a detachment from the identity we're used to. I know for the first week people started using me girl name I tended to ignore them. Not intentionally. I just was so used to hearing my boy name that I had to hear that for my brain to turn that "they're talking to me" switch on. Then once I trained my brain to switch that on when I hear my girl name I still felt awkward about it for about a week or so, although I don't really know why. But now I'm used to it, and actually smile whenever someone says it, because I feel like it suits me better than my boy name.

In terms of choosing my name. I didn't. My mom chose my boy name, and luckily before she died she once told me what she would've named me had I been a girl. I'll never have the chance to ask about my middle name though, but I made an educated guess - my boy middle name is my paternal grandfathers first name. So I just picked my paternal grandmothers first name. Although to be honest I don't actually care for it. My maternal grandmothers first name is better. So, I dunno. For a while I contemplated choosing a middle name that started with my current middle initial, but, I couldn't find any I like. And then there's the option of just picking whatever the hell I like, which has its appeal. But, I tend to be really sentimental, and, as my mom will never have the chance to meet her daughter, and because maintaining nostalgic connections to my family is important to me, I'll probably just go with on of my grandmothers first names as my middle name.

Quote from: katiej on February 04, 2014, 10:29:01 PMAnother consideration is what you do for a job...or hope to someday.  In corporate America, a unique name on a resume can actually make it more difficult to get interviews.  It shouldn't be that way, but it is.

This is the first I'm hearing of this. Could you explain in more detail?

Quote from: Shana-chan on February 05, 2014, 01:35:07 AM
This is the first I'm hearing of this. Could you explain in more detail?

I too have never heard that before. In fact, I've always heard the opposite. That a name like "Max Power" will make you stand out and be more memorable in a stack of names than a name like "Joe Smith"

Quote from: missadventure on February 05, 2014, 01:15:45 AM
Yeah. Your name has strong ties to your sense of identity. In many ways we define ourselves by name. Obviously as we transition we're changing our identity (even if only on the surface), so a new name is appropriate. But, it feels strange at first because it's a detachment from the identity we're used to. I know for the first week people started using me girl name I tended to ignore them. Not intentionally. I just was so used to hearing my boy name that I had to hear that for my brain to turn that "they're talking to me" switch on. Then once I trained my brain to switch that on when I hear my girl name I still felt awkward about it for about a week or so, although I don't really know why. But now I'm used to it, and actually smile whenever someone says it, because I feel like it suits me better than my boy name.

I guess that is why I went with  Claudia , as my 'boy' name is Claudiu , and it feels naturally in a way , I feel like I didn't change .
On the other hand , I have many that I want rationally to change towards my past identity , so I would like to get another .
I always liked some girl names more than others , but I don't know if they fit me , and also if I use them I tend to feel kinda fake , like if it is all rising to social standards of having a name instead a real condition of being transgender . It is a battle of concepts  , interests , pleasures and other stuff in my messed up mind.
Anyway , if it is to change Claudia , I would take some Brazilian ones , as I love their culture and style ,or maybe some ' glamour ' ones .
But I hope it will appear fit on me , I hope it won't be annoying /exaggerated . 

For me, I had a LOT of names that i liked. I made sure I liked both the sound and meaning of each. I ended up with a list of like 20 names.

It was also semi important to me to have a name where I could use a longer/shorted version of the name.. It's a little silly, but I've always been really jealous of girls with the name Elizabeth. They can go by Liz, El, Beth, Elissa, etc and they're all super cute names. :-\

I started trying a number of the names, but they didn't really feel like they were me. Eventually I tried Jill/Jillian.

If you have someone to help you try on names, you might see if they're willing to try cute & playful forms as well. :) This helped me reinforce that I was a Jill. Hearing my wife call me Lizzi or El didn't feel right, but hearing her call me  does.

Quote from: Shana-chan on January 31, 2014, 07:05:07 PM
Soo, the name you chose to be called. How did you come up with it and what made it stick? How many names did you go though before finding your name and did you ever get tired of that name and or go back to another one? And how long have you been going by that name? Also, did you have people calling you by that name then switched between names you chose and the people that heard the new name, what was their reaction? I am asking because, for me, I can't think of but one name to call myself and whenever I'm called that name, I don't know, it just feels weird and I don't know how else to word it but it does have another feeling to it besides weird, like, it's not my name yet is but I don't know. >_< Maybe it just takes time getting used too? Any advice/help etc. I thank you for in advance.

I asked my mother for a female name.  She chose Sarah Lacey which would have been my name had I been born female.  It only seemed fitting that she named me. . .again.

I haven't pulled the trigger on it.

I do realize this isn't an option for everyone as not everyone's family is as supportive as mine turned out to be.  From what I hear, I'm one of the lucky few.

-AM

Quote from: Androgynous_Machine on February 05, 2014, 10:03:08 AM
I asked my mother for a female name.  She chose Sarah Lacey which would have been my name had I been born female.  It only seemed fitting that she named me. . .again.

I haven't pulled the trigger on it.

I do realize this isn't an option for everyone as not everyone's family is as supportive as mine turned out to be.  From what I hear, I'm one of the lucky few.

Aww. That's super sweet. I had the opposite happen to me. I had already been using Jill as my name for a couple years when I came out to my mom. It was completely awkward. She insisted on having the right to rename me. After declining she became less supportive; we've never really had a close relationship though (thus the awkwardness). My dad & stepmom have been really supportive though. I would have loved for them to name me, had i not already found my name.

Quote from: Danniella on February 04, 2014, 04:01:15 AM
Violet is also a very old name, not sure how old you are but unless you were born in 1924, the chances of you being called that naturally are very slim ^^

Violet is a pretty name, and I've known a couple of girls my age who've had that name.

The "age" of the name shouldn't really matter. Plus, colors are more or less timeless. It's not like you're choosing "gertrude", "blanch" or "ethel"  ;D

It just occurred to me that I have no idea what my mother would have named me, but she had to have had a name in mind.

What I mean is, I was born traditionally, that is at home assisted by a midwife, no prenatal care or doctors or anything so she had no way of knowing if I were a boy or a girl until I was born, so unless I was nameless for a time she almost had to have came up with two names. It is almost too bad I cut her out of my life because I strangely would like to know even though I wouldn't change from what I picked.

I like Victoria out of your choices. You can go by Vikki for short.

Quote from: Jill E on February 05, 2014, 09:57:51 AM
For me, I had a LOT of names that i liked. I made sure I liked both the sound and meaning of each. I ended up with a list of like 20 names.

It was also semi important to me to have a name where I could use a longer/shorted version of the name.. It's a little silly, but I've always been really jealous of girls with the name Elizabeth. They can go by Liz, El, Beth, Elissa, etc and they're all super cute names. :-\

I started trying a number of the names, but they didn't really feel like they were me. Eventually I tried Jill/Jillian.

If you have someone to help you try on names, you might see if they're willing to try cute & playful forms as well. :) This helped me reinforce that I was a Jill. Hearing my wife call me Lizzi or El didn't feel right, but hearing her call me  does.

My middle name is Elizabeth.  Well played, Madame.  ;)  I'm a Gillian, but hey...

Quote from: missadventure on February 05, 2014, 01:55:34 AM
I too have never heard that before. In fact, I've always heard the opposite. That a name like "Max Power" will make you stand out and be more memorable in a stack of names than a name like "Joe Smith"

Studies have been done to show that people with ethnic or unusual names are less likely to be called for interviews when compared to similarly qualified job candidates.

http://www.chicagobooth.edu/capideas/spring03/racialbias.html

However, the authors of freakonomics disagree and say that the uniqueness of a name actually says more abut the one who did the naming, but it doesn't adversely affect economic status.

http://freakonomics.com/2013/04/08/how-much-does-your-name-matter-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/
http://freakonomics.com/books/freakonomics/chapter-excerpts/chapter-6/


The idea is that someone with an unusual name -- let's use the musician's son Dweezil Zappa as an example -- is likely to have grown up in a family that either was of lower economic status, or had little regard for societal norms.

I'm not suggesting that hiring managers in corporate America would consciously reject Lakisha or Dweezil in favor of Emily or Stephen.  But subconsciously people do have a tendency to stick with what they know.  I hate to admit it, but one time I decided not to interview a Sarah because I already had two Sarahs working for me and it was confusing.  It seems petty now, but her resume didn't warrant extra consideration and I already had several other equally qualified candidates to interview.  The only reason I admit that is to show how fickle the hiring process can be sometimes.

Quote from: katiej on February 05, 2014, 09:00:07 PM
Studies have been done to show that people with ethnic or unusual names are less likely to be called for interviews when compared to similarly qualified job candidates.

http://www.chicagobooth.edu/capideas/spring03/racialbias.html

However, the authors of freakonomics disagree and say that the uniqueness of a name actually says more abut the one who did the naming, but it doesn't adversely affect economic status.

http://freakonomics.com/2013/04/08/how-much-does-your-name-matter-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/
http://freakonomics.com/books/freakonomics/chapter-excerpts/chapter-6/


The idea is that someone with an unusual name -- let's use the musician's son Dweezil Zappa as an example -- is likely to have grown up in a family that either was of lower economic status, or had little regard for societal norms.

I'm not suggesting that hiring managers in corporate America would consciously reject Lakisha or Dweezil in favor of Emily or Stephen.  But subconsciously people do have a tendency to stick with what they know.  I hate to admit it, but one time I decided not to interview a Sarah because I already had two Sarahs working for me and it was confusing.  It seems petty now, but her resume didn't warrant extra consideration and I already had several other equally qualified candidates to interview.  The only reason I admit that is to show how fickle the hiring process can be sometimes.

Ethnic names I buy... I can totally see an ethnic name hurting a person in the hiring game. But, I still think an anachronistic or unusual yet still stereotypically anglo-saxon-ish name wouldn't hurt... But really the name point is probably moot, qualified or not. I personally don't know a single person born after 1980 who has a "successful career", normal name or not, good qualifications or not. This economy has kind of given my generation the short end of the stick there... I myself went from $17/hr full time with full benefits in 1999 to $7.90/hr part time and no benefits now, while in that time I've gained additional education, not to mention 15 years of job experience. And my name is so generic it's probably one of the most common names in the world. But, that's a different topic for a different forum.  :(

Quote from: Allyda on February 05, 2014, 06:26:54 PM
I like Victoria out of your choices. You can go by Vikki for short.

Um... no. Victoria is mine... ALL MINE!!!

Muahahaha...ahahahaha...heheheh...ahahahaha!!!

Quote from: Tori on February 07, 2014, 05:43:56 PM
Um... no. Victoria is mine... ALL MINE!!!

Muahahaha...ahahahaha...heheheh...ahahahaha!!!

It was only a suggestion, lol! hahahaha hehehehe :D :D ;D ;D :D ;)