Susan's Place Transgender Resources

I know this is a very subjective question, but anyway...

When choosing your new name, do you find it's 'better' to go with a name similar to the name you were given, or choose something completely different? For instance, if you were born female and your name were Michelle, would you find it easier to change it to something like Michael (or vice versa if you're MtF), and that the similarity would help make the transition that teeny bit easier? (Provided you liked the name, of course). Or would you find it 'better' to go for something completely different, like from Frank to Emilana-Louise, or something...?

I know you should go with something you like, but do people find it...less daunting, I suppose, having a name that in some ways resembles your original name, or are you more comfortable with a clean slate?

I found I needed the new name to start with the old initial to feel comfortable.

I'm too old to go for some cool new name, so I kept my initials and masculinized my birth name.  Made it easier for me.


Jay

I originally thought of going with a feminization of my old name (I was considering Robin) but I realized that people would shorten it to Robbie or Bobbie...which would mean that I may as well not have changed my name at all since everyone already called me Robbie. I decided then that I had to choose something that had no male version at all and I then spent a few months thinking of all these different names before deciding on my real name.

Changed absolutely everything.


Janet

I am changing my first name completly. I don't even want my first name to begin with the same letter as before.

I'm not sure there is a male equivalent to my birth name though.

With my middle name i'm just chaning the spelling to the masculine version and i'm not changing my last name.

Nathan

Quote from: sneakersjay on September 04, 2009, 10:51:47 AM
I'm too old to go for some cool new name, so I kept my initials and masculinized my birth name.  Made it easier for me.


Jay

Yeah same here, I can change one letter, keep my middle name the same which surprisingly is a man's name too and in fact I know a man with that name. And the last name stays, of course.

But I can understand wanting a very different name, not only because it may be hard to masculinize/feminize it, but because you want a fresh start.

I figure the gender change has gotta be harder. Although, way back when, I I was in the Army. Good times. A bit later I was in a rooming house, and I got a letter from the Army: "WE THINK YOU ARE A MAN WHO IS POSING AS A WOMAN TO AVOID MILITARY SERVICE". I wrote back: Hey, I wanna go back in, if you and I can get together and convince 'em I'm a guy, there are tons more MOS's I can do, and I'm all for it, sign me up". I never heard back from 'em.

I'm just using a masculine version of my birth name, sadly as close as I could get to my current just because that way when a family member misspoke (or in some cases didnt even make an effort) it just sounded like they mispronounced a syllable. (On a fun note, in Denmark and Norway my birth name IS male, right down to the spelling...funny how that works)

My middle name "rose" is a trick still...not sure what to do about it, because it's a family thing...everyone in my family for the past 3 generations has had that middle name, named after my great-grandfather's prize-winning rose gardens...but sadly there's also been no males born in the past 3 generations either. So I can keep it out of respect for my family even though its very feminine, masculinize it to "Ross" or something, or say screw it and go with something else altogether. Still can't decide.

I already have a girl's first name, so there is no problem, because no change is necessary... but sometimes I wonder if I would not prefer to change it to "Aurora"...  ;)

Kept my middle name as my second name and Cindy came from my childhood 'cos I was always playing with my sister's Cindy doll.
For me keeping the same initials would be a step backwards. Just personal stuff

Cindy

i originally went with the masculinized version of my birth name but i didnt really like, and then i switched again, but i didnt really like that one either, then eventually i just asked my mom what she was going to name me if i was born a boy (josh) and i liked that one a lot more. :)  turns out its the same first initial.

i still dont know what im going to do about my middle name because i HATE the masculinized version.  possibly even more than how it curently is. :P

I completely changed my first name because I never liked it.  I told my friends I was becoming Katherine and they wouldn't buy it and insist I'm Kate.  (I love being Kate. ;D)  So, in a way, my friends named me. :)

I slid my full first name into my middle because that is my history, but now I think I should have dropped it.  Too late. :P  I just don't use it, although some official stuff comes addressed to all three names.

- Katherine, but more commonly known as Kate ;)

Because none of my birth name is masculinizable I chose a name based on the meanings of names and my characteristics. Translation: I looked up names meaning "warrior," "dragon," "traveler," etc, any words I used to describe myself, picked out my favorite names (about 5 each for first, middle and last) and then experimented with combinations.

I ended up with G--- D--- Tripp. The middle initial is the same, and G--- sounds enough like my birth name that I can get used to being called by it fairly quickly. (Currently only my counselor calls me G---.)

I could not abide changing my name to the feminine version of my birth name, even though it's a beloved name to many, and common in literature and history. I made a complete switch.

Quote from: chrissyboy on September 05, 2009, 12:20:30 AM
My middle name "rose" is a trick still...not sure what to do about it, because it's a family thing...everyone in my family for the past 3 generations has had that middle name, named after my great-grandfather's prize-winning rose gardens...but sadly there's also been no males born in the past 3 generations either. So I can keep it out of respect for my family even though its very feminine, masculinize it to "Ross" or something, or say screw it and go with something else altogether. Still can't decide.

How about "Thorn"?  :laugh:

For me, there is no masculine version of my birthname, and very few names that start with the same letter, so it's not really an option, which is fine by me.  The middle name is more flexible, but I'm choosing a new one anyway.

Well my name is unisex. When I started thinking I was trans for the first time 2 years ago I thought I would keep it. Then I thought of going by Ari which actually is male. But I realized I dont really like it THAT much and just being Ariel would remind me of the past. So I chose Kyle. Im not quite sure why but it suits me and I like it so hey.

My given name's Jeremy and I used the handle "Savanna" for a while during crossdressing but when I began to get serious about possible transition, I decided that Jerica sounded closer to my given name and would allow for people that knew me previously to still call me Jer.

I'm still trying it on though hah

Changed first and middle completely and kept the family name. It took awhile to find something I liked. I really liked my given name and wanted something just as good, if not better, and female of course.

I plan to change it all some of the reasons stated here and others.  My original name is Troy named after 5 different people in my family and just making it Troi or something else would just annoy me to death and I'd hate it.  Same for my middle name and the last?  Well its a tie to a family that is going to drop me and I'd rather lose it.  I have no pride in that name for me.

I plan to change it to Korlee.  A very special person gave me the name a long time ago.  I know its different but it is what I want.

I've been Kate for four months.  When I hear my old name in public I still automatically react to it, turning to see who they are talking to.  If someone calls out "Kate" in public, it takes a beat for me to react. 

Maybe that transition of automatic response would be easier if you keep a name similar to your old one.  (But I never liked the old one anyway.)

- Kate (Hey, Kate!)

Hi Kate,

As you know I'm not full time as yet. When someone uses my 'male' name I respond. But I also respond to Cindy if someone uses it to a third person. Weird, and starting to get me noticed :laugh:

Cindy

Quote from: K8 on September 16, 2009, 07:16:21 AM
Maybe that transition of automatic response would be easier if you keep a name similar to your old one.

Ok, not transitioning experiance (I've taken the totally new route), but similar.

I had a partener with a very similar name to my birth name (both varients of Chris). They went by the short version, I took the long version to differentiate (I previously used the short version). You'd think if someone yelled out "Hey Chris" we'd both turn around... but no. Not after the first few months, anyway  :laugh:.

You'll adapt over time, and that reponce lag will get shorter and shorter.

Heh, at the moment I've got 3 names to respond to (Birth name, short birth name, actual name). Looking forward to when I can stop responding to the first two :laugh:.