I've only ever heard one story of how a friend came up with her new name. She used to be a Steven, but now she's a Kelly, and I asked "Why not Stephanie" and she said, "Oh no, waaay to close to the original. I wanted something new and different, Kelly just made sense. I think it's bubbly, like ME!" So, I'm curious, where did you come up with your name?
Mine was a, "Well, it's always been that" thing. It just felt 'right', even though it's completely 180 from my old name. So, Ladies and Gents (and everyone inbetween ;)) where did you discover your name? Was it just meant to be or did you grow into it? Did you stay by your original or branch out with zeal! GO! :P
Janet - I took the name from my favorite movie, The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Lynn - I stole it from part of my ex's name.
O'Brien - Because I am part Irish.
Funny thing is, at the time that I took my first name, I did not realize it is a feminized version of my old name.
i chose Tristan really quickly actually. then i decided that i wanted to keep my middle initial "M" so i chose Markus, i guess i wanted a strong middle name. it was one of those things that just felt right. I wasn't thinking about it at the time but people have commented that it it relates well to me ironically because i do metal fabrication and casting work.
A feminine/androgynous version of my old name.I went through an androgynous phase as I started electrolysis & hormones I didn't want someone shouting out Hey Vanessa!at me
I just knew I was Rita....I dont know how...I just knew
I also knew my middle name was Irene...I didnt choose names or know anyone by that, it just was
my "new" last name I did choose, I always loved a certain car and the way the name was scripted out on the side
it was Bel Air
as far as the "chans" part...my ex was half asian and she used to refer to everything cute by adding a -chans to the end
thats how I picked my username
;)
I was ordained as a Buddhist 15 years ago, and the name I was given then is gender-neutral (how convenient...) so I'm sticking with it :).
I simply told my eldest daughter, then 16, 'go pick me two new names but keep the initials the same'. She then consulted "Names for baby girls" or some such on the net and presented me with two lists. I struck out all the Disney princess names and the modern trendy ones was left with one choice for my first name and three variations of a name for my second.
Job done.
I was going to class and there was this nameplate with "Paige" on it. I just took a shine to the name, especialy after being called by it a few times. I began to have this feeling of ownership which was and remains quite wonderful.
Still working on a middle name. Though I must be careful. If I pick a middle name that begins with 'B' my initials would become PBR.
Quote from: Misato33 on October 23, 2012, 07:27:45 AM
Still working on a middle name. Though I must be careful. If I pick a middle name that begins with 'B' my initials would become PBR.
Is that bad? Actually, those are my initials, just in a different order...
It's a name I've always thought was a pretty feminine (but not too feminine) name, since I was a kid. It was a natural choice.
I wanted to have a name with the same first initial. I tried out several different "B" names. Eventually, Brooke seemed to fit. I ran it by a few friends, and they all agreed I am a Brooke. As for my middle name, it is a family name, and my son has the same middle name. So I am just changing the spelling to the feminine version. I will be keeping my last name as is. Recently, I had an interview for a new job. As I have not legally changed my name, my resume and other documents had my male name on them. When I went to the interview I told them I am trans. They asked if I was going to change my name, and I told them it will be Brooke. They told me that Brooke suited me much better than my male name and requested they be able to call me that. So, I guess I chose well. ;D
Mmm. What can I do? I am reaching the moment where I need to start thinking about a name, since inside the associations they are starting to gender me... Differently. I won't say "correctly" since my mind still not fully accepting. I have gone for "Noel" for more than ten years on the net and when I meet online friends in real life they believe it is my real name. It has a female version, Noelia, but... Not that I don't like it very much, and there is already a "Noelia" at the workplace.
Quote from: bev2 on October 23, 2012, 07:40:10 AM
Is that bad? Actually, those are my initials, just in a different order...
Pabst
Blue
Ribbon
Don't know if I want the same initials as a beer. Could give, "PBR me ASAP" an uncomfortable meaning.
My birth name is David William, so I was considering Dana Willow (or Winter) so I could keep my initials and email addresses. But, I decided I didn't want that as a name and that I didn't want to keep my initials. I decided I wanted a name completely of my own choosing.
I began to look for common female names from my birth year (1969) and I almost settled on Monica. But, I've always liked the name "Constance" and its diminutive "Connie." I then randomly chose "Anne" as a middle name because I thought it sounded good when coupled with both Constance and Connie.
But before settling on these names, I looked them both up. "Constance" means "steadfast" and "Anne" means "grace." My new name means "steadfast grace." To me, this seemed somewhat prophetic, as I'd need some steadfast grace to get through transition.
I didn't want my name to be a female variation of my old one, not that there is a female variation of "Doug" that I know of.
Autumn just felt right. Like my time as Doug was the summer and now I had to shed my old leaves in the cheesiest way possibly, to change myself for a new and much harsher season before settling into the beautiful peaceful spring. Its an analogy as sad as an obsession with butterflies. But its just something I thought about.
So why "Autumn?" Its a nice, sweet, uncommon name with some cheesy meaning behind it. Plus I'm ginger and it suited that very well!
Peky is: Pe are the first two letter of my legal female name, K is the beginning letter of my last name, Y is a letter that happens in my last name.
However, my legal female name was given to me by my Mom when I was 4 years old, as nick name. i was called that name by most of my relatives (sans Papa) until I was about 10. Thereafter, only my younger sisters would call me Pe......., and only when nobody else was around.
My youngest daughter calls me Papa Pe....... 8)
Welcome to the forums, Autumn!
I think I mentioned somewhere before that my username is not really a name but more a description of what I hope to achieve through my transition. It also represents my favorite color in a more 'poetic' way. (It is pure coincidence that purple is frequently associated with the community.) For the sake of embracing my identity and having something to tie it to I'm going by Violet on this site and whenever else it seems appropriate. I don't know that I would keep it in the end, but as I become more comfortable using that name to represent my identity and my personal challenges the prospect is growing on me. My birthname could be taken as male or female though so I wouldn't have to change it unless is becomes a legal requirement.
Quote from: Violet Bloom on October 23, 2012, 05:55:36 PM
Welcome to the forums, Autumn!
I think I mentioned somewhere before that my username is not really a name but more a description of what I hope to achieve through my transition. It also represents my favourite colour in a more 'poetic' way. (It is pure coincidence that purple is frequently associated with the community.) For the sake of embracing my identity and having something to tie it to I'm going by Violet on this site and whenever else it seems appropriate. I don't know that I would keep it in the end, but as I become more comfortable using that name to represent my identity and my personal challenges the prospect is growing on me. My birthname could be taken as male or female though so I wouldn't have to change it unless is becomes a legal requirement.
Thank-you for the welcome! I think that your name should be something you are comfortable with in the long run. I mean for me that's the whole point of this, to appear as normal and comfortable as you can possibly feel! (I'm new to this world :S) So whether you change your name to Violet or not, these things should just come to us in time.
I haven't thought of a middle name yet possibilities are:
Janet
Sapphire
Arwena
Gyda
(Also if you don't mind can you talk me through how to use this site :S I'm a little confused!)
Quote from: Lady Autumn on October 23, 2012, 05:17:16 PM
Autumn just felt right.
I had thought about Autumn, September, and even Virgo as names.
Quote from: Constance on October 23, 2012, 06:17:03 PM
I had thought about Autumn, September, and even Virgo as names.
...Damn Virgo is a good name. If I was a Virgo I'd so go for that.
The name Constance is one of my favourites. I know this won't mean much to you but that was the name of my first Monarch in the Sims Medieval!
My given name is kind of long, and I always went by a nickname. It started with a B and I really didn't want another B name because it would sound too similar. I did consider Brendan when I was about 11 though. But anyway, I ended up choosing Sylvester and going by Sly because I still liked the idea of having a longer full name and a short nickname, and I like S's.
I always liked my initials, so I went on babyname sites and searched names starting with the first letter. My first name and old name have the first syllable in common, which was actually helpful for some of the people at work who would start saying my old name, pause and remember and "end it" the right way. At least they didn't have to redo from the start. XD
I was running through a list of names crossing off ones that belonged to people I worked with or knew, and when I went to sleep that night I dreamt I was introduced as Karen, partnered with a woman named Audrey. Decided Karen was the right name and that I really was a Lesbian after all. Two for one!
Karen.
Twin Peaks.
At first I had wanted to use the feminine version of my first name,somehow I just couldn't come up with a middle name that seemed to work with my last name. I like the feminine version of my first name Michael but somehow I just do not see myself as a Michelle. I prayed about it and I got the the name Sarah. So I ended up as Sarah Michelle as my first and middle names. Turned out that my folks wanted to use my middle name as my first name,my initials are back to what I was going to have.
I've never been called my name in real life yet, so it doesn't seem 100% solid yet, but Alex is what I wanted to get people to call me when I was younger but was always too shy to enforce. I like the idea of a name that I can shorten because I always wished I had a birthname I could shorten (probably because most shortenings sound more masculine than the long versions, but it kinda stuck), and as my birthname starts with "Z" I felt like that was the end, so my new name should begin with "A" as it's a new beginning.
My middle name, Luke, is what I told people was my middle name in primary school because I felt left out that I didn't have a middle name at all and they all had at least two each. I still feel different when people talk about middle names because I'm not out, and so don't have a middle name per se, so it felt important to have one this time around. I might also include Matthew as a second middle name because that's what I would of been called had I been male -- I considered it for a first name and quite like it, but I know too many Matthew's to be comfortable with it. I know plenty of Alexs as well, but it doesn't bug me the same way for some reason.
As for last names, there was never any doubt that I'd change that one day. Most people can't pronounce it to the extent that I doubt whether I'm saying right, and it's a pain in the rear to explain how to spell (Me: "It's 123, 123, 45" Them: "Was that 12345?" Me: "No, 123, 123 again 45. Two 123's.") I was thinking about what I would take, surnames mean a lot more than first names to me, although family means little, and then I was thinking about how one of my teachers had shown me more about family in one year than mine had in my whole life, but his surname didn't fit with my name at all. Running off that idea though I thought about "Petersson", literally meaning "Son of Peter", which although it isn't accurate in blood terms, is right in other ways, which IMO are more important to building a person than flesh and blood (which as we all know goes wrong sometimes).
So in it's entirety I'm Alexander Luke (Matthew?) Petersson. They're all pretty popular names for someone of my birth year as well, all above 14th in popularity. The meanings of the names didn't really come into it at all other than for Petersson.
I don't know I always thought of myself as a Jennifer. Funny thing is my step mom asked why I wanted to be name Jennifer and I was like it feels right and its me. she them said that's funny because I wanted another daughter and name her Jennifer :)
When I was 8 or so I asked my mother why she doesn't call me Michelle instead of Michael, because you are boy that's why...I said that I feel more like Michelle, this was back in the days that even at that young age it was easy to realize that pushing the fact you felt more like a girl than boy was just going to lead to trouble, so off into hiding I went cuz it was just easier to play male...grrrr
Growing up as a preteen all the way into adult years having the name michael, someone is bound to tease by calling you Michelle....I always just smile since its nice to hear ;)
So my point is, that is and always has been "my name" :)
I've noticed quite a few people here have changed their last names aswell... Do most people see this as a requirement?
Quote from: Lady Autumn on October 29, 2012, 03:27:49 PM
I've noticed quite a few people here have changed their last names aswell... Do most people see this as a requirement?
I don't. I want to keep my last name, unless I marry someone who wants me to take their name. I am also keeping my middle name. It is a family name, and it is my son's middle name as well. It doesn't bother me that it is masculine.
A friend I knew a long time ago.
I was lazy and used a more feminine version of my original name for the first one, second one I just thought of one day and the last one is still my original last name. I figured the first name choice would be easier on my family and also kept weirdness down a bit when I was still not that passable, not that I am that much now, but you know what I mean.
I havn't chosen anything. I've thought of many options, several androgynous. Ryan, Casey, Catherine, Amber. Hell, my parents named me Christopher, I'm tempted to just change it to Chris, but possibly Christine.
Changed my last name as I thought I would be disowned by my family and I am part Scottish,stuck a pin in the phone book till i found a Scottish name that went with my first name
Quote from: MagicKitty on October 29, 2012, 11:23:26 PM
Hell, my parents named me Christopher, I'm tempted to just change it to Chris, but possibly Christine.
Well, it would have two advantages
1) They would not have to relearn your name
2) It might give a sense of continuity and that might help your friends and family a little
My female name and original name have only 2 letters in common. Re-education takes a while and there are lots of slip ups, some of them quite embarrassing.
I msyelf do not have a set name for my first name, as I want something I'm going to end up liking for a while. Tori, Rebecca, and Rachel are all up for consideration, but I haven't really picked one yet. I do though have a middle name that I have picked out, and that is Rose, which I got from my grandmother who has passed away seven years ago.
My last name, even though I don't like it will stay the same until marriage x3
I spent a lot of time on my name. But that's normal for me. I have four kids and I spent months on each of their names (up to the last day for two of them). For me, the meaning behind names is very important. And yes, I'm planning on changing my last name (I never like my birth name and have always had to correct people on the pronunciation.) So I think I'm settled on Evangeline Shadow Sage Fox.
Evangeline: Messenger Of Good News
Shadow: Representing the aspect of myself that lived in darkness
Sage: Wise
Fox: The animal (has meaning for me through shamanistic experiences and also through shintoism).
Since my name says a lot about who I am, it should be as unique as me. Overall I just go by Sage. It's gender neutral so I can use it whether presenting male or female. Once I formally present as female full-time I can use Evangeline if I choose.
cool topic... 8)
I decided on my name on a few reasons.
1. I wanted a name that I have no affiliation too. No one I know or have dated etc.
2. I wanted to try to keep my initials, this is why my father had chosen me my boy name.
3. I wanted middle of the road androgynous kinda name. I thought it would help through the transition.
I gave the opportunity to choose my middle name to my parents, but they declined and said that it was thoughtful. So my wife and daughter helped me. I have to say the middle name was very difficult. I always loved the name Reagan for a girl. It was a close second place for my daughters name. Most of my friends just call me Rea or Rea Rea though.
Reagan Taylor S. :angel:
I brought my mother into the decision
I asked her, "what would you name me if I was born the other way?"
She said, "Annah Maria H. Annah for your great grandmother and Maria after my middle name."
And there you have it.
:)
I took a picture of myself dressed as the real me, looked up baby names, and started saying ones I liked out loud. Picked the one which I felt fit the picture the best. LOL
When my mom was pregnant with me, my parents were told that I was a girl. Everything, including my name, was decided. For me, choosing that first name was a way to acknowledge their choice as parents.
For my middle name, I compiled a list of my 25 favorite names, then gave the list to my spouse and asked her to choose my middle name. She's been my guiding light through transition, and much like a mother has taught me everything I've needed to know to transform me into the woman that I am today. From demeanor and mannerisms, to fashion and makeup, I am in many ways like the daughter that she never had, and out of respect and love for her I felt it was only right to allow her to choose my middle name.
After all the serious first and middle name stuff, my last name was a bit different. In order to build a new identity and "go stealth," I decided to choose a different last name. Google is a great resource, but a Google search of my family name, or my mothers maiden name, (both very uncommon) would have made it pretty easy to find me. I instead chose a very common last name to blend into obscurity. If you do a search for my first and last name, you'll have to dig through thousands of pages of porn, because I share the same name (unintentionally) with a porn star. Happy hunting to all who wish to dig up my past. ;D
Mine was easy, my born male name is James, throughout my life some people called me a derivative as Jamie, so it was a natural not to far off my real name, easy to remember and as a girl go by Jamie.
Jamie
Here's to hoping that I didn't already post here before (Too lazy to go double check)
I took Darius because my dad's name is David, and my late grandfather's name is Delmar, so choosing something with a 'D' at the start just felt like the right choice. I surfed baby name sites for weeks, and made lists of the ones that I liked. I had some people use them on me in order and the very first time someone said 'Darius,' I had this lightbulb moment and more or less shouted, "OMG! THAT'S IT!"
As for my middle name, it's Gray now. Darius Gray, how's that for a Gary-Stu name for you? It used to be Aiden, but then I realized how overused it is, so I started thinking, and then I developed a fascination for Matthew Gray Gubler. My mother constantly compares me to him, because we're both extremely quirky, my family swears that we were twins separated by birth because of the way that we act and our mannerisms...and the fact that we don't make sense when we speak - and neither of us wear matching socks. So anyway, I stole it from him, and I decided to spell Gray with an 'A' because my mother's maiden name is Andersen (Which is why I picked Aiden in the first place)
And finally, my last name will be Curry, because that was my first name when I was born. I'm not fond of it, but I am happy to have the same last name as Tim Curry, and besides that, that name was the first thing that anyone gave me. I decided to ditch my last name, because it's the name belonging to the side of the family that more or less disowned me and now constantly mocks me for my transition. I'll be damned if I have their last name on my tomb-stone. Screw that.
...Long answer.
Mine's pretty simple. When I was about ten I asked my dad out of curiosity what name my parents had picked for me if I'd been born a boy. He said 'Marcus'. I've never forgotten that so when I discovered who I really was, I decided on that for at least part of my name.
Quote from: Jamiep on November 01, 2012, 01:42:06 PM
Mine was easy, my born male name is James, throughout my life some people called me a derivative as Jamie, so it was a natural not to far off my real name, easy to remember and as a girl go by Jamie.
Jamie
I thought James was unisex. Although I know its more commonly male, so I can understand why you changed it.
@Lady Autumn,
Seeing you mention James as being unisex, I googled and I do see some links as being that or gender neutral. First time knowing this. Having James with me all of my 71 years it is male to me & 10 years ago starting in a cd club I was asked what female name did I want to go by, it just came out Jamie.
Jamie
I haven't had my name officially changed, but one day it will be Aiko. It's very similar to my original name and will hopefully be easy to learn for others... I found it by looking through a hoard of name web pages. The names from my own country didn't fit me at all - I guess the male names here seem too used or too filled with associations for me to use them as my own. Aiko is Japanese and means love and child. Somehow Japanese fits me, and my own language is very similar to Japanese.
Today I told about my name to one friend and they thought that it fits me. :) That made me happy. My old name seems to be exactly that - it's growing old.
My name is actually, well, I dunno if you'd call it silly.
I'm an artistic person, and of course I had my own characters and whatnot. One of them was Jaymes, and he was always a replacement for me in my art. I drew what I wanted to be. A male me, one that was happy.
The intentional 'misspelling' just was a bit of a throwback to my birth name, even if I'd transition, I'd still have an oddly spelt name. I'm so used to spelling out my name for clarification.
I'd chosen this name back in junior high and I've never regretted it, it's just me now.
And my middle name, Nicholas, was a masculinization of my birth name. I figure gotta respect some of my parents choices, besides, sounds nice.
So Jaymes Nicholas it was.
I personally think that coming up with your new name is the most spiritual part of changing gender. Even if your new name is just a variation, or even just a different spelling of your old one. I was personally terrified of picking a name that seemed to extrodianry in case people caught me out from that. (I hope that makes sense.) But you need a name that feels right when you say it and something that feels right In your heart... I guess I've been living in Glastonbury too long.
~Autumn Clara Moritz~
Earlier this year I changed my name to "Arawn" on forums because it just instantly felt right to me. However, the pronunciation is difficult and everyone would just pronounce it "Aaron" so I decided on Aaron Gabriel instead. Gabriel has always been a name I've been close with for no apparent reason so it's there as my middle name.
-shrug- I just feel more at home with the name of Aaron Gabriel and feel much more comfortable though it will be a long time before I get to use it in real life.
I chose a name that I've always particularly liked, but I kept the same initials and syllables in each name, first middle last. I am not too particular in people finding out who I used to be--I am generally very open to the fact that I'm trans and I do not have a job riding on my gender so to speak.