Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Community Conversation => Transsexual talk => Female to male transsexual talk (FTM) => Topic started by: Liminal Stranger on March 30, 2013, 06:59:20 PM

Title: Middle name?
Post by: Liminal Stranger on March 30, 2013, 06:59:20 PM
So I like Maxwell as a full first name. My birth name starts with an S to honor a great-uncle of mine, and I'd like to keep an S name in there for him. My grandmother apparently named me at a temple in addition to me being baptized, that first name being Shana. I kinda like Shane, but my brain doesn't like the two together just yet. Do you guys think it would work- if not, any other suggestions? (I kinda like Sage, too)
Title: Re: Middle name?
Post by: Devlyn on March 30, 2013, 07:11:05 PM
Maxwell. ..Smart? Ba-da-bing <running away>
Title: Re: Middle name?
Post by: Liminal Stranger on March 30, 2013, 07:13:48 PM
Oh, I'd have to attach another three letters to the end of that  ;D
Title: Re: Middle name?
Post by: Devin87 on March 30, 2013, 07:18:03 PM
My middle name is Scott.  That would sound pretty good with Maxwell.  It's technically after my uncle Scott, but when I actually put in my name change application, I was totally thinking of Scotty from Star Trek.    :icon_bumdance-nerd:
Title: Re: Middle name?
Post by: Darrin Scott on March 30, 2013, 07:21:24 PM
My middle name is scott too. I think it's a good middle name.
Title: Re: Middle name?
Post by: Liminal Stranger on March 30, 2013, 07:26:20 PM
Haha, nice one Devin :3
Scott is an awesome middle name, but it's also my dad's middle name and I don't like him  >:(
Thanks though, if I get over my father issues I'll take it into consideration!
Title: Re: Middle name?
Post by: Devlyn on March 30, 2013, 07:30:00 PM
Three letters, I see what you did there! Everybody take a seat, I'm going to be serious. Maxwell Silas
Title: Re: Middle name?
Post by: Liminal Stranger on March 30, 2013, 07:33:15 PM
Oh snap, let me get the popcorn!  ;D
I like Silas, actually. The two fit nicely together.
Title: Re: Middle name?
Post by: Jack_M on March 30, 2013, 07:37:50 PM
Ultimately your choice of name is up to you, but here's something I've been thinking about recently with regards to my current choice of name and how I'm thinking to change it. 

Matty is close to my girl name and that's what kinda drew me towards it (plus it was the name of an old good friend of mine who died a few years back) but now I'm thinking it's just a little too close to that name that if people were on the fence about wondering if I am female or male (I'm pre-everything) a name that can sound close to a girl's name wouldn't really help much.

Maxwell would be fine if you used the full name but if people (or yourself) started calling you the shortened form, Max, it could be ambiguous; like Sam or Jamie.

The choice in the end is entirely yours, I'm not telling you it's a bad name, in fact I love the name!  My baby brother is called Max :), I'm just giving you my 2 cents based on my current quest to find a better name for myself.  If you're super confident, and don't care if people are confused, especially if they openly ask, then take my 2 cents and deposit them in the charity box of your choosing :P.  Maybe you already always pass and that doesn't matter anyway!  But if confusion in others might cause you some anxiety, I would be very sure about your choice before you have everyone start to call you it and then have to change again if it doesn't work out. 

I really love the name Callum but while it's a common name in the UK, it seems to be fairly uncommon in N America and I find a lot of people saying the name like "Call 'em" which is wrong (should be Kah-luh-mm).  So even though it's common where I'm from, the fact that it's not so common in N America puts me off and I don't want to have a name people struggle with and say incorrectly.  And again, Callum shortened is Cal, which is also a girl's name! 

It's fun this finding a name game, eh?

As for middle names, I don't feel like they necessarily HAVE to fit together.  If you like the name, then go with it!  I know more people with middle names that don't really flow at all that folk who have great flowing names, and at the same time, my girl first and middle name flow quite nicely but I've never really bothered with my middle name unless I have to for official forms.

I'd say to maybe avoid Sage though.  I'm not sure if you're aware of the coffee make Maxwell House, but folk call it Maxwell.  Your name could start to sound like a grocery list if you had Maxwell (coffee) and Sage (and onion stuffing) together.
Title: Re: Middle name?
Post by: Beth Andrea on March 30, 2013, 07:43:29 PM
I like Maxwell Shane.

For me, my middle name is the femme version of my male middle name, the only remnant of my "original" self that I've kept...to honor/respect him (my past).

:)
Title: Re: Middle name?
Post by: Liminal Stranger on March 30, 2013, 07:47:38 PM
I am now a shopping list- this is perfect c:
People do call me Max, and I know it could be ambiguous but I've never known a girl who used it as a shortening of Maxine or something. Only one I can think of is Max from the Maximum Ride series. I'm really hit or miss with passing because I'm not very tall or mature looking and my face is the one place hair refuses to grow on, hopefully T will change that someday. I like Maxwell the best out of the possible full names- Max kind of chose me in a way, not the other way around. Hopefully in the future I'll have a beautiful man-beard and deep voice to make sure nobody thinks it's short for Maxine :P

I'm fussy about the middle name because I have this thing about things having to flow nicely in speech. Maybe that has something to do with being a writer as a hobby, I dunno. Good luck with your name search, too!

I'm well aware of Maxwell House, by the way- my mother is a coffee addict. You know you have a problem when you're jealous of coffee for being named Maxwell.

That's interesting, Beth! I was thinking of masculinizing my birth name and using that, but it'd sound a bit odd.
Title: Re: Middle name?
Post by: Jack_M on March 30, 2013, 08:09:27 PM
If Max is mainly a dude's name where you are, I say go for it.  You like it and it works, have at it!! :)

Max makes me think of the following, Get Smart, my brother, Jessica Alba, Mad Max films.  So 3 out of 4!! (Jessica Alba played a Max in Dark Angel).

I like this idea of making a middle name from something like my original name.  I might see if I can make that work for me!
Title: Re: Middle name?
Post by: Nero on March 30, 2013, 08:35:36 PM
Yeah, I think it depends on location. I've never ever heard Cal for a girl here, only a guy. And there aren't many Maxine's around. I've never heard Max for a girl here. And even something like Sam or Chris - still more often used for guys. Most people would think of a guy first. Of course, if you don't pass could be an issue. But passing is only a waiting game for most trans guys who plan on T.
Title: Re: Middle name?
Post by: cezcal20 on March 31, 2013, 10:26:17 PM
My middle name is Scott too :)
Title: Re: Middle name?
Post by: AdamMLP on April 01, 2013, 10:56:57 AM
Shawn works with Max to me and is a bit like Shane.
Title: Re: Middle name?
Post by: Joe. on April 01, 2013, 07:05:00 PM
Maxwell Sebastian? I always liked the name Seb and Seth. Maxwell Seth? It's your name at the end of the day so it has to feel right for you. I get what you mean with the rolling off the tongue thing. If you have android you can download an app called name generator and it generates up random names from all over the world. It's meant for when people can't decide on names for characters, but I used it to help name myself.
Title: Re: Middle name?
Post by: Liminal Stranger on April 01, 2013, 07:44:59 PM
So many choices. I'll have to sit down when I'm more focused than this, apparently I have ADHD and not ADD but the H is normally masked with fatigue from other things. But I digress. Don't have an android but I might just pull out a book of baby names or an online list and go through that. Silas stands out to me in a way, because if I want to change my name, the syllable count would work well with it. Don't ask, I'm really picky.

Side note: If I just changed my first name, my initials would be MTF  :P