How did you come up with your guy name?
I have a dilemma. I actually really like my birthname, and it is a unisex name, but there aren't as many men using the name in the United States as there are women, so a lot of people see it as a girl name. I won't mind having a name like that once I am passing as a guy (at least that is what I think now...) but for now, I'd rather have a more masculine name. Whatever name I choose will take the place of my middle name once I'm at a place where I can legally change it, but I don't know how to pick a name for myself. There are names I like, but I don't know if they fit me or not. I kind of wish I had a group of friends that I could use to try out names with to see if they feel right. It's one thing having people use a name over the internet, and a completely different thing having it actually used out loud.
I was having issues picking a name (driving everyone nuts in the process too) so I wrote a list of names I liked and my mom chose my first name. I had to have something to get it legal so that was the route I took. It made my mom feel better about everything too because she felt as if she had a bit of control in the situation.
My middle name (Vincent) I chose because I liked how it flowed with Simon. My last name I changed honestly as a snub to my father who wasn't a very nice person and also told me he would never accept me as a man. Ok, fine and dandy...I'm not passing on your name then (he had no other sons to do so).
Picking a name is tricky for some guys. Just think of what names you like and which ones you can picture yourself living with for the rest of your life. It is a bit weird at first being called something other than your birth name just because habit dictates the name a person responds to. Luckily my birth name wasn't typical so I never had to hear it much again. If you like your gender neutral birth name then stick with it. There are men named Ashley, Kelly, Casey, Cary, etc. It's whatever makes you comfortable.
I'm in the same boat. My birthname is Haley--and it's way more common for females than males, but it is technically unisex. Haley Joel Osment is the only famous name that comes to mind. I'm not planning on changing it largely because my family doesn't want me to, and because I haven't found anything else that really fits. I generally go by Hal, but my family and a few friends still use Haley, and it doesn't really bother me. I suppose it works out that I've actually always really liked guys with feminine names like Ashley, Shelby, etc.
Unfortunately, I'm completely at a loss for middle names. I do want to change that, because mine is blatantly female, and I feel like that'll just be strange for people taking my ID later on. It's really difficult to find names that sound decent and male following Haley, though. :-P
Quote from: democration on April 29, 2013, 12:34:50 PM
I'm in the same boat. My birthname is Haley--and it's way more common for females than males, but it is technically unisex.
Not saying you should change your name but I went to school with a guy named Haylon. Just thought of it as a more masculine form of Haley.
Quote from: Simon on April 29, 2013, 12:12:09 PM
If you like your gender neutral birth name then stick with it. There are men named Ashley, Kelly, Casey, Cary, etc. It's whatever makes you comfortable.
Yeah, I think a unisex name would only be an issue early in transition. Luckily for most trans men, we usually end up passing flawlessly given enough time on T. When I meet a guy named Kelly, I do initially do a double take, but then remember it's a guys' name as well. If you look like a guy, people will just take it at face value.
Quote from: Simon on April 29, 2013, 12:56:55 PM
Not saying you should change your name but I went to school with a guy named Haylon. Just thought of it as a more masculine form of Haley.
Oh, that's actually a really cool name. I've never heard it before. :-)
I was given a unisex name too. The only reason I'm changing it is because I have to change my middle name anyway (my first name is going to be my new middle name).
The name I picked was suggested to me. I also made a list of names I liked, asked for advice, and went with the one I liked the best.
The name Hal reminds me of Hal from Being Human. Cool.
Wow, okay. I feel a little better for not completely hating my birthname. Thank you for the replies :D
I think for me, it really is only going to matter early in my transition, and fortunately (and unfortunately) it's not like I'm going to legally change my name right away, so if later on I decide I actually don't want to use my birth name for my first or middle name, there's time for me to realize that.
Now... I really do need to change my middle and last name, so I do want to figure those out soon, even though it won't be legal for a while. I'd like to get used to it soon. I think the last name will be even harder than the other... Edge, I'm kind of thinking of using my current first name as a middle name, also and coming up with a new first instead of middle, but I'm really not sure yet.
My name is Erin (not sure why I didn't say that before). It could be changed to Aaron, but I really don't want a "biblical" name and am a fan of Ireland, so I'd rather not change the spelling.
Quote from: Nyri on April 29, 2013, 01:37:28 PM
My name is Erin (not sure why I didn't say that before). It could be changed to Aaron, but I really don't want a "biblical" name and am a fan of Ireland, so I'd rather not change the spelling.
You could always pick a different spelling that you like, something like Errin or Eryn if you didn't want to keep the original spelling and don't like Aaron.
Take your sweet time with it. I really miss being able to pick a name. I thought it was the fun part of transition...especially since I always hated my birth name.
Quote from: Nyri on April 29, 2013, 01:37:28 PM
Wow, okay. I feel a little better for not completely hating my birthname. Thank you for the replies :D
I think for me, it really is only going to matter early in my transition, and fortunately (and unfortunately) it's not like I'm going to legally change my name right away, so if later on I decide I actually don't want to use my birth name for my first or middle name, there's time for me to realize that.
Now... I really do need to change my middle and last name, so I do want to figure those out soon, even though it won't be legal for a while. I'd like to get used to it soon. I think the last name will be even harder than the other... Edge, I'm kind of thinking of using my current first name as a middle name, also and coming up with a new first instead of middle, but I'm really not sure yet.
My name is Erin (not sure why I didn't say that before). It could be changed to Aaron, but I really don't want a "biblical" name and am a fan of Ireland, so I'd rather not change the spelling.
The benefit with Aaron/Erin is it's used more for guys than girls. But I fear you will run into problems with the spelling. If people read your name 'Erin', they are going to assume female.
Yeah, that is the problem here... not many people with the Erin spelling are male... there are some, but really not enough for people to not just assume female by seeing it. That's why until I am passing I'd like something else to go by... and have that be my second name once it's changed, also. Seeing Erin William or something like that, I'd assume it was a guy, because what girl is named William? I am planning on whatever my other name is being one that is typically used by males only. Also, once I'm passing, I don't really care if people think I'm a girl by seeing my name as long as that notion goes away once they actually see me :P
I kind of like Eryn, but that feels even more feminine to me. Aeron, maybe? For now though I'm sticking with the current spelling. I can always change my mind later.
I know it's perhaps an anomaly, but my best friend growing up was a guy named Erin, and to my knowledge the spelling of his name has never caused him any grief whatsoever. And of course I'm biased from that friendship but I think Erin is a totally rad name for a guy.
Quote from: natastic on April 29, 2013, 02:34:08 PM
I know it's perhaps an anomaly, but my best friend growing up was a guy named Erin, and to my knowledge the spelling of his name has never caused him any grief whatsoever. And of course I'm biased from that friendship but I think Erin is a totally rad name for a guy.
I think it's a good guy name, and know a couple of guys with the name, it's just uncommon to the point where more people will assume that it is attached to a female unless the person with the name is sitting right in front of them and obviously male. It's awesome to know that your friend hasn't had any problem with the name. I don't think I would either if I passed as a male, which is why I want to keep it.
Long story short, mine picked me XD Has nothing to do with my birth name, which I enjoy about it. I may keep the middle, but do want to change my last name because it's not so common and I don't want my family finding me out of the blue.
Though even with said feminine name, I can pass somehow. Sometimes guys have feminine names. If you want to change yours, go for it, but if you like the name you've got I say stick with it. Erin's a pretty awesome name IMO.
I have no idea why I chose the two names Benjamin Jacob. Maybe I put them together because of the biblical story. Perhaps it's because my grandfather's name was Jacob and my great uncle's name was Benjamin.
Either way my parents are going to hate my chosen name but it fits me perfectly.
I asked my mother to help.
Birth name was Nick or Nicolas.
She said that if I was born a girl it was going to be Nicole.
I don't have a middle name, never did so why start with a name change?
I chose my first name Charlie because a friend called me Charlie Brown a lot and it just seemed to fit. My best friend and I kept trying out names but nothing worked then one night I said Charlie and instantly that friend was like that is it, so I went with it.
I chose Aidan as my middle name because I liked it along with Charlie. I later added Xavier to the end because my family tends to have longer names, I may keep it just as a middle name or I might leave it as my last name I haven't decided.
So my name when I go for my hearing in September is Charlie Aidan Xavier, and for me it is just completely fitting and I love my name.
After the fact like months later I realized I have family members named Charles which I was thinking of changing it to but going by Charlie, but I decided to just legally change it to Charlie as I don't want the association with family members having that name.
I had a really hard time picking a name for a long time, but everyone always called me by my birth name anyway so I never really had one that felt permanent. One day my friend basically told me "I'm sick of calling you by a name that doesn't suit you, you're picking a name now." I listed out some names to her and my other friends that I liked and we kinda went through and decided which one we all thought suited me. Dante was the final choice that we all agreed on, and I'm really happy she did that otherwise I'd probably still be going by my birth name. But the name really feels like it's mine now and I don't have any regrets about it other than people thinking I named myself after the main character of Devil May Cry. ::) But oh well! I like the name and I'm keeping it!
As for why I like the name, there's several reasons, some of them simply superficial (Dante is such a nice combination of sounds and such a nice spelling), but the one reason I really like it is that its Latin root "Durans" means "enduring," and remembering that has given me hope many times when I felt really down.
Quote from: Dante on April 30, 2013, 02:31:01 AM
I don't have any regrets about it other than people thinking I named myself after the main character of Devil May Cry. ::) But oh well! I like the name and I'm keeping it!
I thought you borrowed it from the book "Dante's Inferno".
Don't feel bad. I'm starting to believe I am the only man in the Southern United States called Simon. I get asked about it sometimes, "Are your parents British?". I just smile and say, "No, my mom is very religious and named me after Simon Peter in the Bible". That always satisfies their curiosity. Think of a reason like that for the future in case you need it. Dante is a cool name but highly unusual. People are going to ask how you got it.
Quote from: Simon on April 30, 2013, 01:26:35 PM
I thought you borrowed it from the book "Dante's Inferno".
Don't feel bad. I'm starting to believe I am the only man in the Southern United States called Simon. I get asked about it sometimes, "Are your parents British?". I just smile and say, "No, my mom is very religious and named me after Simon Peter in the Bible". That always satisfies their curiosity. Think of a reason like that for the future in case you need it. Dante is a cool name but highly unusual. People are going to ask how you got it.
That would be first inclination as well, considering I've actually read The Divine Comedy. Dante Alighieri, who wrote it, was the one who made the name popular anyway. I didn't really choose the name after him either but I think it would make more sense to think that than to think I named myself after a video game. I dunno, people are strange.
That's funny, and good call coming up with an explanation! People sometimes wonder about it (I don't really pass though so they're more likely to ask why I chose it than why my parents named me that), but my sister's name is made up, being a compound of two names, so really I have a normal name in comparison to hers! When I actually start passing I'll probably just say that my parents had normal names and wanted their kids to have more interesting ones... I can use my sister's name as "proof."
Quote from: Dante on April 30, 2013, 01:52:13 PM
but my sister's name is made up, being a compound of two names, so really I have a normal name in comparison to hers! When I actually start passing I'll probably just say that my parents had normal names and wanted their kids to have more interesting ones... I can use my sister's name as "proof."
Sounds like my cousins... get ready for this, it's one all one person: John-Mark Emmit-Lee [last name] I'm just glad his parents didn't have another boy, since they used all of the names on the first one. Their second kid is a little better... Anne-Marie Kay. After that, they named their kids fairly normally (I mean with only one first and one middle name). I suppose it's not like it's too weird, but I don't think I'd want that many names. Maybe two middle names at most.
Simon, there are a lot of names I like that aren't very common here, and think I'd be asked about them. Roderick is one of them... and I can't even think of any biblical or fictional character my parents could have known about who had that name.
Then there were other names I liked, but after being here and on youtube and tumblr, they seem very common in the FTM world... so I would feel weird picking them. I liked them long before I even knew they were common, but I would still feel like a copy cat.
I need to go out and find people to introduce myself to as certain names until I find one that sounds natural to me :P
I'm not even at the point where I should really be thinking of names, but mum mentioned one day that had I been born a boy I would have been called Keiran and it just clicked. I guess I've always liked that name and a bonus is that mum actually would have named one of her kids, which is always a good thing. The only problem I have is that if I end up passing most the time and start going by a male name before the end of college I might have to find a temporary alternative as there is already two Keiran's in our pretty small class.
I had a terrible time choosing my name. When I first started dating my fiancee, she told me I do not look like my birthname (which is Mary :embarrassed:). She told me I looked more like an Alex. I like the name Alex but when it came down to it, I didn't feel like an Alex. I wanted a tie to my birthname because in some ways it formed a part of me, however, I have a cousin Mark and Matt and a brother Mike... and I'm not going with Marvin or Marion. So instead I focused on the length of the name. Evan has 4 letters and a "v" in it (I'm a big fan of V for Vendetta). And then chose Alexander as my middle name. Plus I like it because it leaves me open to nicknames which I tend to be fond of (as long as they aren't along the lines of jacka**). I wish I could have taken part of my grandfather's name but I definitely don't look like a Russell or an Edward. My family don't like it but they didn't provide any ideas so they will have to deal with it. I'm not 100% sure that it's the best name for me but it's my name and I'm happy with it. Plus my initials spell ear and that makes me laugh.
Quote from: Data Lizard on April 30, 2013, 03:32:46 PM
I'm not even at the point where I should really be thinking of names, but mum mentioned one day that had I been born a boy I would have been called Keiran and it just clicked. I guess I've always liked that name and a bonus is that mum actually would have named one of her kids, which is always a good thing. The only problem I have is that if I end up passing most the time and start going by a male name before the end of college I might have to find a temporary alternative as there is already two Keiran's in our pretty small class.
I've never actually heard that name before, but I really like it. I tried asking my mom in a round about way what she would have named me if I was a boy... and then if she had another kid who happened to be a boy, what would she name him. I didn't get very far, and didn't really want to out myself with the conversation, but she ended up saying if she had another boy she'd name him Jovian. I'd never heard of it before, either, and it's not bad, but I don't think it fits me at all. She sent it to me in a text and I wasn't sure if it was Spanish or what... apparently it's not and starts with a J sound. She also said that she almost named me Mardi as a girl name... which could translate into Marty? I don't like it, though.
I love V for Vendetta, too! I was thinking of William because of William Rockwood, but that's one of the names I've seen so many FTM people with (or Liam)
Quote from: Nyri on April 30, 2013, 03:44:53 PM
I love V for Vendetta, too! I was thinking of William because of William Rockwood, but that's one of the names I've seen so many FTM people with (or Liam)
I think I have seen one transguy online called William. Never seen a Liam (I think I'm possibly the only trans Simon).
If you want to steer well clear of typical transguy names stay away from Aiden or Kaiden. Alex and Tyler are typical trans names too but they're more common in the cis world so not as telltale.
When I was thinking of names back in the day I tried to think of names that were common for guys my age. In the 80's people weren't naming their boys Aiden, Kaiden, Josiah, etc. Those names are more typical of boys growing up now instead of twenty years ago. Simon wasn't my first choice but it's alright and my mom digs it. Most people just call me Si anyways.
Shortening my first name. It's a unisex nickname. I don't like having it so similar to my birth name, but I don't think I could respond to any other name.
Have any of you heard of Marion Morrison?
Quote from: Jamie D on April 30, 2013, 10:33:09 PM
Have any of you heard of Marion Morrison?
Yeah, but I didn't recognize the name haha
Quote from: Simon on April 30, 2013, 07:29:22 PM
Quote from: Nyri on April 30, 2013, 03:44:53 PM
I love V for Vendetta, too! I was thinking of William because of William Rockwood, but that's one of the names I've seen so many FTM people with (or Liam)
I think I have seen one transguy online called William. Never seen a Liam (I think I'm possibly the only trans Simon).
If you want to steer well clear of typical transguy names stay away from Aiden or Kaiden. Alex and Tyler are typical trans names too but they're more common in the cis world so not as telltale.
Yep. William is such an extremely common name and has been for centuries; way more cisguys named this than trans guys. You can't go wrong with classics. They won't out you as trans. Though I think the nickname Liam is more recently popular. Never heard it growing up. But still, it's a dimunitive of William so can't go wrong there.
Quote from: Not-so Fat Admin on May 01, 2013, 11:15:41 AM
Yep. William is such an extremely common name and has been for centuries; way more cisguys named this than trans guys. You can't go wrong with classics. They won't out you as trans. Though I think the nickname Liam is more recently popular. Never heard it growing up. But still, it's a dimunitive of William so can't go wrong there.
I never heard Liam growing up, either, but it's on the charts as a stand alone name for my birth year, so I wouldn't mind using it. I think if I do go that rout, I'll stick with William and use Liam as a nickname. I actually came out to two of my best friends yesterday by asking them what they could see me as... One suggested Jude, and the other like Eric or Aaron, but since I didn't want to do that, I asked if they liked anything on my list... they said they thought Liam was the best from what I had. Jude was actually on my list to begin with too, so I thought that was cool that my one friend would suggest it before seeing my list.
The name Sebastian came to me while watching a tv show that actually had a character named Sebastian in it. I hadn't really heard the name but I liked it, but here's the thing I liked it in a weird way. I didn't immediately think "I will file that name away for if I ever have kids" or "I'm going to name a dog that because I like the name." I liked it on almost a completely different level. I liked it but didn't like it at the same time, it's sort of hard to explain.
Also the name 'Sebastian' every single time I say it or think it conjures up images of the sea. I've been swimming in the ocean since I was just a wee thing. My dad and I both got our open diver liscenses when I was only 12. The ocean is home away from home. I haven't been in a long while, but remembering the peace and the silence of being at the middle of the ocean, seeing things that some people never would, and feeling so very insignificant but at the same time so very special, there's something about that. How I feel about the ocean is how I feel about my life. So for me, the name Sebastian connects me with one of the things I love the most but also humbles me and reminds me of my humanity.
I know not everyone has that deep of a connection with their name, but i'd always suggest that when you are choosing a new name, try to find that name that conjures up images of something you love. Humans name things to take possession of them. So by naming yourself, you define your life as yours. Take your time and find your name.
Cheers,
Seb
PS: I don't think anyone can ever really suggest names to another person, because it's such a personal thing, but my top name votes always go to: Sam, Oliver, Sasha (though you need to be distinctly male to avoid being misgendered but still one of my fav male names), John and Daryl.
I agree to a point about names being a personal thing, but since I have a long list and am always trapped inside my head where I can't see myself very well, I thought I'd give my list to a couple people who know me well to help narrow it down. I guess I just asked them what they could see me as before I gave them the list, just so I wasn't ruling anything out that I might actually like but hadn't thought of. Ultimately I'm going to decide, obviously, but I do like having input. A lot of people have decided on a name that a friend picked out... it doesn't make it any less "theirs" because it was their decision to go with it in the end.
I picked my name based of gut feeling. It had always resonated with me; like I would feel a little pang of jealousy when I met someone else with it. The other thing (and I think this is important if you want to blend in a bit) is that is is age appropriate, meaning someone born in my birth year is relatively likely to have it.
A really cool place to check name statistics is www.wolframalpha.com (http://www.wolframalpha.com). Just go there, type in your name, and you'll get all sorts of cool statistics on it, including how popular it has been over time, and a frequency distribution with age, etc (I'm a data geek, what can I say).
If you're concerned about the spelling of your name, the idiots guide to baby names has a chart thing in it with a list of vowel combinations from most masculine to most feminine. Something like that may help.
Quote from: Bastian on May 01, 2013, 01:16:49 PM
The name Sebastian came to me while watching a tv show that actually had a character named Sebastian in it. I hadn't really heard the name but I liked it, but here's the thing I liked it in a weird way. I didn't immediately think "I will file that name away for if I ever have kids" or "I'm going to name a dog that because I like the name." I liked it on almost a completely different level. I liked it but didn't like it at the same time, it's sort of hard to explain.
My boyfriend named my car Sebastian. Haha! He names a lot of things Sebastian...I do like it though! <3 Although I also feel it conjures up images of the sea (The Little Mermaid was my FAVOURITE movie as a child), so I feel like it would be more fitting for a speedboat than a sportscar. ^^;
I've always imagined what my male name would be, even when I was too little to know about trans culture. In the end, I always tend to prefer androgynous or femme boys' names, but I really doubt I'd be able to make a decision at all until I actually
looked male.
Some of my top picks:
Aiden (I don't care, I've always loved the name ;P)
Drake (yes, because of Drake Bell)
Kai
And I've always been drawn to J names for whatever reason. Jason, Jeremy, Jon...However, as I've dated guys with all my favourite J names, I regretfully would have to take them all off the table. That's just too weird. (I don't have a lot of ex's, I just
really seem to be drawn to J names!)
I think it's cool hearing about how some of you chose your names. I'd be too scared to let someone else pick my first name, even if it was one I liked! I've spent so many years living with a name I absolutely HATE (waaaayyyyyy too feminine for me), so I wouldn't want to chance getting one I might start disliking down the road.
I chose Harry because my female name began with a H so it makes some things easier. Also, I wanted a common name because my female name is kind of unusual and I hated that. Perhaps subconsciously it had something to do with being a massive Harry Potter fan, I only thought about that after I chose it and started using it. xD
(Super nervous about posting my name.. In case anyone recognizes me..)
My name, Surprisingly Is a Uni-sex nickname for Uni-sex names. Haha.
My name Is Sav. -- It can be for.. Salvatore, Saville, Savion. However It can also be for.. Savina, Savonne, Etc.
I was always called Sav so I can't tell you how I decided my name but.. I have a question.
I always wondered, Could I have an opinion on If "Sav" sounds.. Male, Female or Uni-Sex? If the answer Is Uni-Sex, What would It lean towards more?
Thanks :D !
Quote from: BlackBird on May 13, 2013, 06:23:39 AM
I always wondered, Could I have an opinion on If "Sav" sounds.. Male, Female or Uni-Sex? If the answer Is Uni-Sex, What would It lean towards more?
To me that's a male name. I would accept it if a female told me it was their name, but I would initially think male. A lot of unisex names seem to be reversed in which they lean towards between the US and the UK though, so my perspective might be different to some guys in the States.
I chose my name because I always wanted a name which could be shortened, and something beginning with "A" as some sort of symbolic thing about new beginnings. My birthname began with a "Z", and I'm ending that phase of my life, so it only seemed right to start with the first letter of the alphabet for the next phase. It's a bit clumsy, but I came up with it when I was twelve, and when I realised I was trans and looking for a new name decided to go back to it. My middle name, Luke, is a bit like that because I liked it anyway and then remembered I had told people it was my middle name when I was four.
Recently I'm also enjoying the fact that my name can also be shortened to Xander. I don't think I'd ever use it, but I like how it begins with a "Z" sound, but is hidden in my full name. Sort of a little past relic to who I was before.
@Alexander: Thanks for the response! I always thought my name sounded more male than female. I'm glad others think so as well. Also, It's great that you shared that. :) Interesting little story. I like "Xander" Sounds pretty epic.
After about 6 months to a year scouring baby name websites I had a couple in mind. I decided on one, which my family/gf at the time weren't that impressed with (Gus). My gf called me Gus for a while (I think im still in her phone as gusgus), but it just didn't seem to stick.
I'd essentially scour the websites, choose a name, try it on for size in my head for a bit, and then go back to the websites. Finally I came across my current name (Rowan). After I came across it I walked out to my car to grab something, trying the name on in my head, and I felt like some sort of fantastic warrior of sorts. The name stuck.
Well, after much thought and asking my mom (since I'm taking away the name she gave me basically) I decided on Jude. At first it felt a little funny next to the more common names, but I think it's perfect for me. It's not an unheard of name, but it's fairly unique among people my age and has both a Biblical (should make my mom happy, but I don't care about it) and kind of sort of hippie (which I love, and it's not something like Blue River) connotations. It was on my little list to begin with, it was the first thing that came to my friend's mind when I asked what I looked like, and my mom said she liked it before I even showed her my list of names that I was planning on choosing from. I'm pretty sure my mom is just humoring me in helping pick a name (she doesn't use it at all yet and still think I need some weird bloodwork done to make sure my hormones aren't messed up) but I'm happy she helped out nonetheless. I love the name, and am pretty happy to have something I can introduce myself to people as now.
Well, let me be the first to say:
"Hey Jude"
Yes, I love The Beatles and it is a great name. :)
Thank you! I'm pretty excited about it, and I love The Beatles, too.
Well the fact that my mom hated the first name I picked was a big factor in my name now. I originally was going to go by Trent, I used that for a few months until my mom told me she hated the name and always thinks of trout. My second choice was Jace so now that's my name. I'm glad I went with Jace though, I'm not much of a Trent (I always associate this name with badass rebel types and unfortunately I'm just not one of those). Plus this way I got to keep the first initial of my birth name. I picked the middle name I would've had if I'd been born male, Hunter.
My name is basically a masculine version of my old name (I don't talk about new name anymore because it's been official and legal ever since December), only the last letter changed.
I somehow like my name beginning with an L and there aren't that many male names in Finnish starting with it so Lauri was kinda natural choice. :D And while being very common Finnish name I haven't heard of it much, I suppose it's lost its charm or something over the years. Dunno. :'D
My middle name is Johannes and it seems to be very popular middle name for boys here. I have always liked it as a name and it was also my (late) grandfather's middle name, too.
Plus, my grandfather was called Jussi according to this middle name very often (Jussi is a common pet name for Johannes here) and Mom told me my name would've been Jussi if I had been born male. :D
All in all, Lauri Johannes goes well together with my last name and doesn't leave much room for misgendering. Someone might think they misheard my first name but the middle name can't really be misheard so it makes it clear that I'm no girl. ;)
Quote from: Chamillion on May 18, 2013, 03:44:28 AM
Well the fact that my mom hated the first name I picked was a big factor in my name now. I originally was going to go by Trent, I used that for a few months until my mom told me she hated the name and always thinks of trout. My second choice was Jace so now that's my name. I'm glad I went with Jace though, I'm not much of a Trent (I always associate this name with badass rebel types and unfortunately I'm just not one of those). Plus this way I got to keep the first initial of my birth name. I picked the middle name I would've had if I'd been born male, Hunter.
You actually look like you could pull off Trent and Jace really well. I like both names a lot. :) And Hunter's such a cool middle name. I was actually thinking something along those lines for my middle name (our dog's name was Hunter, and I just always thought it was so manly and outdoors-y).
Quote from: D0LL on May 18, 2013, 09:41:48 AM
You actually look like you could pull off Trent and Jace really well. I like both names a lot. :) And Hunter's such a cool middle name. I was actually thinking something along those lines for my middle name (our dog's name was Hunter, and I just always thought it was so manly and outdoors-y).
Hey thanks! Yeah both names are great, well of course I think so haha. Hunter's great too and I agree it seems like a rugged manly name. I love how happy it made everyone in my family too, cos it actually comes from my grandpa. I couldn't take their choice of first name though, my name would've been Gary. Had to draw the line on that one. :P
I stared browsing babyname-sites with three criteria that had to be met
1. I was keeping my initials
2. They had to be fairly common for someone in my age group
3. I had to like them :p
I'm going to be Jonathan Jay which I will legally be changed Jun 18!!!!! :) I go by my middle name.
It is masculine for my birth name; my mom would have named me that if I were born MAAB. (She's deceased.)
It fits my initials. It fits with names in my year of birth (you can check this out.) It just sounds good I think.
--Jay
Quote from: aleon515 on May 18, 2013, 12:26:45 PM
I'm going to be Jonathan Jay which I will legally be changed Jun 18!!!!! :) I go by my middle name.
Congrats Jay! :)
My name was once a unisex name and is now uncommon for guys. I basically sat down and said what would I not want my son to be named (I want a Jr.). My mom was going to name me Michael after some female model, but changed that when her cousin stole my name for her brat (she was born a couple day before me). I wish my name would of been Michael from the start. I have two very feminine middle names so I'm still working on my second middle name, but thus far I have Khai Noah (blank) (last name). Khai is pronounced like Thai or sky with a K.
Khai Noah
do you guys have any suggestions for a second middle name I'm lost here?
Quote from: Simon on May 18, 2013, 12:58:49 PM
Congrats Jay! :)
@Simon-- Thanks, I am so psyched!! I sort of saw a crocodile grin when you wrote that. :)
I know your picture is not a croc but I always see one.
@D.K-- neat name. I like the name Khai, and it is unusual.
--Jay
Quote from: aleon515 on May 18, 2013, 01:40:36 PM
@Simon-- Thanks, I am so psyched!! I sort of saw a crocodile grin when you wrote that. :)
I know your picture is not a croc but I always see one.
@D.K-- neat name. I like the name Khai, and it is unusual.
--Jay
Thanks brother and congrats from this way too. Johnathan Jay...like the flow of it.
Quote from: Dark.Knight on May 18, 2013, 01:55:57 PM
Thanks brother and congrats from this way too. Johnathan Jay...like the flow of it.
Thanks man. How about Lee, James, Ray? Or JAY? :)
Though it depends how many syllables your last name is. Also depends if you want something usual or something unusual.
This is a neat little reference for unusual names: http://nameberry.com/blog/cool-unusual-boys-names-the-best-100 (http://nameberry.com/blog/cool-unusual-boys-names-the-best-100)
--Jay
Quote from: Dark.Knight on May 18, 2013, 01:25:24 PM
Khai Noah
do you guys have any suggestions for a second middle name I'm lost here?
I vote for Vincent. It flows well with a lot of names...and yeah it's my middle name so I am partial to it, lol. Really I have no distinct reason I chose Vincent except that Simon Vincent flowed well and I couldn't think of any other name that sounded as well with Simon.
Quote from: aleon515 on May 18, 2013, 05:25:25 PM
Thanks man. How about Lee, James, Ray? Or JAY? :)
Doubt he'd want Lee....Khai Lee together sounds like a female name. :P
Quote from: Simon on May 18, 2013, 05:32:20 PM
Doubt he'd want Lee....Khai Lee together sounds like a female name. :P
Oh yeah true. Esp since I think some people would think it was pronounced K Lee.
--Jay
I like those. You guys are right about the Lee, I even thought about that one, its a family name so is Vincent? Hmmm I'm going to swish those around for a bit and check the link. FYI last names two syllables. But thanks brothers.
Quote from: Dark.Knight on May 18, 2013, 01:25:24 PM
My name was once a unisex name and is now uncommon for guys. I basically sat down and said what would I not want my son to be named (I want a Jr.). My mom was going to name me Michael after some female model, but changed that when her cousin stole my name for her brat (she was born a couple day before me). I wish my name would of been Michael from the start. I have two very feminine middle names so I'm still working on my second middle name, but thus far I have Khai Noah (blank) (last name). Khai is pronounced like Thai or sky with a K.
Khai Noah
Kai was actually one of the names I was considering, just spelled without the H. I personally love it. There was some African exchange student at my school named Khai (although I'm not sure how he spelled it) and I just always thought it was a good, simple name. I'm also a HUGE fan of the name Michael. That was another one of my considerations. I also think that'd be so sexy as a female name!
My sister named me...The only real issue I have with my name is that it wasn't a name that was used in that generation (my generation) But, I am me, a name means little to me because of my dysfunctional family background. I should have been called survivor!
I go by Peter at present-- I had been using Michael for maybe a couple of weeks beforehand but Mom texted me to suggest something different, and Peter came up. I thought it was a serious suggestion and adopted Peter because I thought it was a decent fit and I could be accommodating toward Mom, who was having trouble adjusting to my transition, but it turned out she was being facetious and doesn't care for the name. To rectify that, I let her choose my middle name, and she opted for Knox, which I like quite a bit. However, I've recently come across the name Cannan, which I think suits me better than Peter, but I'm not sure if it's worth having people re-adjust at this point (I've been Peter for close to eight months now).
D.K., have you considered James as a second middle name? I think it sounds great with Noah, for some reason.
Quote from: D0LL on May 19, 2013, 06:28:51 PM
Kai was actually one of the names I was considering, just spelled without the H. I personally love it. There was some African exchange student at my school named Khai (although I'm not sure how he spelled it) and I just always thought it was a good, simple name. I'm also a HUGE fan of the name Michael. That was another one of my considerations. I also think that'd be so sexy as a female name!
If I hadn't named my dog Kai a long time ago and hadn't met another FTM named Kai recently, I would have thought of it... I love that name. I don't know how well it would have fitted me, though.
When I first pictured myself as a man, the name just came into my mind and I felt it fits me perfectly. My actual name is the hungarian version of Adam. If I was born in the USA it would be Jared probably.
avoided what i see as the common ftm names (sebastion, aiden, lucien, elijah etc etc. no offense to any bros with those names) and picked something inconspicious maybe even boring by some people's standards.
I think, when I was deciding my name, I thought of a couple names that I've always been really fond. Names that I could also see myself having without being too much of a stretch for someone like me. (Not too "old" and not too "new".) So I started sifting through a list, my favorites included: Jet, Tobias, Sterling, Lance, and Kodi. Eventually Tobias stuck out to me and the nickname wasn't too bad. So that won out and I'm possibly using one of my other picks for a middle name. Otherwise, I'm using my maiden name or my mom's maiden name. It really depends on how things pan out with my family.
I do also notice a lot of FTM pick names like: Kai, Aiden, Brandon/Brendon(Brenden), and names like that. No offense to those with those names but I did want to avoid them because they would stick out quite a bit if I had that name.
I was originally gonna go with Brian because it starts with the first three letters of my birth name, but I ended up going with what my parents were going to name me had I been maab. I'm glad I picked that. Right now I'm presenting male in some places and female in others, so the fact that it's a gender neutral name helps a LOT. I can't imagine living with a fully male or my previous fully female name. Devin lets me be me in all situations.
I legally changed it a year ago next Friday (I'll have to do something to commemorate) and it's taken a bit of transition. When I first thought about it, I had a lot of "this just feels right" moments, but this past year I've also had a lot of "Devin? Who's that? Oh-- he means me!" moments. Those are becoming fewer and farther between, though. So it's not without its moments of doubt. But it's starting to feel right-- starting to really feel like me. It just took longer than I was expecting.
For me, it was a bit more difficult.
My name itself it gender neutral, and while I liked it, it was much more common for females than males. I was thinking of changing it to Alexander, or simply Alex at first, but like before, I knew too many females with that name, so it didn't seem right.
I would've gone with the " what my parents would've named me" option that many here had chosen, but the name would've been William (for some reason, it's tradition to name your first male William in my family). I guess I'm being too picky, but I didn't think the name William fit: Too long, and I knew that the people I hung out with would come up with some extremely stupid nickname. After consulting a few male friends, we all decided on the name Seth: Short and simple, with some meaning to it. And, that name's stuck ever since then. Maybe because I've had a short name all my life, I like short names a lot better than the longer ones.
I always thought the name Kai was cute. maybe that's because it's my boyfriend's name.
Regarding wolfduality's comment on common FTM names, I think he's right. BUT, I also think that everyone has the choice to choose a name they like. It's kinda like how a lot of FTM names are Lauren or other, more traditional names. Some names scream masculinity/femininity, and others don't. I don't think it matters if it stands out, it really only matters on if the individual likes it and can remember it.
Jude is a great name, I like it a lot! The Beatles connection definitely helps, too, haha.
I chose the first name Christian and the middle name Andrew to go by because they're basically just the masculine versions of my original first name and middle name. I wanted the first and middle name I go by when I identify as male to sound as familiar as possible to me.
Also, I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one that scours baby name websites for name ideas, haha.
For me, I went through hundreds of names, looking at meanings and such. I made a list of names i liked and then started to do elimination. I said the name out loud while lookig in a mirror and wrote it out 'till i got down to Ethan, Evan, and Jackson. I settled on Ethan for a bit but something wasn't quite right. So i looked some more and found Asa. I'm still not totally sure because my friend loves the name Ethan for me and thinks Asa sounds like a girls name. I like Ethan but Asa "clicks" more. Ethan is too popular a name I think. I heard a lot of people claim Asa looks like it should have two s's but I knew an Asa and that wasn't the case at all. I don't really care about that anyway. It just seems right. Just worried it sounds like a girls name now lol.
My middle name was way easier, Gideon. It just clicked right away.
Haven't met many Khai's, cis and/or I only know a couple transwomen/no men. So I'm not so knowledgeable on what trans guys pick as names. Although from online Aiden, Brendan, and such are common. I picked my name for many reasons...Im African-American and did not want to get a name obvious to black males for professional reasons, something not to hard to sound out if read, what I also wanted to name my son, the sound of women calling out my name, and how guys would nickname me. Khai just hit me. Nickname wise not much to be called with such a short/one syllable name. I liked it enough that I didn't require a nickname.
Really though if your name sounds crap or too much for a women to call out its not worth it lol j/k, or am I?
^ Part of what I like about your name is the fact that it is its own nickname. What's simpler than that? Haha!
Right now I'm thinking about either Jeremy or Tristan for my first name.
I've never really liked the name Tristan, but I think it's something I'd probably be able to pull off, without being too common. It sounds like it could either be really masculine, or really femme, and I like that. One thing that I DON'T like about the name is that it isn't sexy. Like if someone were to say my name during sex. Yes, I'm thinking that much into this.
As far as Jeremy, it's really the only J name that I like that I wouldn't feel weird taking. I've had a Jason and a Jon who were both pretty big parts of my love life, and I have BFFs named Josh and Jordan, so all of those are unfortunately out of the question. The only Jeremy I've ever met was a one night stand, so I don't feel bad choosing the name. Also, I love the idea that it can be shortened to Jay if someone doesn't feel like saying the full thing.
I have no idea what to think about a middle name, I feel like I'd have to decide on a first name and then I can match up whatever sounds best.
Also, has anyone here changed their last name as well? I know a lot of transgender people do it to completely distance themselves from their previous identity, but for me, it's just always something I've wanted to do. I hate my parents and basically want to cut the name ties with them (I decided I was going to change my last name even before deciding to transition, so I'm glad now that I waited on it). How does one go about choosing a whole new last name???
Quote from: D0LL on May 29, 2013, 06:27:54 PM
How does one go about choosing a whole new last name???
I changed mine and plenty of other trans people have. I did it because my dad was a jerk about my transition (and everything really). He had no other sons so if he would have been cool about things I would have passed his name on one day.
I almost took Richardson because it's my grandpa's last name (I wish I would have). Then there are family on that side who don't accept me and I didn't want to hear their lip. I took a distant family last name. It's my grandfather's mother's maiden name. It's nothing out of the ordinary and meshes well with Simon.
You can pick something that you just like or go with a different last name in your family history. They don't question it in court so doesn't matter really. Whatever feels right to you.
Quote from: D0LL on May 29, 2013, 06:27:54 PM
^ Part of what I like about your name is the fact that it is its own nickname. What's simpler than that? Haha!
Right now I'm thinking about either Jeremy or Tristan for my first name.
.... One thing that I DON'T like about the name is that it isn't sexy. Like if someone were to say my name during sex. Yes, I'm thinking that much into this.
Also, has anyone here changed their last name as well? I know a lot of transgender people do it to completely distance themselves from their previous identity, but for me, it's just always something I've wanted to do. I hate my parents and basically want to cut the name ties with them (I decided I was going to change my last name even before deciding to transition, so I'm glad now that I waited on it). How does one go about choosing a whole new last name???
Thank you that's why I went for it and your right Jay would be a better bedroom screamer lol another reason I chose mine. You are my brother from a past life lol
I'm not sure how my family will act but if they go all nuts like they did when they found out I liked women and I was what they called one of those rough lesbians because I dress masculine...No! I'd also like to know about changing last names. I may switch to my fathers last name he doesn't give a damn and that side of my family is way less ugh or judgmental.
Cool to know Simon I will be considering my options just in case...
I'm going with my screen name here.
Originally my screen name was going to be "Nepherite" based off of Sailor Moon but that sounded too ugly for me so I went with Malachite from Sailor Moon instead.
However, within the few years of being here I slowly gravitated from the Malachite from Sailor Moon to Malachite the transman. It became a part of my identity.
I talk about all the possible names I thought about on my blog but a few other people have told me that they can't see me as something other than Malachite now. I agree with them. I can't see myself as something other than Malachite now.
So Malachite it is.
Since that is out of the way now, the only thing I need to focus on is if I'm going to change my last name and what my middle name will be.
Quote from: Malachite on May 29, 2013, 07:00:27 PM
So Malachite it is.
Get ready for questions about that one. Guess you can always say your parents are Geologists, lol.
Quote from: Simon on May 29, 2013, 07:16:36 PM
Get ready for questions about that one.
I know right? Haha
I'm usually so focused on it being an anime character that I forget it's a mineral. I guess if people ask then I will simply say "I don't know."
Sad thing is that South Carolina won't amend the birth certificate and will only give me an updated card to attach to it so I would need to move away to a state that will.
Quote from: Malachite on May 29, 2013, 07:44:31 PM
Sad thing is that South Carolina won't amend the birth certificate and will only give me an updated card to attach to it so I would need to move away to a state that will.
As far as I know, North Carolina does. Come be my neighbor, lol.
I might just have to. I don't want a card lol.
Quote from: D0LL on May 29, 2013, 06:27:54 PM
Also, has anyone here changed their last name as well? I know a lot of transgender people do it to completely distance themselves from their previous identity, but for me, it's just always something I've wanted to do. I hate my parents and basically want to cut the name ties with them (I decided I was going to change my last name even before deciding to transition, so I'm glad now that I waited on it). How does one go about choosing a whole new last name???
I don't plan to change my last name. My wife doesn't want to change it either so we're keeping it. (I kinda wanted to but it's not a big deal for me to not change it.) We also have child together and I felt it would be really awkward that he would have my wife's last name, whereas I have a different one. It kinda implies something to the more conservative crowd and I didn't want to deal with it.
However, despite NOT going through with actually changing it, I've thought about it for a long time. One thing I considered was my heritage. Being half German, I looked into German surnames that weren't too "out there" for the US. (I wasn't aiming to please the masses, but I didn't want something too strange either) I also looked into the "popularity" of the surnames. Nothing too uncommon but certainly not "Smith" status. Take your time. Find a name that flows in it's entirety or at least one you are completely fine with.
Quote from: Malachite on May 29, 2013, 07:44:31 PM
Sad thing is that South Carolina won't amend the birth certificate and will only give me an updated card to attach to it so I would need to move away to a state that will.
I wasn't aware any other state can mess with your birth certificate.
Quote from: Not-so Fat Admin on May 31, 2013, 07:42:02 PM
I wasn't aware any other state can mess with your birth certificate.
Ahh, so it has to be the State you're born in? Bummer.
Quote from: Simon on May 31, 2013, 07:51:44 PM
Quote from: Not-so Fat Admin on May 31, 2013, 07:42:02 PM
I wasn't aware any other state can mess with your birth certificate.
Ahh, so it has to be the State you're born in? Bummer.
Not sure, but I think so. If not, that'd be great cause I just moved and my birth state won't even attach a card. :laugh:
Quote from: D0LL on May 29, 2013, 06:27:54 PM
Also, has anyone here changed their last name as well?
I did. For several reasons. Nothing to do with family or heritage though. I love my family and my roots and have a good relationship with them.
The judge didn't blink an eye.
I'm an old fart, so keeping my initials was important. Also, honoring the name my parents gave me by masculinizing it. and also, I remember being in 4th grade and there was a kid with my male name. Now, my name is quite boring, but at the time (age 10) I was wishing it were my name. That, and I wanted to choose a name that fit the decade I was born. It's in the top 100.
I hated the name my parents said they had chosen if I had been maab, because the neighborhood bully had that name. So yeah, my name is kinda boring, but it fits, whereas the old F name never fit and I HATED it.
Well sometimes states will accept a court order from *another* state. At least I think this has been done.
But normally... my birth state is very much less progressive in this regard than my new one. BTW, some states will take top surgery as "SRS", depends on how the letter is written.
--Jay
My birth name began with L, and I wanted to keep the same first initial. My birth name doesn't have a masculine version, and I wanted a short name. So Luke seemed to fit, and I think it suits me.
Andrew is just one of my favourite names. I think it suits me. I toyed with using it as a first name, but decided I like it better as a middle name.
My birthname started with B and alot of my friend refer to me as B and I love this character off PoKemon heheh
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs8.postimg.org%2Fx2w53fw1d%2Fbrock.jpg&hash=5b0ac0e82d63bc3e3304410ae7ff73f2b9162012) (http://postimg.org/image/x2w53fw1d/)
Up until a few months before I legally changed my name to Toby, I was going by the name Aeron instead. While Aeron is (in my opinion lol) a nice name, I wanted a name that suited me and that I could really feel was meant for me, you know?
Just think about what feels right. People say Toby suits me, I guess because it seems like a rather boyish name, and/or reminds them of an excitable puppy. Lmao, I'm both of these things.
And as for Aeron, I chose that for my middle name instead!
So yeah just take your time. My advice is not to choose a name that you *love*. Like, I don't love my name, but it fits me, so it's right for me. Does that even make sense? Haha.
Good luck!
Quote from: Brock on June 13, 2013, 04:52:08 AM
My birthname started with B and alot of my friend refer to me as B and I love this character off PoKemon heheh
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs8.postimg.org%2Fx2w53fw1d%2Fbrock.jpg&hash=5b0ac0e82d63bc3e3304410ae7ff73f2b9162012) (http://postimg.org/image/x2w53fw1d/)
The name Brock always makes me think of Brock Samson from the Venture Bros. :D
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.popmatters.com%2Fnews_art%2Fb%2Fbrock-samson-sp.jpg&hash=1026de0bc2dce6f5fc57c07c9a26c4aa9952a106)
Mikey has always been my nickname, since I was about 15. It was given to me when I was pretending to be a boy online. When I was caught the name just sort of stuck. I don't wish to change it to that because I prefer it as a nickname.
Now that I'm well into my 20's and have established my story I've decided on making my birth name a more masculine (Unisex, more or less) version to make it easier on my family and friends that aren't used to Mikey; from Keena to Keenan.
So far my family has begun to stick to it and my work just uses Mikey! ;D
Quote from: wolfduality on May 22, 2013, 08:52:21 PM
Eventually Tobias stuck out to me and the nickname wasn't too bad. So that won out and I'm possibly using one of my other picks for a middle name. Otherwise, I'm using my maiden name or my mom's maiden name. It really depends on how things pan out with my family.
Please tell me your last name isn't Funke
It started out as a name I really wanted to use on a character for a novel I was working on, then evolved to be able to adapt to different settings. I originally chose Xander, then lengthened it to Alexander so that I could seem more masculine when needed since Xander seems to be unisex to some people, and to suit more proper settings. Friends, however, call me Xander, as do most of my teachers. Rarely do I get called Alex, and I like it that way. As for my two middle names? My parents gave me pretty masculine middle names, so I was never too interested in changing them, though I may drop one of them and use an edited version of my first birth name to replace it. At first, the name you pick will feel weird, but you'll grow into it.
Quote from: thecorpsegentleman on July 03, 2013, 11:38:53 PM
At first, the name you pick will feel weird, but you'll grow into it.
This is how I've been thinking it's going to be. I've been so back and forth about different names, and just haven't been able to settle on one because it feels so strange to me. But I guess that's just how it's going to be. ^^;
Since I was named after my grandmothers on both sides of my family, I really wanted to keep names from each family. Especially since my parents are now divorced, it was important to me to honor both of them and their families in my name. So I took Robert from my dad's family and Dean from my mom's family. Since my dad's name is also Robert and because I like Dean better, I decided I would go by Dean. But, when I change my name legally it will be Robert Dean [last name].
Then when I was talking to my mom I discovered that's exactly what they would have named me if I was a boy and it made me sure that it was what I wanted. Then I KNEW it honored both of their families the same way my birth name did.
My name-choosing was sort of a multi-step process, because I hated my birth name long before I even came out as trans. As a result, I decided on a whim to switch from my birth name to another girl-name (Diane) sometime arounbd middle school. There wasn't any special reason I chose Diane-- it was just a name I had randomly assigned to a roleplaying character who I got fairly attached to, so I adopted the name for myself. However, when I came out as trans after my freshman year of college, it was a lot harder to let go of a chosen name than it was to let go of a stupid name my parents had given me, so it took me like a year and a half to find a proper guy name for myself! Eventually, a friend pointed me towards "Deyan," which had essentialy the same consonants and intonation with different vowel sounds but was a decidedly male name, so that became my new name.
Of course, nobody can ever pronounce Deyan (I've gotten everything from Daniel to Dayla, depending on how people read my gender and how bad their hearing is), so I frequently just introduce myself as Crow, which is my favorite animal and appears elsewhere in my legal name.
There's nothing wrong with having multiple names you go by, so if you want to hold onto your birth name but introduce yourself as another name (which you could insert as a middle name) while you wait for your transition to progress, I don't think anyone will think anything of it-- lots of people are known by their first name to some people and their middle or last name to others.
My birth name was Valorie & nearly everyone I've ever known has called me Val (much to my dismay). Initially I considered going with Val for the legal change (think Val Kilmer) but scratched that idea as I really dislike the sound of it. The only joy I ever experienced with regard to Valorie is that I was named for "valor", which I have more than proven true of myself.
I pulled some statistics from my birth year, regarding popular names. I really liked the sound and feel of Kyle, it just clicked for me. It was #27 on the list, lol. Michael was #1 & is a name I am quite fond of as well. I opted for the alternate spelling, Mikael, for my middle name.
:D
I kinda just knew what it was. Naming my kids was the same, no idea until I saw them but soon as I saw them, I knew what their name was.
I wanted to keep my same initials. When I was around my boyfriend and if someone called him to say who he was with, he'd say he was with his friend Reese (even though he was with me). My first name that I picked was Ronan, but I didn't like that too much. When he started saying he was with "Reese," I fell in love with it. It's easy to say, isn't too common but isn't too out there, and I just like it a lot. So that's my name! Reese Matthew.