I've honest to god went through so many names at this point I can't even list them Some I vetoed faster than others, a handful I called myself and asked others to call me and then eventually stopped liking them for whatever reason. Since I was really hung up on the idea of "fitting in", I had really taken to heart what people said about reading the Top Baby Names of (my birth year) list, and I was just doing that over and over and over again to no avail. No name was popping out, I was not having a crystallizing moment, I felt really frustrated.
And then I got it. Emery. I love it, it's perfect, it its with the middle name I wanted (my dad's name), it's unisex, it fits right, it feels ME.
But I still feel concerned about the fact that it's unusual. Do you guys think that's a big deal?
Short answer? Nope. My name is Aaryna - very unusual. But, I work in a medical billing office - I get to see all KINDS of weird names. Like, seriously... WEIRD names. Many of them are doctors, with weird names. No one has a name weird enough that someone else doesn't have a weirder one. So if the name fits you, wear it with pride.
Long answer? I occasionally have misgivings over choosing Aaryna instead of the more common name I would've had had I been born with the right set of chromosomes - Robin. It makes me more noticed, and that's not always a good thing. I don't REGRET it, per se - but it does weigh on my mind more than a common name would have. However again - this name fit, and I wear it with pride. Do not let social convention have veto power on your name.
No, I'm sorry I hate weird names.
They confuse people, those with the name get upset when it's misspelt or someone gets it wrong.
I had 1 woman at my old photos lab almost send me to tears (very hard to do) over the spelling of her name.
Delsorou - I like that name! And yeah, it's definitely kinda a weighing of pros and cons I suppose. None of the popular names fit. Plus, I don't actually plan to be stealth, so as long as people respect my male-ness, I'm not worried about being seen as a cis man.
Nicole - No need to say sorry, I want opinions both ways! My last name is Hispanic and hard to spell/pronounce and whenever people ask my last name I don't even say it anymore, I just spell it, so thinking of the hassle of weird names should definitely go into the thought process. On the other hand, I think that spelling errors would bother me much less than if I had gone with a Hispanic name, like I was considering, such as Francisco or Alejandro, which may be spelled right, but said wrong.
I'll answer your question with another question. Ready? Here goes, What's a weird name, no, for that matter, what IS weird in the first place? Really there are uncommon names and unique names but weird? Well, guess that depends on who you ask? :) As for if it's a big deal? Depends on what a big deal is t you? If you don't mind having a unique name which not many people may have and people might tend to remember more because of that then great, but if you're still transitioning ten it could out you. This could be a serious danger depending on where you live as some places will literally stone you to death for being trans or different for that matter. So as long as you believe you're safe then, just be careful but BEE yourself. ;) There are some plus sides too with having a unique name such as a possibility of having a higher chance of getting hired. (As your name stands out vs. the 20 mil Saras or 20 Mil Davids out there as an example) Obviously though, if a name doesn't click with you, try another till you find the right one. :)
Really good point about living and safety! I don't want to say exactly where I live, but Chicago is the closest big city and I am in a huge city myself, that is, in my opinion at least, quite liberal. And I plan to move to Portland or New York City, both of which are liberal, so I shouldn't ever have to worry to hard about some of the stuff people deal with down South and that.
And by "weird" yes, I definitely meant "uncommon".
If a name makes your brain light up in a happy way when you hear it spoken, go for it.