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...

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.

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