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.