I've heard a lot of people, mostly FtM, say how they tried that as a kid. I've heard a lot of transpeople in general say they had a name planned out from an early age.

I remember when I was little, I hated my name. Not because it was a girls name, but because no one could pronounce it and because to this date I've never met someone with it IRL.
I wanted to change it to "Crystal" when I was older, but never told my parents. Eventually, I met a girl named Krystal and I hated her actually. But by then I had forgotten about my name hatred.

Nope. Though I had always hated my name, but then it was also my father's name too, and I hated him, even then I could never think of me as having another name, not for a while. I only desired a name change once I knew what my path would be, one of my steps to becoming the real me, then I found a name that I liked, that I had been pondering for some years and went with that, and I like my name now, its me.

I invented my own nickname when I was in my teens, and got people to use it (no mean feat) - and that was Spoonbill. I was still very carefully avoiding knowing who I was at the time, but I invested a lot in being androgynous or gender-neutral back then (I spent 3 years dressed entirely in lilac, for goodness' sake), as it was the closest I could safely go. Spoonbills are quite the feminine bird!

I don't hate my name, but from an early age I disliked it because of how common it was, Most of the times I heard my name the speaker was referring to someone else. It made me feel like I was one of many instead of just one.

Now although I'm still frustrated with how common it is I've grown to see the good sides of having a common name, no misspellings, can't be internet searched as easily, and the level of anonymity it had. Time has also contributed to me coming to accept it as my own and though I still fantasize about having a different name that's a bit less common and less feminine, I can't easily see myself by any other name offline. (usernames are another story entirely)

I've had several wishes to change my name even when I was little. My name too is hard to pronounce and it just never struck me as a 'true name'. It was just what someone would call me to get my attention. I'm not sure if that explains anything... But I once went 2 years with the name Cobra - this was when I was six and seven - simply because I loved cobras so much haha. In my late middle school and early high school years I went by Hunter but the name never really stuck as people kept calling me by my birth name or there would be another Hunter in the class and all hell would break loose.

When my mother was little she adopted the name Toby - which stuck. So I had a mother called Toby, go figure...

I was always Jamie to my titled grandmother Lady H. (who was every inch the Grand-Dame of the family) - although officially I was named James, but I didn't like Jamie much and when at the age of five I started adopting a more female persona my mother came up with Jenny after my second cousin, who oddly lives in the states somewhere (although we lost touch a long time back). So I kind of had three names all through my childhood which were used interchangeably depending on who was around and presumablyhow I was dressed at the time.

Yeah, John or Sarah

I never had a problem with my birth name (always liked why it was given to me).  But when my mom and I went on vacation to California when I was 7, I saw the name Zoë and immediately began calling myself that whenever I had internal dialog.  I kept it hidden for 26 years until I went full time and told people that would become my name.  I'm two to three months from it being legal.

The only time I flirted with a different name was when I was 9 and watched my first episode of Rocky and Bullwinkle (after my mom first got cable).  I saw Natasha and instantly fell in love.  But I was already Zoë, so what was a girl to do?  Take Natasha as a middle name, of course!   Both names have stuck with me to this day.

Oh yeah. I hate my name, and it's not because I'm trans, it just sucks lol. Half the the time new teachers and subs get it wrong, and sometimes they accidentally say the female version of my name instead. Tbh, when they do that it's quite embarrassing. >.<

I've had the name, Trista, in my head for years.

I've never really cared for my name. I couldn't pronounce it properly when I was younger because of a lisp, and I still have some trouble saying it, which is, of course, kind of problematic It's also a very unusual/uncommon name, and often people will mention that when they hear it, and I've never known how to respond to that...
"That's such an interesting name! You don't hear that every day."
"Uh... Thanks?"
... yeah xD

I've wanted to change it since I was twelve or so. I still haven't gotten around to it, though I'm very well-acquainted with the procedure/forms for when the time comes.

I adopted my female name (which isn't Jane!) when I was 4 years old so it has been part of my life for 58 years. I adopted it because I thought it was the prettiest name I had ever heard and I STILL like it  A lot of people knew me by my girl's name and from about age 14 onward when I started going out in public and living part time en femme it became common knowledge.

When I transitioned (age 24) I added a middle name but, in effect, I never changed my name and the old boy's name slipped away easily. Within weeks it held no hook any more.

I really liked the female version of my male name, never liked the male version.

I always insisted that my cousins call me Louie, Mark, or Max. Max came first, in preschool, then in kindergarten I wished to be called Louie or Mark. Now I'm pondering changing it to Max, because I just don't look like a Mark, and not to mention that it's my sister's ex's name. My name is already androgynous, Morgan, but when I see it I see a girls name. -shrugs-

Maximus: [removes helmet and turns around to face Commodus] My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.

Go for Maximus for total cool.

I remember when I was finishing 8th grade and about to enter high school I wanted to start going by my middle name. I told people it was because I wanted a change but it was just that I didn't like myself and wanted to "start fresh" or something. I dunno, I was just a dumb kid. I never went through with it though, my Mom stopped that plan cold. None of it was gender-related though, all that confusion started a year or two later for me.

I tried going by Chris as a kid, no gender involved that way. My mother ended that pretty quick tho. Now I'm kinda glad she did. I have a child with a version of that name instead.

  No.  My old name is a root of my chosen name, this was a recent decision.  I didn't have a feminine name decided all of these years.  No change of my middle name, that has a noble root. 
  Joelene

Hmm, I'm not sure.  I think I might recall wanting something more female, but I no longer remember specific details.  I do dislike my male name, though.  My parents argued over it for weeks, and finally just picked something at random (literally) from a baby-name book.

Yes, several times. Most memorably 'Alex', because at 3 yrs of age it was the only boy's name I could think of that didn't belong to someone I knew. My mom could never remember, so I eventually gave up and tried to convince her I was a dog instead.
My first name is unisex, and both my father and my first female friend have the same name as me.

Quote from: nobody on May 02, 2011, 11:03:49 PM
tried to convince her I was a dog instead.

This is pretty much unrelated to the original post, but I did this too xD
Nice to know I'm not the only one.