How did you pick your name?

[Guest Kelly-087]

One part is that I have always liked the name Kelly.

Another is it's one of my favorite characters, one that I identify with.

[Guest Just_Lucas]

my name is lucas but i awlays thought of my name of being lucy or amy...idk i think i just like how it sounds and how it feels so ;/

[Guest kelly_aus]

I wanted something age appropriate, so I went through the names of all the girls I went to High School with.. Kelly stood out as she had always been a good friend and a person I admired.. And so Kelly I am.. She actually spells it Kellie.. I'm now god-mother to her son, who got lumped with my birth name - poor kid..

[Guest Kael147]

I gave one of my kids my name, so I had to come up with another. I was searching for the right name and nothing seemed to come. I had a back up, but when I spoke it out loud, it just didn't fit. My wife and I have always been referred to as K squared or K2, so she asked if I would look at some names with a K. I've always liked Gaelic names, so I did an internet search and found Kael. I fell in love with it immediately and have been using it ever since.

I've learned that there are couple famous Kaels and that on at least one website it means: mighty warrior. It seems apropo to be a transman mighty warrior.

So - baby name book essentially!

[Guest Isobelle Fox]

I'd had a lot of different on-line only names over the years: Kizmet, Sosha, Faye, and a few others, but none of them had ever been serious.

When I decided to get on with my life, I spent a couple of days making a list. I love name books, and I own a couple, but rather than consult them, I just carried a piece of paper around in my pocket, and every girl's name that popped into my head went onto the list, whether I liked it or not. I ended up with somewhere between 80 and 100 names. Then I started looking at the list to see what I really DIDN'T like and what seemed ok. It very quickly became evident that Isobelle resonated with me.

Later, thinking about it, I realized that there had been a lot of Isobelles (though they usuaully weren't spelled that way) and Izzies associated in positive ways with various stories, movies, and such that I liked. Isabeau from Lady Hawke. Izzie from The Fountain. And, from the author of a book I had read earlier that same year (Little Fur), the name Isobelle, with that particular spelling. I didn't even realize I had taken the spelling from her until I saw the book on my shelf a few month's later. At any rate, its a name that I love, and I sincerely think it is fitting.

I didn't have a middle name until the lawyer that was handling my name and gender change strongly suggested that I pick one. I was reticent, because I didn't think that I could find anything I would like, but after a few days I had the list down to four possibilities, and the top two were Alyssa and Autumn. I chose Autumn because it was meaningful to me. Its my favorite season, and the colors of fall are my favorites as well.

I decided to change my last name because I didn't think that the original fit very well with the new first and middle names, because I wanted to start over, and because its my spirit animal, and it represents everything that is beautiful and strong and vibrant about nature for me.

So, I love my new name because every part of it is meaningful to me. I just could not be happier with it.

[Guest MissSiul]

There were a list of names to put in the door of your room,and one name was Betina,my brother and I thought it was too ugly,but my mother said that if she had a daughter that would be her name.I got used to,and the girl self in my imagination was named Betina,and really grew on me,and I love it.It is not common but is not weird.

My name begin with Lu,but the female version is ugly,so the only names that start with Lu that I like are Luciana(but it's my aunts name,so it would be weird,but she is my favorite aunt)and Luana,wich I like but not as much as Betina.

I don't know if my mother would like to me to use Betina,so maybe it will be Luana.

My second name is from my grandfather,with is a greek name and I love it for being uncommon and unusual,but it is a male second name,but I'm thinking of use it still.My first name it's from my other grandfather,and my grandmothers had the same name,but I don't like their names and it would be weird and even a bit rude I guess

My first choice is Betina,I love it

[Guest SaleneAlexis]

Mine just seems to fit no rhyme or reason to it. Stephanie Means crown or royality (most of the time I act like a princess ) and Alexis meaning defender. So all in all a good fit for Me.

Stephanie Alexis

[Guest eccentric]

After my parents refused to rename me Michael or William (I was a stubborn child) I chose my own as a private act of rebellion. I named myself Derek. It fit so well.

There was just one problem: I stopped answering to my given name - completely. I received so many lectures on the importance of paying attention that I knew I needed a middle name. I chose Alexander since it sounds more like my given name. I liked it as well. When someone would use my given name, my brain would turn it into some form of Alexander. In a way, everyone has been calling me by the right name for most of my life.

If I ever transition, I will use both for legal purposes, and still go by my middle name.

[Guest jennifer_m]

Similarly, often times parents tell us "I was going to name you --------------- if you had been born a girl/boy, and sometimes it is those names that fit.

I'll attest to that. That's how I picked my name.

[Guest Sarah Faith]

Holy thread resurrection batman!

I was actually going to ask this question entirely to satisfy my own curiosity but decided I should look to see if one already existed, and to my complete lack of surprise it did!

Since this thread is just over a year old and many of the posters then are still active now, I have to ask has anyone's minds changed about their names? If so why?

Unlike many (but not all) of the people who have already posted in this thread I did not base either of my names off what my mother picked, since she thought it would be neat to name me after greek mythology for my first name and her father for my middle name. I did ask her about what she would have named me if I had been born a girl, and since I am definitely not a Bridgette that wouldn't work either. I actually picked my first and middle names based on 2 Girls who were in middle school very kind to me (and I was to them as well) even though I wasn't the kind of person that really deserved it at the time. Sarah, was unfortunately very troubled and ultimately committed suicide and the other Ashley also died when the Minivan she was riding in rolled and she wasn't wearing a seat belt at the age of 15. I chose those names because I had already loved those names, but also to remember both girls and how in a lot of ways they saved me from completely losing my self.

I had originally chosen Faith to be my middle name but years later I feel secure in my personal faith that I don't feel the need to put it in my name as some kind of badge. So I decided that when I legally change my name later this year I would also memorialize my other childhood friend.

Sorry for resurrecting a year old thread, just would love to hear some of the stories you all might have!

[Guest Jaques]

my name is a shortened version ofJacquelyn and since everyone called me Jaques anyway i didnt want to change to anything else as i liked it - my surnam Alston is my family name, who come from the market town of Alston in Cumberland on the English/Scottish border. Apparently we had a huge manor house and many moons ago my ancestor lost it and everything they had gambling and it now belongs to the National Trust who own many stately homes and land and which the public can pay to visit..............when i went to the court with my passport to change my name to Jaques - the magistrate opened my passport and a tiny photo of my mother who did years ago, fell out - i hadnt put it there! I think she was saying "its ok".................now im feelin choked up so i will go get my porridge and coffee before chigung class - i miss my parents a lot

[Guest Sabrinaxx]

A very wise lady told me in a thread I had started about my name issues to write any prospective names down on a piece of paper and put it somewhere you'll see it every day. If you can see it everyday for a whole month and still love it and identify with it then that might just be the right one. I have been doing this every day for 4 days now and I still love the name I am considering so far.

I actually have a sticker with my name on it from my first support group meeting next to my bed for over a year now. Every time I see it I'll think; "that's me". After that there was a girl named Sabrina on the news and when the reporter said her name I got a warm feeling inside. The name Sabrina was partly given to me by my friends in primary school. I used to go to after school care and on this day the caregiver noticed the group of our school consisted entirely of girls. Then I showed up after goofing around with some other friends from school. "Well, then for today you're a girl too", said the girls and they feminized my male name to something close to Sabrina. I told them that wasn't even a real name and that they should call me Sabrina instead. We were probably inspired by 'Sabrina the teenage witch' or Sabrina, the gym leader from the first Pokémon, as we would watch those as kids. I don't know, I just really like the name

As for my middle name, I never really thought about it till I made the call for an appointment with a GT and a woman called Esmeralda picked up the phone. I remember it as being a name my father wanted to call me if I had been born a cisgirl. I actually don't like the female name he and my mom agreed on giving me. However I do like my birth name for a boy. Anyway, I think Esmeralda kinda suits me and plan on adopting it as my middle name.

[Guest Jaques]

There was a famous film star when i was a kid called Sabrina, very sexy i believe - i was too young at the time to remember.............

[Guest JeepGirl90]

My name is pretty simple, I wanted to keep my same initials. I like the name Christina, and its semi-close to my male name so it worked perfectly for me, My Middle name Tali is my hommage so to speak to one of my favorite video game characters Tali'zorah nar Rayya from the Mass Effect series, but also keeps my original Middle initial

-Christina

[Guest Sarah Faith]

My name is pretty simple, I wanted to keep my same initials. I like the name Christina, and its semi-close to my male name so it worked perfectly for me, My Middle name Tali is my hommage so to speak to one of my favorite video game characters Tali'zorah nar Rayya from the Mass Effect series, but also keeps my original Middle initial

-Christina

Christina, that's an awesome middle name to go with, love it! Tali is also one of my favorite characters in video games as well her storylines were by far some of the most interesting in that series. Her voice/accent was sooo cute too.

[Guest Lacey71]

My name kind of picked me. I remember being in grade school and the girl next to me had my name. I wanted to fight, I thought she stole my name. I use it as it is my name, like it or not.

[Guest Edina]

My family used to tease me when I was being girly as a young lad, calling me Edweena. Yuchh! I hated that especially when they emphasized the weeeee. Edna always seemed to me to be kind of butch and trailer-park (or at least conjures up images of a chain smoking bowler with a raspy voice) for my liking, Then I found the British comedy Absolutely Fabulous with the character Edina Monsoon. I knew then that that would be my female name (not the Monsoon part BTW), and right now while reading through this thread I started thinking about Rene as a middle name as this would maintain my initials from my male identity from birth, and if anyone slipped by using my male name (short version) it could still be construed as with calling a Samantha - Sam or Christina - Chris.

[Guest]

Thanks for resurecting this thread. I wanted to reply so long ago but it had already gone cold when I got here last August. I thought I was too late to the party.

I knew I always existed inside him, but I was always the silent type. Too afraid to be heard. I came out to the light of day and finally realized I didn't have a name. Most peculiar but really cool. I could name me anything I wanted. I loved the name Grace, but there was no girl named grace in my mirror. It just didn't fit. I am born both genders, so I should have a name that is universally male and female. It had to be age appropriete too. What to do, what to do? I looked in the Social Security Name Registry for names in the year I was born. Names for female and male were listed and a few were the same. Jody with a y was about equal F to M, the numbers were skewed with the Jodi and Jodie spellings, so my equal was set. Jody bi-gender, by golly.

I found Jody and it immediately fit me. I saw Jody in the mirror. Smoldering hot Jody *don't I wish!*, Jody the Librarian lady, or Jody the Cowboy, maybe Jody the Long shoreman! Jody the camellion, oh you bet! I tried it for a day or two and it was so me. It is me! I HAVE A NAME!!! That's my name and it won't change it. But I needed more. I chose the name Ann as a middle name, same as my sister's middle name. I wanted to keep a close kinship to her, because I love her so. My last name is a bear to pronounce unless one knows German very well. It is always butchered, or misspelled and I hate to be called publicly in offices and such. New last name too please. I wanted a family heritage so I chose my Grandmother's last name Taylor.

And here I am Jody Ann Taylor, pleased to meet you!

[Guest helenia]

My chosen name is helenia Alexandria DeLorean. I chose helenia from myths. Alexandra because one of my childhood friend was named Alexander and I like the name.and DeLorean from back to the future movie. I just thought it was cool.

[Cyndee]

I have a good friend named Cynthia (Cindy) who became Sean (FTM), he vacated a spot for me in Cynthia's world when he transitioned in the early 90's. I always liked this name, it is not a dual gendered name, it is decidedly feminine. It's a popular girls name for the era I grew up in. I like how it looks in print, how it sounds to my ears and to say it.

[Guest Kai Reddtail]

I've been going through list after list after list...
I have a bunch of possibilities. I've settled on Liam for the time being because I just wanted to have a guy name for people to call me by. But I don't think it really works.

Also considered:

Lee
Charlie
Adrian
Carson
Carter



Kai feels like a nickname too much for me to use it outside of the internet, I think. The male version of my name feels okay, but I'm ambiguous about it because it's common. Like really really common.
My parents didn't have a name they would have picked for me had I been born the right sex, they chose a name after finding out.

In the end, I'm not sure I'll be able to pick a name until I have my parents input. People's parents generally picked their name for them, so maybe that will help me find one that feels right?

If not, I'll be drifting through names for a while.

[Guest Guest_]

I chose Amber because I love the color. The L represents the first letter of my name. This way I can identify both ways with myself. Love Amber L.

[Guest Dorothy Lynne]

My mother would have named me Gabrielle....I just couldn't stand it if people shortened to Gaby, so instead I had a friend who I admired for her looks, poise, sense of style and intelligence when we were kids so I chose to follow in her footsteps.

[Guest SusanB]

I chose the name Susan because the transition from Stephen to Susan seems to work. Once knew some girls in High School named Susan so i know the name is proper for my age.

Like Jody i have a German last name that gets butchered all the time. I have no connection with my fathers side of the family so don't have to worry about hurt feelings. Going to take the first syllable only.

Have not made up my mind on the middle name yet but, kinda leaning towards Jean as it keeps my middle initial.

So, when i get that far my name will be Susan Jean Berk

[Guest]

I chose the name Susan because the transition from Stephen to Susan seems to work. Once knew some girls in High School named Susan so i know the name is proper for my age.

Like Jody i have a German last name that gets butchered all the time. I have no connection with my fathers side of the family so don't have to worry about hurt feelings. Going to take the first syllable only.

Have not made up my mind on the middle name yet but, kinda leaning towards Jean as it keeps my middle initial.

So, when i get that far my name will be Susan Jean Berk

Pleased to meet you, Susan Jean Berk! On the happy day that I am completely, legally the new me, I want to give my girl friends each, one of those pink "It's A Girl!" bubblegum cigars. I may then post my birthday here as that day too. Giggle. Imagine a three day old, healthy, 72", 195 pound bouncing baby Moderator! LOL!

Hug. Jody Ann Taylor