It's All in the Name

[Jackie C.]

2 hours ago, Bri2020 said:

I think some can get too worried about choosing the "right" name but there really isn't a wrong one.

 

Disagree. The feminization of my birth name is "Roberta." That's the name you end up with when you're on the wrong end of a Gypsy curse.

 

Choose any name you like but, I beseech you... not Roberta.

 

Hugs!

[Heather Shay]

Good explanation and a fair statement.

[KathyLauren]

2 hours ago, Jackie C. said:

 

Disagree. The feminization of my birth name is "Roberta." That's the name you end up with when you're on the wrong end of a Gypsy curse.

 

Choose any name you like but, I beseech you... not Roberta.

 

Hugs!

 

I hear you!  The feminization of my birth name is apparently "Keitha".  Hey, I wanted something similar, but there's just no way!

[Ivy]

4 hours ago, KathyLauren said:

I hear you!  The feminization of my birth name is apparently "Keitha".  Hey, I wanted something similar, but there's just no way!

This thread has got me thinking again.  I have always disliked my birth name and most people have known me by a nickname I picked up.  However when I looked at feminine forms of it, there are a lot that I kinda like.  I could use one of those and still have the same initials.

Which makes me wonder if my dislike for the name was actually a dislike for the gender I was assigned.  Oh well, now I have another rabbit hole to crawl into.

[Elizabeth Star]

8 hours ago, KathyLauren said:

I hear you!  The feminization of my birth name is apparently "Keitha".  Hey, I wanted something similar, but there's just no way!

The feminization of my birth name is Rowan. It's too close and I want as far away from it as possible.

[Robin.C]

This brought back a quite a few memories.

I'd always dreamt of being Veronica Elizabeth, so so very far away from my soon not to be name. Though when it came time to decide on a name for the forum I chose a feminised version of my name, as I didn't think it would end up being my new name. Times have changed and with a little bit more feminisation it will end up being one of my names as a memory of who I was.

My new name will be a very girly name and one that also pays homage to my Irish heritage, though as I just found out it never even ranked in the top 2000 for girls names in my year !! One thing that I found interesting was sitting down and writing my new new or proposed names. Many got eliminated just on that alone, others because of the habit us Australians have of shortening and creating nicknames, seriously some I'm not taking the chance with ?

And the list of places (emails, accounts, government-state and federal) that it needs to be changed is getting longer by the day as I delve into that side of things.

One thing which happened during my early days on the forum was I came across a thread that let me know I could change my name on my birth certificate back in ole Blighty. I'd thought it was completely impossible, things you learn in this forum ?

 

So I have got a big year ahead in 2021.

 

Hugs

Robin

[Heather Shay]

I am so glad this thread resonates. NAMES are so important and having the wrong one can add another layer of pain .... and the right name can help increase  joy of being the true you and having people know who you really are.

[Audrey]

I'm in the same boat as those who have feminized or masculinized names too close to their birth name. I feel like modifying my birth name would be an anchor that will forever hold me back or down. I also feel like it gives an easy opportunity to be deadnamed. So, the only thing that Audrey and that name have in common are two shared letters. As I shared before, Audrey is a name that truly resonates with me and who I am, plus it's a classic and obviously feminine name. It makes me happy.

 

This got me thinking, it will be interesting when I come out to my parents. I can imagine them saying, "If you were our daughter, we would have named you [fill in girl's name here]. Why don't you use that name?"

 

Love,

~Audrey.

[KathyLauren]

2 hours ago, Robin.C said:

One thing which happened during my early days on the forum was I came across a thread that let me know I could change my name on my birth certificate back in ole Blighty. I'd thought it was completely impossible, things you learn in this forum ?

 

So I have got a big year ahead in 2021.

 

 

 

I can vouch for this.  I successfully changed my U.K. birth certificate, so it now says that a girl named Kathleen Lauren _____ was born over there 66 years ago.  Although the new certificate is obviously a replacement (It has the current date on it), there is nothing to indicate why it was re-printed.  You could tell people that you just lost the original.

 

Good luck with all your paperwork!

[Heather Shay]

The Power and the Significance of your Name

The one defining characteristic we all share, the one unique and profound element of each and every one of us is the name we are given. From the reason to why we were given such a name to the historical lineage and significance of what a name has come to represent, our name, beyond its objective purpose, encompasses what and who each of us is. It’s essence is at the very heart of our existence.

It signified what tribe you came from. It represented the language and dialect you spoke. It made others aware of the region you came from. And grew into characterizing the nationality you came from. It effectively describes us in a manner more than we truly understand or choose to realize. It was the mark you put down when coming to the New World, the signature that made your home and the last thing that is ever read in a letter by the one you love. Your name is utterly more powerful and significant than simply the characters that represent it.

It represents every transaction you make;  from bank notes to ownership, business relations to pay checks, marriage, authorship and beyond. And in a growing world based in text, online search and social profiles, the purpose of your name has expanded and become more imperative than it ever has before. It simply doesn’t represent who you are. It is who you are.

With the unprecedented growth of social networks, social media and mobile technology, the context of the name has evolved into something that is truly beyond the physical individual. It is the title in your friend’s BlackBerry contacts. It is the quintessential component which makes the social world possible. Our name is the underlying signifier of everything that is the composition of our social profiles and everything that lives in an interconnected world.

The implications here are fascinating. Our names are the titles of our virtual self and they are becoming the key-indicators to our real self. Our social media behavior attributes our name to the ambassadoring of the smart phones we use, the Facebook “likes”, the brands, causes and marketing we support, the tweet links we share and the statements we make. It glorifies, humanizes and broadens human tendencies into the unnatural ultimately culminating the unnatural to become natural everyday components and necessities of life.

Rather than focusing on the negatives and many supposed downturns the impact of our name has had in instances of the online world, we should embrace and represent who we are. We’re all utterly enthralled and mystified by the negative simplicities that our name attributes to us in a growing world of online search and social profiles. The negatives clearly exist as we participate in the emerging dynamics of our new world but the positives are undeniable beneficial and life-altering.

Our name, both in the physical and virtual worlds, is immortal and will outlast each and every one of us. It’s up to us to decide how you will make the greatest impact through one of the most significant and powerful characteristics we all have. Will you rise above yourself for the happiness of others? Will you influence the world with positive actions? Will you empower yourself to somehow change the world? Even on the smallest of scales. Your name is and will always be the everlasting testament of who you are.

[Kiara]

2 hours ago, Audrey said:

I feel like modifying my birth name would be an anchor that will forever hold me back or down.

 

I'm not sure there is a masculine version of my birth name (it's not my forum name). I had considered trying to find a masculine or gender neutral version because it would be easier, but you make a very valid point. I've literally made a point of not being called by my birth name by those closest to me. I have so many negative feelings about it so why would I try to keep it alive when I pick a new name?

[Kris-Boston]

The choice is yours , who I was named for for some reason  had four names ,  long story but he went by his middle name .   But I would look at what inspires you . If you know your family history  it can help , look for someone male or female who never gave up .  Or someone who you know or believe in .  Its a good starting point .