name change?

[Guest olli23]

i've been thinking a lot lately about getting my name changed officially. right now it seems like a whole new set of complications that i'm not sure i want to go through. for the most part i've just been going by olli - short for oliver (my middle name is olivia so most people get it)

how necessary is the whole legal process of changing my name to the whole transition process? (also, my first name isn't english so half the time people mistake it for a guys name anyway) and if you guys think it's important what exactly are the steps, i recently got both passports renewed (dual citizenship, hence the name) and i won't need to renew my license for a few more years. is it costly? would i need new documentation?

i'm not sure if anyone would know the answer to this, but i'm half japanese and i was wondering if i would need to go through anything extra if i were to move there?

i appreciate any answers even if it's just personal opinion on the matter. i feel like as soon as i figure one thing out through all of this i just find more questions!

i'm going home to japan soon for a while so i've been thinking a lot about these kind of id related issues. i'm still pre-T so after discussing it with my mom we've decided that to avoid stress i may want to just think tomboy at the airport... (the trip is also why we decided i put of T until i get back) i'm sure i'll be going back someday though and i'd like to hear the problems other people have faced as far as airports ands other situations where id is important.

[Guest Kelly-087]

Oliver is a pretty common boys name IMO.

Maybe you don't need to change it.

[JJ]

The name change is something I put off because in this state it has to be put in the local paper for three weeks and I live in a very redneck area with a weekly paper that everyone reads cover to cover for the local gossip and news. I feared the repercussions because it would be very obvious and to them perhaps too in your face. But I am out completely now and have found that I need to make the change. I plan on June because school is out then in case there are any comments my granddaughter's friends might repeat if school was on.

I thought I wouldn't need to change because I don't use my driver;'s license often and it just seemed like a lot of trouble for little result. But now that I am full time I find it more and more inconvenient. I have a credit card for my social security and can't change it till I change my name. The same with a dozen other little things. When I got birthday coupons from some restaurants for instance all came in my name and I have to use my D to confirm. The pic on my D is new and the real me and a major disconnect for people with the very female name. It means I have to come out any time I need ID.

I can't afford surgery and unfortunately live in a state where it is required to change gender marker but with John James on the DL and a male pic few will look at that gender marker and it will mean coming out a lot less.

The way you change your name varies a lot from state to state so you would need to look up your state's requirements.

Oliver is a nice name. But a name is a very personal thing really and only you can decide. I called myself John or Johnny in my mind since at least 5 so I really didn't chose. It just is me. Most of the people who knew me pretransition call me JJ because it was a more comfortable shift for them than John. Maybe one day I can nudge them on down the line but if not I can live with JJ.

Johnny

[Guest Varick]

Seems as though there's a misunderstanding in here somewhere. Correct me if I'm wrong: your name is "<Japanese given name> Olivia <family name>", correct?

Out of curiosity, is it a gender non-specific name such as Haruka or Yuki, or does it have a very recognizably (to those who know what they're looking at) feminine part, like '-ko' or 'hime'? (I'm majoring in Japanese )

[Ravin]

Here's an article I found with details on the state of transgender law in Japan. It might not be totally up to date. It didn't talk about name change specifically.

http://www.japanlaw.info/law2003/2003_TRANSSEXUAL_RIGHTS.html . My search didn't turn up anything about Japanese name changes. You might ask at the consulate what's required, or do some searches on Japanese-language sites.

[Guest Haidos]

In the UK i've been told that a legal name change would be needed for me to get T, to show commitment or how serious you are or something.

In the US i'm not sure how this works exactly but if you're happy with your name as it is i'd leave it for now.

[Guest leo]

Haidos is right about the uk iv had my name changed for 3 years now and haven't started T yet!