Birth Names v Rebirth names

[DeeDee]

I know that realistically, I am very much jumping the gun at the moment, but I am curious about names.

Did anyone here keep their original name before to after transitioning?

If not how did you get from a > b - did you know or was it trial and error?

How long into transitioning did you settle on your new forever name?

My birth name is very masculine, and I use a shortened less formal version of it as it has positive connotations from my friends, but it does not work as is, for a female name.  I also like the names meaning, and I'm kinda used to answering to it. I could go through female versions of my name, but don't know if that would be enough of a change either, maybe keeping it would just be to make it easier on my friends to not have to learn to call me something totally different?

Sadie is literally the first name that popped into my head, and I am finding that I quite enjoy it being used, but I don't really see myself as a princess so I am not sure that it will stick long term.

[RithiaAllen]

I kept my middle name, Noel, because it was already feminine. I changed my first name even though there was a feminine variation of the name because I figured keeping it would have reminded me too much of the male variant.

[Kirsten]

My name was Michael James. And I was a junior to a parent I never knew. So the thought of keeping anything even close to that never crossed my mind. I’ve used the names Amanda, Molly, Julie, and Kirsten off and on for 30 years or more. But I chose Kirsten because it’s different. Everywhere I’ve gone for my whole life there’s been another Michael. School, jobs, sports teams, etc. I have met 1 Kirsten ever. That was a major contributing factor for me. I am not sure how I picked any of those names originally. Just names I loved I guess. 

My middle name is now Marie. It was between Marie or Rose. But I simply thought Marie flowed better. And I’m happy with my choices. I will say lots of people do have trouble with my name now. It’s supposed to be pronounced kEer-sten. But I get a lot of kuR-sten. But it’s all better than mike! Lolol

[Raven1981]

I have legally changed my first and middle name.  My middle is very much masculine and my first did have an Androgynous for male and female and I went with something completely way different and something I was calling myself before transitioning and having it kept to myself.and then when seeing a therapist talked to my therapist about my name that I have been calling myself and it just stuck and continued to called me by my name and now I am legally Amy Katherine LeBlanc and I spell my middle with an K and from the ancient Greek naming style

 

Lots of Love

 

Amy

[Susan R]

I never really liked my birth name and never once seriously considered using one of the feminine variations of it.  I've been Susan ever since my very first TS/TV meeting back in 1985.  I really loved the movie.."Desperately Seeking Susan".  Rosanna Arquette and Madonna were my favorite back then.  Before the meeting, one of the members informed me that I can choose any name I wanted to use during introductions...the rest is history.

 

Susan R?

[Jani]

I never changed my name as it works well now, both first and middle.  Although for years I used a nickname and many friends and co-workers never knew my "real" name.  

 

That said selecting a new name is a highly personal thing.  I like Sadie, its different but not off the wall.  You really need to go with something you're comfortable with and that you enjoy hearing.  Spend some time writing it down; signing your name.  Does it flow easily from the pen?  Do you like the look of it?  A lot of people look to see what names were popular in the year they were born or ask parents what name had they considered if you had been born the opposite sex.   

 

In the end you go with what pleases you. 

 

Cheers, Jani

[EvanC]

My son, who is trans, asked me to choose him a new name when he came out to us as a teen. We ended up with a first name that I chose because I liked the sound of it and it was not common, but easy to spell. It was completely different from his old name. His middle name became one that his younger sibling used to call him as kind of a joke, but he'd always been secretly pleased by.

 

For me, I picked a name I liked, and isn't used by anyone I know well. I never liked any of the masculine forms of my given name. I've thought about keeping my first name as a middle name, but other times I think it would be better to have a complete break. Since I'm not really out to anyone and just use the name for myself, and places like this forum, I'll may change my mind a few more times. Still, this current name is growing on me. If you like a name, I say just go for it.

[DeeDee]

Thanks girls (and Evan) this is really interesting! There are so many different ways to come to the same decision, I guess I'm still at my sponge stage and trying to soak up as much as I possibly can. x

[Janeshannon]

Jane Shannon is the first and middle name my mom would have given me if I had been born female.  It seemed like the right thing to do, and in a way it was letting her choose.  The fact that I like both the names worked well too.

[DeeDee]

Just now, Janeshannon said:

Jane Shannon is the first and middle name my mom would have given me

 

I'm glad you liked the names ?  I was meant to be stillborn as they hadn't found a heartbeat for 3 weeks prior to my arrival, but my mum loves to tell anyone who will listen the story of how my eldest sister who was 4 at the time went around telling everyone that she was having a boy and he's going to be called "X".  Most of my guilt about my feelings comes from how proud she is of her "son"!

[jo jo]

well jane shannon its a beautiful name i also chose a middle name which my parents are proud of it was my nans who i never met i chose joanne charlotte and official now by deed poll

[Mickey]

Picking my new name was kind of easy for me. I was named after my grandfather, who passed away, and wanted to honor him still, with my new name. So I feminized my first and middle names. Also I had been teased as a kid by others feminizing my first name and I secretly liked it.  Anyway, I did a quick search to see what my possible new name might mean, and it came back with "manly woman of God". I laughed pretty hard about that for a few minutes, knowing that I had found my new name. I also added my childhood nickname, Mickey, that I had started using since I started transition. So my new name became Carla Michelle Mickey ******. And all my friends just call me Mickey. Which makes me smile when I hear it.

[Michelle F]

My Mother once told me I would have been Michelle had I popped out right the first time. Michael if not. My dad insisted on Kevin so for My first half of my journey I was Michael and I absolutely hated Kevin my initials stood for mayhem and murder.

KMF

That's my dysphoria and now all my ID reflects MICHELLE

 

I am free to roam the planet as ME!

 

WOOOHOOO!

[AsTheCrow]

Jay came from J, which is the first initial of my birth name. I like that Jay is not a strongly-gendered name. It's classic-sounding but not archaic.

[KymmieL]

Like others I have never really liked my given name. I have noticed it used in a lot of Transgender stories characters names. If I was born female I would have been Patricia don't like that name either. I have thought of others but I think I will be Kymberlee Lorain. Kymmie came from a name of a person who worked for one of the vendors we had. Plus it is close to my given name

 

Kymmie

[DeeDee]

I am so glad I asked this question, thank you all for sharing! xx

[Robin]

Hi Sadie,

 

Fortunately, my parents gave me a gender neutral name, so there is no need for me to change it.  The name was chosen because of the birds outside the hospital window when my mum was waiting for me to be born, and not because I might be unsure of my gender.

 

Robin.

[DeeDee]

Just now, Robin said:

The name was chosen because of the birds outside the hospital window

Aw! That is so sweet! (and also quite handy) As children we were were always told that Robins were Santa's spies!