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The Definitive Name Thread

Discussion in 'Gender Identity and Expression' started by IvorySteel, Jan 11, 2015.

  1. IvorySteel

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    I was hoping to absentmindedly bounce some ideas for female names off of people, but I already see so many name threads bouncing around this forum, I didn't want to needlessly add to the clutter. But then I thought why not have an uber-thread for all of these discussions? Somewhere we we can all come and discuss our names, and give each other advice. Soooo, this is that thread.

    ---------- Post added 11th Jan 2015 at 07:20 PM ----------

    So I'll start...

    For my first name, I think I'm going to just feminise my birth name - i.e. I will be Olivia. For a few reasons:
    - Honouring my parents' choice
    - Less dramatic transition
    - People exclusively know me as "Ollie", which I don't mind, as it can be a unisex nickname (though I would prefer a feminine version like Liv or Livi, it won't be as jarring if people accidentally use my old name). I almost went with "Holly" for a similar reason.
    - I'd feel like I'm retaining more of my current identity/personality.

    I'm also going to keep my surname and middle name (my middle name is actually a surname that been passed through my family, so I want to keep that). But I'm going to add another middle name, one that's completely my own, and pairs well with Olivia.

    I initially went for Rose but now I'm strongly considering Luna. Rose sounds better after Olivia I think, but I think I prefer Luna as a name on its own. I've also always liked the name Emily, but I feel like that's too many syllables.

    What do you guys feel about the sound of those? And any other suggestions?
     
  2. MsEmmzy

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    I think Luna sounds really nice as a middle name! Does it flow well with your last name?

    Here's a little something I found on the internet who could help any MTF girls looking for name help (I'm sure the same general ideas would apply for FTM individuals as well):
    MTF transition: choosing a name
     
  3. iiimee

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    I like Olivia, but remember you have to use your name, so if you don't like it, I'd suggest you going to something else YOU like.

    My name by birth is Autumn, but I don't think it suites me well. I originally looked at names starting with A, but I ended up picking Chase because the name just kinda hit me. I had seen that name before and since it's a unisex name, it's not a huge transition for some people. I'd love to help others here find some names, so I highly approve of making a thread for this. :slight_smile:
     
  4. Lazuri

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    Feminizing one's name is generally a good idea and Olivia is a lovely name for the reasons you listed. If one wants to honor their parents while changing their name, adding their original name as a middle name usually works too.

    I think I prefer Rose over the other middle names you listed. "Olivia Rose" has a good ring to it.

    Now personally I decided not to keep my name even though it is unisex--in fact it is more common on women than men (Robin)--since I wanted to change my name to sort of symbolize a new chapter in my life.

    So I decided to have Robin as a middle name and change my first name to "Abigail" instead, but I'm honestly not sure. Harleen and Quinzel were, and still are, contenders too, but lately I've felt like I wanted something darker so Quinzel is starting to become a very strong contender because I feel like it sounds darker than Abigail.

    I dunno, what do you think?
     
  5. WyldStyle

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    My female first name is Hailey. I picked it for no other reason other than I think it's cute. Originally, my best friend suggested I be named Amber, and that stuck with me for a while. But as my feminine side developed further I realized that it just didn't fit. So I needed to rethink my name.

    So I thought about it. My favorite girl names tend to start with H's and E's (Hailey, Emma, Ellie, etc.). Had I been born a girl (which I unfortunately wasn't) my name would be Holly. While I would have been content being given that as a birth name it wasn't my first pick. So I just went through a list of my favorite names and picked one that I felt best suited me: and now I'm Hailey :slight_smile:

    As for my last name/surname, I made the last name up years ago when I made story-book characters, so I just decided to use that. I'd tell you what it is but I think EC would get mad at me if I did, because facebook and privacy and stuff.

    So yeah, that's my name picking process. Hopefully it shows you that it can be a simple and easy task that you shouldn't rip your hair out over. :slight_smile:
     
  6. IvorySteel

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    Actually it flows really well with my surname... less sure about how it fits with my other middle name though, as that start with 'A' (maybe I have too many names :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: ).

    And nice link!

    I actually do like Olivia! And it is pretty important to me to emphasise that I want to be the same person I always was, but female, so just flipping my name like that works for me. However for many trans people it's very different, and most do prefer to separate themselves from their assigned name.

    Chase is pretty rad. Ironicaly enough, I really like the name Autumn (for myself) XD
     
    #6 IvorySteel, Jan 11, 2015
    Last edited: Jan 11, 2015
  7. Acm

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    I think Olivia Rose sounds nice.

    I chose the first name Max, I like how short it is and I feel like it suits me. It has a bit of a silly connection to my birth name (Ruby) but I still like it. I really hope no one gives me any trouble about it when I tell them it. For my middle name I like Charles, that was my 2nd pick for a first name, but I already know a Charlie so I didn't want to use it.
     
  8. Lazuri

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    Bonus points if you change your last name to "Power" or "Steele."
     
  9. Acm

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    Huh? :confused:
     
  10. jay777

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    I like the combination
    (*hug*)
     
  11. TacobellKFC

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    I like my name even though its very masculine but its boss and im going to make it a new unisex name...NELSON or just Nel....hate my middle name though but who cares I'll just not use it
     
  12. Lazuri

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  13. Acm

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  14. Ryujin

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    They're all really nice names ^^

    There are literally no feminisations of my birth name, unless any of you can think of any for Ethan.
    I chose Alexis for various reasons, primarily due to the link to the previous name I went through, Xan, which I chose for the x at the beginning and a being a gender neutral name, being a diminutive of Alexander, Alexandra and Alexandria. I also considered Xian, but felt it sounded too masculine. I then went onto Alexis, and am referred to as that by some, and as Lexi, Lex or Lexy by others. My middle name is also Mizaki, as I really like it as a name ^^
    I also thought about Felicity and Jennifer, but decided neither fit.
     
  15. NingyoBroken

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    My birth name is already a unisex name, though here in shitmerica it's more associated with females...

    My mother was going to name me that name even if I was born cis male.

    But I have bad associations with that name, so I use the name Aki. A Japanese unisex name more commonly associated with males, and has many ways to write it so it means different things.
     
  16. Lazuri

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    Ethan is is a name of hebrew origin and it's female form is "Ethana." Another name that could be seen as the female equivalence to Ethan is "Ethel."

    ---------- Post added 11th Jan 2015 at 11:29 PM ----------

    One of which, If I'm not mistaken, is the kanji for "Autumn." Funny, that's like the third time it's been mentioned in this thread.

    I like it, though.
     
  17. MsEmmzy

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    What do you guys think about changing your last name? I've heard a few stories from people who were outed for not changing it..

    One of the reasons I chose my name is because it goes well with my (step)dad's last name, which I would change mine to.. I'm only worried that someone would search it up and find me because I already use it on Facebook.
     
  18. IvorySteel

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    I know a couple of trans women who use an adopted surname on facebook due to family issues and therefore not wanted to be "outed". If I ever come out I'll likely do the same, create a new account and use my new middle name as a surname for all intents and purposes, until the day I'm ready to come out to family (which seems a million miles away rn). I think it's a sensible approach. However I would want to keep my surname long-term, and I think unless you want to explicitly dissociate yourself from your family, I would personally advise most to do the same.
     
  19. Lazuri

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    Depends on how common the name in question is. If it's easily recognizable and unique then maybe so. Then again, if it's something you're proud over then I say no.

    Personally I really want to change my surname into "Addams" but I won't be able to.
     
  20. Jellal

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    I'm going with AJ, since it has a nice gender-neutral feel to it, suited to a boy or a girl. Plus I already have the requisite initials. Now it's just a matter of getting people to call me by those initials. I might have to be a little pushier than usual to get it done, but it should be easy enough for people to get used to.