I'm trying to find a new name for myself as I've decided to actually start coming out (as FTM) to people in real life after a year and a half and at the moment I'm using Nikk which is a shortened version of my birth name and although I like it I feel like it's too close to what I started with. I've researched and I've got a list of ones that I like but I really have no idea what might suit me, does anyone have any methods they went through to choose their name? I've heard that when you find the one that's for you, you'll know. Is that how it was for other people?
For awhile I just tried out names that I thought felt right? I started with Alex for a few months but it didn't quite feel right so I just looked at lists of names for awhile. I finally came across Jackson and Mitchell and they felt perfect! I went with Jackson as my first name and Mitchell as my middle name. Just find a name that you think feels right!
I don't know if I'm transgender yet (MTF) but I'm questioning. However for some reason I chose the name Christina for when I do drag. Honestly I can't tell you why I chose this name. It was the hairstyle I had, it was the attitude. Christina just suited perfectly. I guess you have to find a name that suits your personality. Maybe write down a list of names that you know and you like, or look for names in different languages (I find foreign names particularly interesting!). When you have a list of names, you could also look for their meaning. Names have a meaning and a story behind it, you could choose one that has a strong meaning or links to you in a particular way.
See that's a problem I'm having in itself. My ethnicity is Indian but my culture is completely British so I don't know whether a stereotypically 'white' name would even suit me but Indian names are... too Indian? The meaning doesn't really bother me as long as it's nothing religious but I guess it's a way to set them apart, thanks for the advice.
Is there any language you like particularly? It doesn't have to do with your ethnicity as long as you like it. For example I have an Indian name (Ryan is just a nickname) but I'm Italian. It doesn't matter what colour you are or what your ethnicity is. If you wanna go for something more British then (personally) these are my favourite names: Richard, Ryan, William. Otherwise as I said you can just look at names in other languages. If you want I can suggest you some italian names lol for example, the Italian version of Richard is Riccardo. Francesco is also a very nice name. Roberto, Luca, Antonio...
That's true, liking it is important but I also feel like it would have to suit me whereas those generic British names really don't and the Italian names are pretty cool but again, I don't think people would take me seriously looking at me and calling me Antonio, I do like Luca though. I've thought of Nico, Lucus, Cole, Javen, Dillon, Taru, Taran, Avinash (shortened to Avi). It's just so difficult to find the 'right one'. None especially stand out to me or are ones I can imagine myself using. No one told me picking a name would be this stressful!
Well I 'm not sure if it would suit me, but I really like the name Christopher. I kind of had the name for a long time even if I didn't know I was Trans. I kind of just daydreamed of that name. Don't know why or when, but that name kind of stuck with me. Well that's just my experience.
I chose my name because it's the boys' name my grandma had always wanted to use, but she only had girls. It's in honour of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which fits with my family as my great grandfather was a music teacher during WW2. Maybe you could choose the name of someone you admire? I think there's a thread on here somewhere for testing your name and pronouns, that could help.
As I said you should probably just find THE ONE. A name that when you hear it, it's like it has always been your name. Otherwise you said you like the names Luca and Lucus, so what about Lucas? I find it pretty cool. Also it's quite neutral for what concerns ethnicity and nationality. I like Cole! :eusa_danc
I like Nico. I used my middle name Hope but it was too feminine so I wanted to add a male name but to be honest, I don't really like make names. Someone else had a thread with male names and Seth was one of them. My favourite character in a book series is called Seth and it's also the name of an Egyptain god. The god of chaos, destruction, storms and the desert but still. I love mythology so it means something to me.
i've tried out a bunch of different names. currently i'm using the name Blake. I tried Oakley and Ariel before I fully came out as ftm. just try out different names and pick which one you like est and which you think feels right for you!
Choosing a name can be a real pain in the ass. First name wise, I was always drawn to Alexander--way before I came out or had my "awakening", also fueled by an acquaintance of mine with the same name who is an indie filmmaker and was one of the motivations for me to go for a career in the film industry,. These days, I'm on the fence with keeping it. It's a little petty, but the reasoning for that is I'm feeling some kind of way about how popular it is, and it's been bugging me for a while. I tried testing out Andros, but like the other names I considered (Aaron and Adam), something didn't feel right. So...Alexander it is...for now. Middle name wise, this was the hardest. I must have tested out 20-something names, and all were total busts. I still get emails to this day with some of them (ex: Jackson and Mason). I finally settled for the last time three years ago when I found my inspiration for what to pick after seeing, of all things, RuPaul's Drag Race when I first saw the performer/singer/actor Jinkx Monsoon (aka Jerick Hoffer). Jerick was the embodiment of everything I wanted to be and was someone who I related to on so many levels. So yeah, that's my story. If you're stumped; maybe try out baby name websites and see what you like--or you could think about your role models and heroes too for inspiration and do an homage thing like I did.
Try having a friend help you. Have them use your name in sentences or say it to you... Just don't let them make the decision for you. I currently go by Alex (shortened version of my birth name) but I also like the name Drew and Tobias. I'll probably end up changing my first name to Alexander (though I'll still go by Alex) and I plan on changing my middle name to Mordecai. I'm not sure why...
Since you've already done the research and are now trying to see what suits you, the suggestions to have friends use it or to just try one for a while makes sense. Spend some time with it. Other things to consider -- Is it likely to turn into a nickname or shortened version? (possible by other people without your consent -- I'm always asking people not to shorten mine) The initials - do they form a word or work as a nickname? The popularity in general and for genders -- the baby names sites can give you statistics on that -- do you want it to be ordinary or unusual? My grandmother, mother, and I changed our names, but we're all cisgender/AFAB and changed our names for other reasons. I also write fiction and spent considerable time naming characters. I find it interesting that I relate to my primary online profile name more than I relate to my pen name. My name on this site, which had to be different, the admins said, is that of a former pet and one of my important fictional characters, so I've been using it for a very long time. I originally got the name from a perfume I liked -- sometimes a name just appears to you!
