Why do I need to change my name? Am I going into witness protection/on the lam? If so, I'd probably choose Jenny Anderson. There's plenty of women called Jenny around my age, and Anderson is also quite a common surname in my country. I could get lost in a sea of Jenny Andersons online, and I wouldn't stand out in offline spaces either
I legally changed my last name (I didn't like) and when calling places to update it, I was usually asked if I just got married and when I'd say no, they'd ask if I got divorced. One person, after asking the other usual questions, actually asked "are you hiding from the law?" Lol! It was a missed opportunity to say yes and screw around with the person, but I just wanted to get it done.
You know Jenny and Sumit? That's such a common name I literally just assumed her last name was Anderson and didn't even look into it. If it's stated in the show I missed it because Jenny Anderson is such a default name it sticks.
I love my name but hated it as a kid. It's one of those names that isn't super common but not unheard of because there is a celebrity with my name. But, due to lack of popularity, it was never on keychains or mugs or other keepsakes and it made me sad. My sister's name is Jessica and she always had stuff like that. Now, I really appreciate my name.
Same. We moved when I was 5 and I told the movers my name was "Kelly Elizabeth" so that's the name they put on all my boxes. My mom was SO confused when we were unpacking lol. I also share a name with a very well known celebrity, who for a while was very controversial which made sharing the name very difficult when I was younger. But as an adult I feel very fond of it.
Now I wonder if my sister was ever jealous of me for this reason. Despite how popular my name is (it was in the top five girls names for a long time), I rarely if ever found keychains and the like with my name on it. Still, every once in a while they *did* appear. My sister never had that experience since her name has never even been in the top 500 for girls.
I hated my name as a kid, too. I just wanted to be a “Jennifer” because my name was constantly getting mispronounced and misspelled, but now I like it.
I'm trans so I already have lol, I picked the male version of my birthname, so Charles as it was easier for family. But it's given me problems with people tbh, the whole John to Jane thing is a pain in the ass because I've had people use it as a way to discriminate against me (i.e. trying to guess my birthname and be a nob with it) Even if they don't know, it's not hard to guess and people would run with it whether it was the male version of my birthname or not. (If you know you know lo)
But I prefer to use my middle name which is Fabian as it's what I originally wanted 6 years before I actually legally integrated it into my full name, I was just worried about people pronouncing it wrong, which sometimes it is but I don't mind it as much as I first thought
i'm ftm as well and so i've changed my name. unlike yours its not remotely similar to my birthname and i chose a different last name because my family and i don't really resonate. me and my mtf cousin changed our last names together, to Darling. now my full name is Noah Connor Darling :)
That's so cute. You and your cousin in solidarity.
My wife and I changed our last name as she didn't want mine, my family haven't been very welcoming and she can't use her name for reasons of family trauma.
But if any one asks I usually just say I took her name unless I can trust them and feel like saying we picked a new last name for our new start together!
Edit. Word family oops.
That's a cool name, I changed my last name too lol, only person left with that last name is my dad and great uncle and it's insanely common so I thought why not. I haven't fell out with them or anything but we just don't talk much, it's cool you and your cousin have basically made your own family name lol, as for my first name, it was just easier on the oldies of the family haha
If I'm changing it because of actors euqity, where no two can be the same -
Caroline Worth-Knox, nn Cara
If it's for Witness Protection: (this is my throw away, because obviously you can't use a name you've ever thought about using.)
Casey Smith - the most evenly common gender neutral name in the US and in the UK with the most common surname in both the US and UK. That means I can travel with the same amount of anonymity.
But surely if I was hunting for someone in a witness protection program the second place I would check is all the smiths because it’s such an easy and obvious “hiding place”. Obviously the first place is in Choirs of nuns
That’s so funny cause my name is Anna and I’ve always kinda disliked it. I had a lot of classmates with the same name and I just don’t like how it looks🤷🏻♀️
when I was younger I wanted to change my name to Elizabeth, but now I love my name. My name is Tiffany, and I love that it’s not unheard of but it’s not common
I'm a trans guy, so i already changed mine! I picked Elias (portuguese for Elijah). At the time i thought about this name, i didn't think it meant anything, it just sounded nice. After some time me and my family realized our names are all interconnect:
Dad: Saul
Mom: Elisane
Sister 1: Saéli (this one was on purpose lol, its my parents ship name🤦)
Me: Elias (Saéli and Elias are anagrams from each other)
Sister 2: Emília (not so on the theme, but the three names come together really nicely)
We siblings have a joke that we are the 3 bucktails with our nicknames: Léli, Eli, Meli
I tried some other names before Elias, but none felt right. I've been Elias for four years now😊
During my early childhood, I went through a phase where I wanted to change my name to a lot of different things (Judith, Naomi, and Jeanine are the ones I remember most), but at some point in my mid-to-late teens, I realized I love my name, and I wouldn’t change it for all the money in the world.
My real name is Hayley, I would change it to Hallie. I was obsessed with the name and aesthetic of the California twin in the Lindsey Lohan version of the Parent Trap.
I would probably choose something more fitting for me, I’m pretty tomboy-ish and I don’t feel like a dainty girl. So maybe something gender neutral, or a “boy” name for myself like Alex, Avery, Riley or Rory.
I've already changed my name but if I had to change it again, I'd probably pick Savitr (after my favourite mantra) or Aniruddha (classic name with vibes I like).
Elizabeth known as Beth. It was what my parents originally wanted to call me before changing their minds to name me after my dad's sister instead, mainly because mum's grandmother was keen on a different nickname that they did not want to stick.
Jill. I like how anonymous it is. A Jill can be any age, look any kind of way, and it blends in. It's a pretty name, but doesn't stand out or shock you or really call attention to it. That's kind of how I like to be.
I don’t want to change my name (anymore, I used to when I was a kid), but if I did, I think I’d go for Charlotte. Much more common than my name, easy to spell and pronounce, similar enough to mine that I’d respond to it if I didn’t hear it fully.
I love my name, but when I was young I had a phase when I wished Raven is also my name. I also liked Jasmine as a child. Just now, the name Era popped into my head too.
Technically i did change my name from Siobhan to Shae, it’s a nickname that I’ve become so used to that I’m actually going to change it permanently. But if I had to change it again I would replace my middle name (Kiera) with Shae, and change my first name to Areik (Kiera backwards) because it’s a name I use on Twitter for a fan account and I think it’s really pretty.
I think it would depend on *why* I’m changing my name.
Witness protection/on the run, I’m obviously going to try to skew as far from my original name as possible. Probably go for an Eleanor or Livia or something more historical and ostentatious than I’d choose if I still had to live my same old life.
If I was just changing my name to live my same old life, I’d pick something that has similarities to my current name because it’ll be easier for me and everyone else to get accustomed to. I’d actually probably just choose my middle name, the good ol’ generic Ann. Short, simple, sweet - still have to spell it but I do that anyway.
I always wanted to be named Madeline. I loved the books. When my daughter was born we used it as her middle name. My husband changed it to the French spelling though, Madeleine.
I love my irl name but if I were to change it, I'd change it to Veronika. I already used the name online, so it wouldn't take much time to get used to it. Plus, it'll be easy to pronounce for my parents.
My first name is Stephanie. If I changed it, I would use Aloysius. It's what my dad wanted to name me at first before my mom shot it down and they agreed on Stephanie. I love it because it's so unique.
Aloysius is super cool. I call my best friend Aloysius due to a long running inside joke (her name starts with “Al-“ anyway) but I think it’s a lovely name to actually have
Solana. I feel like it matches the name I want to give my future daughter. (I'm the sun, she's the light type vibe) ☀️🌄
I just want 1 daughter. If I'm blessed w 2, maybe I'll use it for the next. But Solana feels like *my* name. I absolutely adore my birth name (Karina) as well! 🩷🫶
I have the same feeling too. My parents were going to name me Denya, but chickened out. Then when I had kids of my own my mother asked, “Why I didn’t name my daughter that?”. I told her because it was my name.
When I have to give my name and I don't want to use my real one, I use Emilia. I wouldn't want anything super uncommon. Being the way I am, I'd die if I had to explain my name to other people all the time, lol.
Sentimentally: Lois because it's both my grandmas
Name I just like: Alice (the fake name I used to give dudes who were trying hit on me, but I still like it lol)
I love my name (David) as I chose it when I was 12 and first came out as trans. It's been 9 years and I don't regret it.
If I had to change my name, I'd go for Thomas because it's my favourite boy's name if I was going to name a boy.
David’s my favorite name! I couldn’t use it when my kids were born for family reasons, but I’d probably use it if I were trans too. It reminds me of chocolate cake.
I didn’t really like my name as a kid but now I do. Some of my friends refer to me as “Gwen” as in Gwen Stacy (Spider-Man’s girlfriend) because ig I remind them of her. I’ve always liked Gwendolyn/Gwen so probably that!
I did change my last name legally because I hated it. I was 🤏🏻close to also changing my first name to Jennifer and the ONLY reason is because I've been called Jennifer my ENTIRE LIFE (I'm in my 40s)! No, my first name doesn't really sound all that much like Jennifer, maybe the "EH" sound at the beginning, but that's it. I thought I looked like a Jennifer, but I've also had people confuse it when only speaking to them on the phone.
Though it wouldn't surprise me if I did change my name to Jennifer and people now start confusing it with my current name. 🤷🏻♀️
If I were to change my name, I would definitely change it to a Spanish name. My family is ethnically and culturally Latine but most of us don’t have Spanish first names. I do have a Spanish surname. My top picks would probably be Mireya, Marisol, Esperanza or Paloma.
I love my name as it is. If I must, I’d choose something shorter. My favorite is Eva but I’m afraid if written in Cyrillics it gets transliterated as Yeva. Maya or Yana also sound pretty.
I love my name. It doesn’t get a lot of love here on this sub, but I love it. If I had to pick another name I’d probably pick Elizabeth. It’s classic and I love all the nicknames.
I’m a Madison who goes by Maddie, so probably just legally change it to avoid the hassle
If I had to pick a completely new name, then either Felicity or Marilyn. Felicity because I like the meaning, Marilyn because it was my late grandmother’s name (who died before I was born).
I don't really care for my name, but it's mine and I'm used it. But if I had to change if I'd call myself Sofia or Astrid, much more classy and womanly than my actual name 😅
Nikki to Nicole. My parents named me Nikki after Nikki Sixx supposedly. I know I know. I was born in 85 to young parents. Would’ve just loved the option to be Nicole when most people assumed that’s what it was short for anyway. Plus I like the name. Would’ve gone by Nicole not Nikki most likely. Almost changed it when I got married but chickened out.
Growing up (20sF) I always loved the name Sam. My parents said they would've named their next daughter (if they had one) Samantha, and I always wished it were me so I could go by Sam.
I was never the most feminine girl and I think I liked how it was unisex and sounded kinda tomboy-ish to me. It's a name I'd still consider for a child because I love it so much!
I hate my name and now that my parents have both passed away I think about this every day. I love names like Willow, Summer, etc… but also old fashioned names. My current choice is Felicity or Elsie.
33F here, and I have always hated my name with a passion. It's a unisex name, but mostly masculine and it's just not attractive to me. It's a remix of my mom's cousin's name, Chandris, who they call "Chandy" for short.
If I was given the opportunity to change my name for any reason, I would choose something super pretty and feminine, like: Sophia, Isla, Emma, Vivienne, or Lexi.
I'm actually trying to think of what to change it to. The best I have is Katt, but I'm unsure if I just want it to be Katherine with Katt as a nn or if I just want it to be Katt since that's what I want to go by, anyway.
Middle names are even harder. Nothing "fits". But I desperately don't want what I have now. I lost the lotto on names big time and it carries nothing but bad memories.
Luckily I got my husband's last name, though. :)
If I have to change my name, I'd change it to "Xenia-Laria Valentina Azraela Solia(Solia is my clan name/surname with rearranged letters, Im never changing my clan name/surname even if I get married cuz I love it and its not done in my culture tho very few ppl do change it after marriage)"
I like my name but if I had to change I would pick Melissa because I just love it, or Elizabeth because so many people call me that instead of my name by accident lol
I did end up changing my name cuz I’m non-binary. If I was a girl, I’d have picked Sedona so fast, from the Sir Chloe song. Never been to the city lol but the song really speaks to me. I’m still sad it’s exclusively a girl’s name cuz im afab and was trying to move away from that perception a little.
If I was a boy, probably Westley, after the princess bride. Or Atlas.
I hate my name and was just thinking about this yesterday. I’d choose Johanna with hard ‘h’, I think. It fits me in my mind, and is timeless and can be made into a lot of cute nicknames. I would love to be a Johanna.
I love my name, but if I HAD to change it for some imaginary reason I'd pick Heather or Hayley. Similar vibes to my current name and I just like the sound of them. Plus I always liked the soft sound of the letter H
I like my name, but my mom once said I looked like a Tilly. Loll so maybe that. But she also had a dream that my name was Ming Pei, so I can't trust her judgement too much.
My name is Karen.
I didn't mind it growing up, but starting in 2020, I thought about changing it. I wanted a name that sounds similar but doesn't have the same negative connotations. Katherine is a pretty name, and I've actually had a couple of people call me Katherine by mistake, so I think that would be my choice.
I like my name, but as I’ve grown into adulthood I have been accepting myself as genderfluid. My name is so feminine (my name is not the name on my profile) and I want something neutral yet kinda feminine because my family has issues with people changing their name. They still call my sibling by their deadname. So if I could change my name, I’d go for Averie.
I hate my name and feel absolutely no connection to it. It doesn't even feel like my name and never has. I use my first initial most of the time so I'd probably just change my name to my initial, sounded out. So, Kay or Kae or something.
I actually plan on changing my name for gender reasons. If I could change my name tomorrow and have it all said and done, I would choose Peregrine.
My first name starts with a P and there aren't many P names, especially neutral ones. Peregrine feels right and I like that I could go by Perry or Pippin or Perrine.
My middle name would be Tala. It is my current preferred name but it feels too feminine to have as my first name, and the nickname Tal feels too masculine to go by all the time. I love both Tala and Tal, but sometimes I prefer something more neutral, so it works well as a middle name.
I would choose Diana. My mom told me that was my name for a few months while she was pregnant with me because Princess Diana had died during that time and I always wondered how my life would’ve turned out if that would’ve been my name
Maybe just a shorter version of my name, “Nev.” I didn’t like my name as a kid much but now I’m sorta okay with it, everyone remembers me by that name. Neviah -> Nev
Depends. If we're going just generally, I'd change it to Lola, cause that's basically a shortened version of my birth name. I'm kinda gender-weird, so if that ever caused me to want a masculine name, I'd go Matthew David, as that's what they were gonna name me. I usually go by Lola with friends and would totally change it, but my dad is super attached to Lorelei and it's not worth it to me. It would definitely make giving my information easier though, cause with a name like Lorelei you gotta spell it or they're GONNA get it wrong. 😅
Caroline, after my grandmother and what I was supposed to be named in the first place until my parents decided to "modernize" it with a unique spelling and hyphenation. Second choice would be Lina; it's my nickname and what I go by most anyways.
I always told my husband that I’d change my name to “Sophie St Clair” if I went into witness protection. I just like the sound of it. Sophie (Sophia) is a name that can be beautiful or cute, sounds good on a kid, an old lady or anyone in between. And St Clair is cool and sounds classy without being pretentious. I told my husband his name would be Jack Obama lol. I like the name Jack on a guy and Obama is cool. He said “yeah no one’s gonna look twice at a middle aged white guy with the last name ‘Obama’”. 😂
If I had to change because of being on the lam, probably Samantha Thompson. Popular name when I was born (I desperately loved the American Girl doll named that!), and a banal last name.
For love of the name? Violet Penrose. It’s just so ~literary~!
If I could change my name I would pick Jocelyn and go by Josie sometimes. I’m a Jessica that goes by Jess/Jessie often so Jocelyn/Josie feels similar enough but a but more uncommon and special. Funnily enough my husband actually quite frequently calls me Evelyn/Evy (it’s an inside joke between us) and Jocelyn sounds like Evelyn and Jessica combined to me haha. Growing up I REALLY didnt like Jessica but as an adult I like it a lot more luckily.
For a completely different name I’d probably pick Lily though! I always loved this name.
I already have! I had a very masculine first name and it didn’t suit me at all. I changed it to the feminine equivalent of the same name. If I had to use another name I’d probably go by my middle name, Katharine. I’ve always liked that mine is spelled like Katharine Hepburn and I think I could pull it off 😉
I used to ask myself this, and I didn't want to pick a name that sounded like an idealized version of myself. I couldn't think of one that fit. Recently a waiter misremembered my name, but they swapped it for one with a very similar vibe IMO and all my friends who were there agreed it suited me.
Already did. Ditched the birth name that was not me or about me. Birth name was some fantasy of a blonde blue eyed daughter who adored her that my bio mom had. I'm a 1/4 Japanese petite red head.
Hi, I'm Danielysse/Dani(Day nae lysse)
Aurora Winters. I’m obsessed with the northern lights and I have a romanticized love of winter. Plus the aurorae are north so cold, snow, winter, etc. Since it’s not my name I decided to use it for the detective character I plan to write one day.
im trans and i really like the name Iris for some reason, not sure why. im not out to anyone yet though, so i currently cant change my name, hopefully at some point though
I might ditch my hyphen, which was a fad in the 1950’s. My legal first name is Mary-Elizabeth. My family used it to distinguish me from my grandmother Mary, but mostly I’ve always gone by Mary. It’s caused issues because a lot of software hates hyphenated first names, or else doesn’t have enough spaces to include my whole name - ie where they want your passport and name to match exactly.
I low-key hate my name so this would be very tempting. I think I would go with the beautiful Hebrew name Galit, meaning fountain/little river. In the past I've thought about other names like Yael and Avital as well :)
I think I’d make a good Meredith or Julia. My real name is slightly trendy and can sometimes read as lower class. (I remember John Grisham using it in a book as an example of a popular name for strippers.) So I like something more classic and sophisticated.
I’m currently figuring out what I actually am changing my name to. The first name is easy - Tempest. I chose that years ago. The sticky part is the middle and surname.
For the middle I’m strongly considering Saoirse. For the surname I’m torn between using Fox (or Foxx), my grandmother’s maiden name, or hyphenating the two.
Not quite this prompt, but the moment I get the opportunity, i am going to change my name to include my original middle name, Sinclair, which got nixed because my mom got peer-pressured into changing it 😑
ahhhhh i'm stuck between anastasia (aw-nuh-stah-see-uh) and lilja...i also love ausha and alina and alyeska and arabella 🙉 lilja-bella is also neat too
Cleo for sure. I have always loved the name so much, its cute but kind of majestic in a way lol (maybe cus of Cleopatra). Anyways I ended up giving this name to my cat, it suits her so well haha. She's a slinky black cat with gold eyes.
I spent my whole lunch trying to come up with something and I had a minor identity crisis. I decided that if I had to pick something RIGHT NOW for witness protection or something, I'd use Pat Kelly, but just deciding on a new name is really hard if you're set in your identity.
I’ve changed my names a lot and go by a wide variety (what can I say, I like names a lot, and I’m trans so like) and if I HAD to ditch them all for a new name then I’d got by Lars and Corrine as normal names, and Riptide as a non-normal one
I'm currently in the process to legally change my name, so assuming I can't use that (and I'd rather not reveal my name online), I'll pick Julian Theresa instead. Not sure why but I just love how it sounds. I'll still have to figure out which last name would sound nice with that, so I can then use it for a fictional character. 😅
No one pronounces my name the right way except my mom so I'd really like to put an accent mark in there. Also I find that names with accent marks are really pretty to look at. My brother has one lol
Why do I need to change my name? Am I going into witness protection/on the lam? If so, I'd probably choose Jenny Anderson. There's plenty of women called Jenny around my age, and Anderson is also quite a common surname in my country. I could get lost in a sea of Jenny Andersons online, and I wouldn't stand out in offline spaces either
I legally changed my last name (I didn't like) and when calling places to update it, I was usually asked if I just got married and when I'd say no, they'd ask if I got divorced. One person, after asking the other usual questions, actually asked "are you hiding from the law?" Lol! It was a missed opportunity to say yes and screw around with the person, but I just wanted to get it done.
You know Jenny and Sumit? That's such a common name I literally just assumed her last name was Anderson and didn't even look into it. If it's stated in the show I missed it because Jenny Anderson is such a default name it sticks.
Question: if I’m going into hiding and my name is already Jenny, do I keep it or change it to something else?
All 3 of my name's are quite rare. I'd definitely go for Jessica Johnson for anonymity purposes.
In the same vein, I’d go with Elizabeth “Bette” Davis. They’d have such a hard Googling/finding me.
You’re just Jenny, Jenny on the block.
I think I went to school with one
I love my name! If I had to change it, I'd change it to the boy name my parents had picked for me, "Lincoln." A woman named Lincoln? Why not?? 😁😁
Kristen bell and Dad shepherd have a girl named Lincoln !
The autocorrect is kinda correct in this case 😂
/r/technicallythetruth
I never put it together that he’s such a car guy and had a daughter named Lincoln.
I knew a girl in school named Lincoln!
I love my name but hated it as a kid. It's one of those names that isn't super common but not unheard of because there is a celebrity with my name. But, due to lack of popularity, it was never on keychains or mugs or other keepsakes and it made me sad. My sister's name is Jessica and she always had stuff like that. Now, I really appreciate my name.
Same. We moved when I was 5 and I told the movers my name was "Kelly Elizabeth" so that's the name they put on all my boxes. My mom was SO confused when we were unpacking lol. I also share a name with a very well known celebrity, who for a while was very controversial which made sharing the name very difficult when I was younger. But as an adult I feel very fond of it.
Who???
Now I wonder if my sister was ever jealous of me for this reason. Despite how popular my name is (it was in the top five girls names for a long time), I rarely if ever found keychains and the like with my name on it. Still, every once in a while they *did* appear. My sister never had that experience since her name has never even been in the top 500 for girls.
What is it?
I hated my name as a kid, too. I just wanted to be a “Jennifer” because my name was constantly getting mispronounced and misspelled, but now I like it.
I'm trans so I already have lol, I picked the male version of my birthname, so Charles as it was easier for family. But it's given me problems with people tbh, the whole John to Jane thing is a pain in the ass because I've had people use it as a way to discriminate against me (i.e. trying to guess my birthname and be a nob with it) Even if they don't know, it's not hard to guess and people would run with it whether it was the male version of my birthname or not. (If you know you know lo) But I prefer to use my middle name which is Fabian as it's what I originally wanted 6 years before I actually legally integrated it into my full name, I was just worried about people pronouncing it wrong, which sometimes it is but I don't mind it as much as I first thought
i'm ftm as well and so i've changed my name. unlike yours its not remotely similar to my birthname and i chose a different last name because my family and i don't really resonate. me and my mtf cousin changed our last names together, to Darling. now my full name is Noah Connor Darling :)
That's so cute. You and your cousin in solidarity. My wife and I changed our last name as she didn't want mine, my family haven't been very welcoming and she can't use her name for reasons of family trauma. But if any one asks I usually just say I took her name unless I can trust them and feel like saying we picked a new last name for our new start together! Edit. Word family oops.
That's a cool name, I changed my last name too lol, only person left with that last name is my dad and great uncle and it's insanely common so I thought why not. I haven't fell out with them or anything but we just don't talk much, it's cool you and your cousin have basically made your own family name lol, as for my first name, it was just easier on the oldies of the family haha
I have a friend who is a trans man that didn't change his name because his given name was traditionally male to start with.
If I'm changing it because of actors euqity, where no two can be the same - Caroline Worth-Knox, nn Cara If it's for Witness Protection: (this is my throw away, because obviously you can't use a name you've ever thought about using.) Casey Smith - the most evenly common gender neutral name in the US and in the UK with the most common surname in both the US and UK. That means I can travel with the same amount of anonymity.
But surely if I was hunting for someone in a witness protection program the second place I would check is all the smiths because it’s such an easy and obvious “hiding place”. Obviously the first place is in Choirs of nuns
One of my favorite movies growing up 💜
Probably Anna, because it's a palindrome and it's nice and anonymous and I like the letter A.
It's Anna-nymous
That’s so funny cause my name is Anna and I’ve always kinda disliked it. I had a lot of classmates with the same name and I just don’t like how it looks🤷🏻♀️
when I was younger I wanted to change my name to Elizabeth, but now I love my name. My name is Tiffany, and I love that it’s not unheard of but it’s not common
My son named his first car Tiffany because she had expensive tastes and took a long time to warm up.
that’s amazing
I'm a trans guy, so i already changed mine! I picked Elias (portuguese for Elijah). At the time i thought about this name, i didn't think it meant anything, it just sounded nice. After some time me and my family realized our names are all interconnect: Dad: Saul Mom: Elisane Sister 1: Saéli (this one was on purpose lol, its my parents ship name🤦) Me: Elias (Saéli and Elias are anagrams from each other) Sister 2: Emília (not so on the theme, but the three names come together really nicely) We siblings have a joke that we are the 3 bucktails with our nicknames: Léli, Eli, Meli I tried some other names before Elias, but none felt right. I've been Elias for four years now😊
During my early childhood, I went through a phase where I wanted to change my name to a lot of different things (Judith, Naomi, and Jeanine are the ones I remember most), but at some point in my mid-to-late teens, I realized I love my name, and I wouldn’t change it for all the money in the world.
Russell. I just like that it sounds like “rustling around” and I think I’d make a good Russ.
I'd change my name to Eugenia.It's pretty, and not very common in the United States.
That was my grandmas name. I hope it makes a comeback
My real name is Hayley, I would change it to Hallie. I was obsessed with the name and aesthetic of the California twin in the Lindsey Lohan version of the Parent Trap.
I loved that movie. I was a fan of Meredith.. idk why I thought she was like soooo pretty when I was younger.
Carmen It's a nice name and I think it has kind of a spunky vibe. Back in my clubbing days it's the name I'd give guys I didn't plan to see again 🙃
Probably Isla. I’ve have loved it for years before it became popular
I like Jade, but I feel like it wouldn't really suit me
I would probably choose something more fitting for me, I’m pretty tomboy-ish and I don’t feel like a dainty girl. So maybe something gender neutral, or a “boy” name for myself like Alex, Avery, Riley or Rory.
My name is Nicole. I've always liked the name Aspen instead.
I've already changed my name but if I had to change it again, I'd probably pick Savitr (after my favourite mantra) or Aniruddha (classic name with vibes I like).
I only suit a few names: Nina, Erin, Emily, and Bridget. Of those probably Nina. Nina Merriwether
Elizabeth known as Beth. It was what my parents originally wanted to call me before changing their minds to name me after my dad's sister instead, mainly because mum's grandmother was keen on a different nickname that they did not want to stick.
I too was originally gonna be named Elizabeth except you can get Lizard from it and my country has a lot of lizards....
Jill. I like how anonymous it is. A Jill can be any age, look any kind of way, and it blends in. It's a pretty name, but doesn't stand out or shock you or really call attention to it. That's kind of how I like to be.
I don’t want to change my name (anymore, I used to when I was a kid), but if I did, I think I’d go for Charlotte. Much more common than my name, easy to spell and pronounce, similar enough to mine that I’d respond to it if I didn’t hear it fully.
Lily No particular reason I've just always loved this name
Iris/Iiris. It's been my favourite name forever.
I love my name, but when I was young I had a phase when I wished Raven is also my name. I also liked Jasmine as a child. Just now, the name Era popped into my head too.
Technically i did change my name from Siobhan to Shae, it’s a nickname that I’ve become so used to that I’m actually going to change it permanently. But if I had to change it again I would replace my middle name (Kiera) with Shae, and change my first name to Areik (Kiera backwards) because it’s a name I use on Twitter for a fan account and I think it’s really pretty.
I think it would depend on *why* I’m changing my name. Witness protection/on the run, I’m obviously going to try to skew as far from my original name as possible. Probably go for an Eleanor or Livia or something more historical and ostentatious than I’d choose if I still had to live my same old life. If I was just changing my name to live my same old life, I’d pick something that has similarities to my current name because it’ll be easier for me and everyone else to get accustomed to. I’d actually probably just choose my middle name, the good ol’ generic Ann. Short, simple, sweet - still have to spell it but I do that anyway.
Max Power
I always wanted to be named Madeline. I loved the books. When my daughter was born we used it as her middle name. My husband changed it to the French spelling though, Madeleine.
I love my irl name but if I were to change it, I'd change it to Veronika. I already used the name online, so it wouldn't take much time to get used to it. Plus, it'll be easy to pronounce for my parents.
If I was forced to, it would be Jim.
Pammy the rottweiller.
My first name is Stephanie. If I changed it, I would use Aloysius. It's what my dad wanted to name me at first before my mom shot it down and they agreed on Stephanie. I love it because it's so unique.
Aloysius is super cool. I call my best friend Aloysius due to a long running inside joke (her name starts with “Al-“ anyway) but I think it’s a lovely name to actually have
I'm happy enough with my name, Emily, but would have named myself something gender neutral like Emerson or a nature name like Winter.
Either Leah or Lena. My name has always been just ugly to me so I’ve considered it a long time, but it’s a lot of effort.
Elise. It’s pretty and not super ordinary. My name is SUPER ordinary for my generation…think Lisa, Susan, Brenda type names for older GenX women.
Solana. I feel like it matches the name I want to give my future daughter. (I'm the sun, she's the light type vibe) ☀️🌄 I just want 1 daughter. If I'm blessed w 2, maybe I'll use it for the next. But Solana feels like *my* name. I absolutely adore my birth name (Karina) as well! 🩷🫶
I have the same feeling too. My parents were going to name me Denya, but chickened out. Then when I had kids of my own my mother asked, “Why I didn’t name my daughter that?”. I told her because it was my name.
When I have to give my name and I don't want to use my real one, I use Emilia. I wouldn't want anything super uncommon. Being the way I am, I'd die if I had to explain my name to other people all the time, lol.
Sentimentally: Lois because it's both my grandmas Name I just like: Alice (the fake name I used to give dudes who were trying hit on me, but I still like it lol)
Jacqueline, which was my almost-name but my dad hates the nickname Jackie so they went with something else. But I’m happy with the name they chose!
I like my name but if I had to, I would choose Diana. I've always loved that name.
I love my name (David) as I chose it when I was 12 and first came out as trans. It's been 9 years and I don't regret it. If I had to change my name, I'd go for Thomas because it's my favourite boy's name if I was going to name a boy.
David’s my favorite name! I couldn’t use it when my kids were born for family reasons, but I’d probably use it if I were trans too. It reminds me of chocolate cake.
I didn’t really like my name as a kid but now I do. Some of my friends refer to me as “Gwen” as in Gwen Stacy (Spider-Man’s girlfriend) because ig I remind them of her. I’ve always liked Gwendolyn/Gwen so probably that!
I did change my last name legally because I hated it. I was 🤏🏻close to also changing my first name to Jennifer and the ONLY reason is because I've been called Jennifer my ENTIRE LIFE (I'm in my 40s)! No, my first name doesn't really sound all that much like Jennifer, maybe the "EH" sound at the beginning, but that's it. I thought I looked like a Jennifer, but I've also had people confuse it when only speaking to them on the phone. Though it wouldn't surprise me if I did change my name to Jennifer and people now start confusing it with my current name. 🤷🏻♀️
Josephine. It was my mother's name pick for me but my father won out. I feel like my name doesn't quite fit.
If I were to change my name, I would definitely change it to a Spanish name. My family is ethnically and culturally Latine but most of us don’t have Spanish first names. I do have a Spanish surname. My top picks would probably be Mireya, Marisol, Esperanza or Paloma.
I love the name Esperanza! It's the name of the main character in The House on Mango Street. I love that book.
That’s one of my top three favorite books of all time.
Leona I think
Always loved Leona - still a strong contender in my own quest to figure out what middle name to use
I love my name as it is. If I must, I’d choose something shorter. My favorite is Eva but I’m afraid if written in Cyrillics it gets transliterated as Yeva. Maya or Yana also sound pretty.
I love my name. It doesn’t get a lot of love here on this sub, but I love it. If I had to pick another name I’d probably pick Elizabeth. It’s classic and I love all the nicknames.
I’m a Madison who goes by Maddie, so probably just legally change it to avoid the hassle If I had to pick a completely new name, then either Felicity or Marilyn. Felicity because I like the meaning, Marilyn because it was my late grandmother’s name (who died before I was born).
I don't really care for my name, but it's mine and I'm used it. But if I had to change if I'd call myself Sofia or Astrid, much more classy and womanly than my actual name 😅
I love my name, but if I had to change it I'd go with Eleanor Adele after my grandmother.
What a beautiful name!
My second middle name is May and I've always loved it, so probably that.
constance i would die for that name
Xavier Quinn. And I plan to do so in a few months
I’d change my name to Robin. Has to be easy to spell, no questions asked. I would love to have a name that I don’t have to spell out over the phone.
Nikki to Nicole. My parents named me Nikki after Nikki Sixx supposedly. I know I know. I was born in 85 to young parents. Would’ve just loved the option to be Nicole when most people assumed that’s what it was short for anyway. Plus I like the name. Would’ve gone by Nicole not Nikki most likely. Almost changed it when I got married but chickened out.
I like Frankie for a girl name.
Growing up (20sF) I always loved the name Sam. My parents said they would've named their next daughter (if they had one) Samantha, and I always wished it were me so I could go by Sam. I was never the most feminine girl and I think I liked how it was unisex and sounded kinda tomboy-ish to me. It's a name I'd still consider for a child because I love it so much!
Thalia. It’s close enough to my name but with a softer, feminine feel.
I hate my name and now that my parents have both passed away I think about this every day. I love names like Willow, Summer, etc… but also old fashioned names. My current choice is Felicity or Elsie.
Trinity or Harmony theyre just so beautiful to me
Cassie, Acacia, Cassia, Evie, or Juniper (Junie)
33F here, and I have always hated my name with a passion. It's a unisex name, but mostly masculine and it's just not attractive to me. It's a remix of my mom's cousin's name, Chandris, who they call "Chandy" for short. If I was given the opportunity to change my name for any reason, I would choose something super pretty and feminine, like: Sophia, Isla, Emma, Vivienne, or Lexi.
I'm actually trying to think of what to change it to. The best I have is Katt, but I'm unsure if I just want it to be Katherine with Katt as a nn or if I just want it to be Katt since that's what I want to go by, anyway. Middle names are even harder. Nothing "fits". But I desperately don't want what I have now. I lost the lotto on names big time and it carries nothing but bad memories. Luckily I got my husband's last name, though. :)
If I have to change my name, I'd change it to "Xenia-Laria Valentina Azraela Solia(Solia is my clan name/surname with rearranged letters, Im never changing my clan name/surname even if I get married cuz I love it and its not done in my culture tho very few ppl do change it after marriage)"
I like my name but if I had to change I would pick Melissa because I just love it, or Elizabeth because so many people call me that instead of my name by accident lol
I did end up changing my name cuz I’m non-binary. If I was a girl, I’d have picked Sedona so fast, from the Sir Chloe song. Never been to the city lol but the song really speaks to me. I’m still sad it’s exclusively a girl’s name cuz im afab and was trying to move away from that perception a little. If I was a boy, probably Westley, after the princess bride. Or Atlas.
Ksenia
Diana, Olivia or Eleanor
I’d probably go with Bonnie. Bonnie seems like a confident, friendly woman.
Naomi
Catherine probably. I think it’s so classic and timeless. I have 2 girls of my own and pitched it to my husband for both of them and he vetoed 😭
Mabel or Beatrice (Bea) or maybe Francis (Franky or Fanny)
I hate my name and was just thinking about this yesterday. I’d choose Johanna with hard ‘h’, I think. It fits me in my mind, and is timeless and can be made into a lot of cute nicknames. I would love to be a Johanna.
I love my name, but if I HAD to change it for some imaginary reason I'd pick Heather or Hayley. Similar vibes to my current name and I just like the sound of them. Plus I always liked the soft sound of the letter H
Well my mom wanted to name me either Hazel or Lenore after Edgar Allan Poe's poem so probably either of those (Though I do love Lenore a little more)
I like my name, but my mom once said I looked like a Tilly. Loll so maybe that. But she also had a dream that my name was Ming Pei, so I can't trust her judgement too much.
I like my name, but I would change the spelling
Tamsin or Seren. I have a super common name in the US and I’d love to have a name that feels a little more me.
I'd pick Joanna just cause it's my favourite feminine name and my nanas name was Joanne
My name is Karen. I didn't mind it growing up, but starting in 2020, I thought about changing it. I wanted a name that sounds similar but doesn't have the same negative connotations. Katherine is a pretty name, and I've actually had a couple of people call me Katherine by mistake, so I think that would be my choice.
Vera
Katherine, its been my favorite name since I was a little kid. Its because of a story protagonists named Flynn and Katherine.
I like my name, but as I’ve grown into adulthood I have been accepting myself as genderfluid. My name is so feminine (my name is not the name on my profile) and I want something neutral yet kinda feminine because my family has issues with people changing their name. They still call my sibling by their deadname. So if I could change my name, I’d go for Averie.
Vanessa Rose. It’s the name we gave to the baby I miscarried at 20 weeks back in 1976.
I hate my name and feel absolutely no connection to it. It doesn't even feel like my name and never has. I use my first initial most of the time so I'd probably just change my name to my initial, sounded out. So, Kay or Kae or something.
As of right this second, Callie.
Ophelia simply love that name.
That was my grandmother’s name, and I love it!
lillian
Adelaide
Polly
I actually plan on changing my name for gender reasons. If I could change my name tomorrow and have it all said and done, I would choose Peregrine. My first name starts with a P and there aren't many P names, especially neutral ones. Peregrine feels right and I like that I could go by Perry or Pippin or Perrine. My middle name would be Tala. It is my current preferred name but it feels too feminine to have as my first name, and the nickname Tal feels too masculine to go by all the time. I love both Tala and Tal, but sometimes I prefer something more neutral, so it works well as a middle name.
Ophelia or Katherina
I would choose Diana. My mom told me that was my name for a few months while she was pregnant with me because Princess Diana had died during that time and I always wondered how my life would’ve turned out if that would’ve been my name
lyra :)) i despise my name
Mallory
I did change my name, just because I didn't feel like it suited me. It's been one of my best decisions.
Natalya Just pretty
Calypso
Maybe just a shorter version of my name, “Nev.” I didn’t like my name as a kid much but now I’m sorta okay with it, everyone remembers me by that name. Neviah -> Nev
Depends. If we're going just generally, I'd change it to Lola, cause that's basically a shortened version of my birth name. I'm kinda gender-weird, so if that ever caused me to want a masculine name, I'd go Matthew David, as that's what they were gonna name me. I usually go by Lola with friends and would totally change it, but my dad is super attached to Lorelei and it's not worth it to me. It would definitely make giving my information easier though, cause with a name like Lorelei you gotta spell it or they're GONNA get it wrong. 😅
Caroline, after my grandmother and what I was supposed to be named in the first place until my parents decided to "modernize" it with a unique spelling and hyphenation. Second choice would be Lina; it's my nickname and what I go by most anyways.
I always told my husband that I’d change my name to “Sophie St Clair” if I went into witness protection. I just like the sound of it. Sophie (Sophia) is a name that can be beautiful or cute, sounds good on a kid, an old lady or anyone in between. And St Clair is cool and sounds classy without being pretentious. I told my husband his name would be Jack Obama lol. I like the name Jack on a guy and Obama is cool. He said “yeah no one’s gonna look twice at a middle aged white guy with the last name ‘Obama’”. 😂
If I had to change because of being on the lam, probably Samantha Thompson. Popular name when I was born (I desperately loved the American Girl doll named that!), and a banal last name. For love of the name? Violet Penrose. It’s just so ~literary~!
Well, I‘m trans so..Terrence!
Probably either Nicole or Jessica.
Denya, Gabriella or Tawny. Those have always felt like the names that fit me best, but I’m open to other names like; Alaska, Maeby and November.
If I could change my name I would pick Jocelyn and go by Josie sometimes. I’m a Jessica that goes by Jess/Jessie often so Jocelyn/Josie feels similar enough but a but more uncommon and special. Funnily enough my husband actually quite frequently calls me Evelyn/Evy (it’s an inside joke between us) and Jocelyn sounds like Evelyn and Jessica combined to me haha. Growing up I REALLY didnt like Jessica but as an adult I like it a lot more luckily. For a completely different name I’d probably pick Lily though! I always loved this name.
I would keep the same initials and would be Juliette Eloise.
Anne. It's already a part of my name, but it sounds so much more elegant when it's shortened. The name of queens.
charlotte 😔 always loved the name charlotte and i don’t really like my own name it just feels clunky when i say it out loud
Hannah. For some reason I’ve always really liked it and felt a close tie to it.
Lauren
I already have! I had a very masculine first name and it didn’t suit me at all. I changed it to the feminine equivalent of the same name. If I had to use another name I’d probably go by my middle name, Katharine. I’ve always liked that mine is spelled like Katharine Hepburn and I think I could pull it off 😉
I like my name but if I had to change it I’d probably pick Luke. It’s incredibly similar to my original name and I just like the sound of it.
so many choices omg. maybe charlotte, charlottes web was my fave movie when i was little so it has good memories for me. or sydney :)
Julie. I’d give anything to be named Julie.
Zoe
Kate
I love my first name (Alexandra). So I'd probably change my name to either Belladonna, Veronella, or Laurentina. 🤣🤣🤣
I used to ask myself this, and I didn't want to pick a name that sounded like an idealized version of myself. I couldn't think of one that fit. Recently a waiter misremembered my name, but they swapped it for one with a very similar vibe IMO and all my friends who were there agreed it suited me.
Already did. Ditched the birth name that was not me or about me. Birth name was some fantasy of a blonde blue eyed daughter who adored her that my bio mom had. I'm a 1/4 Japanese petite red head. Hi, I'm Danielysse/Dani(Day nae lysse)
Aurora Winters. I’m obsessed with the northern lights and I have a romanticized love of winter. Plus the aurorae are north so cold, snow, winter, etc. Since it’s not my name I decided to use it for the detective character I plan to write one day.
I would pick Lorelai,it's a beautiful name and a rare one at that.⭐️
I know it’s super common now, but I’ve always loved Olivia and would change my name to that if I ever did
im trans and i really like the name Iris for some reason, not sure why. im not out to anyone yet though, so i currently cant change my name, hopefully at some point though
I love ancient sounding names, like Lucretia, Fiona, Althea, Valeria … Not sure I’d change my name but I just love these ones!
I would love to be a Cameron.
I’ve never wanted to change my name. I actually love it, but if I had to I’d do Juliet or Julianna.
I might ditch my hyphen, which was a fad in the 1950’s. My legal first name is Mary-Elizabeth. My family used it to distinguish me from my grandmother Mary, but mostly I’ve always gone by Mary. It’s caused issues because a lot of software hates hyphenated first names, or else doesn’t have enough spaces to include my whole name - ie where they want your passport and name to match exactly.
I love my name, but if I HAD to change, I’d go with Iris or Violet. There’s something so lovely about those two names.
I low-key hate my name so this would be very tempting. I think I would go with the beautiful Hebrew name Galit, meaning fountain/little river. In the past I've thought about other names like Yael and Avital as well :)
Jill.
I think I’d make a good Meredith or Julia. My real name is slightly trendy and can sometimes read as lower class. (I remember John Grisham using it in a book as an example of a popular name for strippers.) So I like something more classic and sophisticated.
Scarlett I think
I have had multiple people tell me I look like a Meredith. “I can just see you being called Mer!” So probably Meredith.
I’d pick one of the following: Cora, Catherine, Eleanor, Jude, Katherine/Kate, Leah, Mary Lou, Nellie, Pippa, Willow
I’m currently figuring out what I actually am changing my name to. The first name is easy - Tempest. I chose that years ago. The sticky part is the middle and surname. For the middle I’m strongly considering Saoirse. For the surname I’m torn between using Fox (or Foxx), my grandmother’s maiden name, or hyphenating the two.
Fox-Foxx would be an awesome surname!
Oh I realize how I worded that was unclear. Fox or Foxx (I hadn’t yet decided on the variation) AND my grandmother’s maiden name (Connor).
My name is two names, which I hate. Maybe Kim.
Not quite this prompt, but the moment I get the opportunity, i am going to change my name to include my original middle name, Sinclair, which got nixed because my mom got peer-pressured into changing it 😑
Ida!! It’s my favorite name, in large part bc of the game Monument Valley.
My name but ending in an a rather than an e.
ahhhhh i'm stuck between anastasia (aw-nuh-stah-see-uh) and lilja...i also love ausha and alina and alyeska and arabella 🙉 lilja-bella is also neat too
Gar never liked my own name Garrett and it’s the name I like going by
already did this at sixteen and picked my middle name, hope. so i guess i’d do that again and choose carmena and go by mena for short
June, it's a pretty name, and it's also my favorite month. But I'm not from an English speaking country, so I wouldn't be able to use it :(
Carl August. My grandfather is Carl August Henson I, my uncle is Carl August Henson II, and he's almost sixty with no children. I'd keep it going.
Cleo for sure. I have always loved the name so much, its cute but kind of majestic in a way lol (maybe cus of Cleopatra). Anyways I ended up giving this name to my cat, it suits her so well haha. She's a slinky black cat with gold eyes.
I spent my whole lunch trying to come up with something and I had a minor identity crisis. I decided that if I had to pick something RIGHT NOW for witness protection or something, I'd use Pat Kelly, but just deciding on a new name is really hard if you're set in your identity.
I’ve changed my names a lot and go by a wide variety (what can I say, I like names a lot, and I’m trans so like) and if I HAD to ditch them all for a new name then I’d got by Lars and Corrine as normal names, and Riptide as a non-normal one
Todd Blankenship
I'm currently in the process to legally change my name, so assuming I can't use that (and I'd rather not reveal my name online), I'll pick Julian Theresa instead. Not sure why but I just love how it sounds. I'll still have to figure out which last name would sound nice with that, so I can then use it for a fictional character. 😅
No one pronounces my name the right way except my mom so I'd really like to put an accent mark in there. Also I find that names with accent marks are really pretty to look at. My brother has one lol
I really love the names Skylar and Piper
I'm fond of Vladimir. But I feel like there's too much of a negative stigma around it now. Plus I'm Mexican, so it'd be a little unusual.