Name change

[meganmartin]

In 06 I came out to my wife and had assigned the name Fran to my girly side. Although I hated the name it was a spur of the moment thing. Later on I asked her to suggest a new name cause I wanted to change it. She did and always liked the name Megan.

My question to you ladies is: how long have you had your female name and do you change it every so often or keep the name forever. At somepoint in the future I can see me changing my name again. .

[Cheryl T]

I've been through a number of name changes over the years.
When I finally came out to my wife and began going out that became finalized and I am and forever will be Cheryl.

[heatherdress]

A name is a name - have one you enjoy. May have names for different characters you want to dress as on different days. Make it fun.

[Megan Briana]

Well my screen name is beamer, but the name I use when referring to myself is , Megan Briana. I dont plan on changing this. Megan has become a part of me and I her. Besides I always wanted to me a Megan lol

[ArleneRaquel]

I've had Arlene for a few years now, other names that I've gone by since circa 174 have been Arlene Doll, Katrina Maureen, Beyonce Welch and Maureen Fleming, I think that I'll stay ArleneRaquel.

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Megan, I never really had a female name till I joined this forum so I thought about a name
I didn't want a name that had any connection to anyone past or present.

I gave it a lot of thought and figured well BLUE is my favorite color and ORCHIDS are
my favorite flower so it was how I became BLUE ORCHID so I just go by ORCHID
and have no plans to chang it I'm getting to old for change now.

. thanks Orchid

[Foxglove]

Once I started thinking seriously about a name, it didn't take me long to find it. I have no plans to change it. I like it. I think it's me.

Best wishes, Annabelle

[meganmartin]

A name is a name - have one you enjoy. May have names for different characters you want to dress as on different days. Make it fun.

Heatherdress - Now that is an interesting concept, I LOVE IT.

[Stephanie47]

Trying to think of a name when signing up for this site hurt my feeble brain. It was akin to having to listen to my wife decide on the names for our children. Tooooo much effort. The fall back position was the feminine of my birth name, which I really should not have taken. There are two other women in my family who have the name or the ethnic equivalent. I thought of changing it to a different spelling.

[Mikaela]

Growing up, I didn't realize anything was really amiss, so never had a girl name. My male name is Mike. (duh)
Back in the 90s, when I started communicating online and then dressed completely a few times, I chose Elizabeth, but shortened it to Beth. No clue why other than it sounded nice or something. I wasn't going to go with Michelle since that's my sister's middle name and she goes by Shelly.

When it was time to be serious about my name, I went through a few iterations.
I considered what I would be named if I had been born female. I suppose I could still ask my mom (she knows about Kae, but hasn't seen her in photo or person), but I don't press it around her.

I looked at the most popular names from the year I was born: Jennifer, Amy, Michelle, Kimberly, Lisa, Melissa, Angela, Heather, Stephanie, Rebecca, Nicole, Julie, Elizabeth, Mary, Tammy, Christina/e, Kelly, Laura, Tracy

I imagined being named after my grandmothers: Emma (top 5 for the past 5 years, top 100 since 92, but was 448 in 73) or Betty (although I wouldn't go by Betty. I'd change to Elizabeth and go with Beth or Liz.) (Elizabeth = 13th name in 73)
Even imagined being named after grandfathers (Francesa or Franka (German grandparent) or Georgia.
Or great grandmothers (and great great) Alice, Eva, Elleanor, Ida ( Francis, Emma, Mary, Ella, Minnie)

I like many of them, but they still didn't seem like me, so when I considered the various spellings of Mikaela, I went with the one that didn't look too derivative of my male name (Michaela) or too changed for change's sake (Makayla, etc).

Am I open to changing my name again? Sure. Not sure I need to, though. Most of my friends IRL call me Kae or Kaela anyway. And you know, that's kinda neat because it's a short form that is completely different sounding than Mike and it shows an evolution that is natural. When friends shorten your name out of familiarity, it's pretty endearing.

[Lorileah]

it was a spur of the moment thing. name .

which is why I think mothers should have to wait a few days after giving birth to name the baby :) Think on it. Naming your daughter Bambi just leads to issues 15 years later. :D

I am Lorileah, I will always be Lorileah. It is who I am even when my wife thought it should be Monique. When you find the right name you won't change but until then test drive others :) Well maybe not Bambi unless you want to be an exotic dancer

[Cynthia Anne]

Cynthia Anne has been with me since I was a teenager! And she says she is staying!!

[Nicole Erin]

Picking a femme name is not easy. There are all the tips in the world for what you "should" pick but unless you plan on changing it legally, anything you want will work.

For me when I first came to grips with being TG, someone gave me a femme name, someone I met at a support group years ago. I hated the name but used it anyways. Well, when I decided to change it, "Erin" somehow seemed natural and best.
So come time to change it legally, I had a specific personal process to decide me name. I have not regretted it.

If someone is in a rut for what female name to use, maybe just ask your parents (if they are around) what your girl name would have been.

[Julie Denier]

I settled on Julie when I started dressing seriously two years ago. I wanted a femme name that matched my guy's initials.

[bridget thronton]

I am Bridget in all virtual realms - not changing

[BRANDYJ]

The first name I ever gave myself was my last. Not that my name has not changed. I named myself Janice way back in the days of no Internet. That was only after telling my fiancee' , later my wife. I never even gave a thought about a name until she asked me what my female name was. She died of cancer some 10 years later and my second wife wanted to rename me. So she came up with Bridget. After some 19 years together we divorced. MY current SO did not like the name Bridget so she renamed me Brandy. Having my SO name me makes it special and more a part of who I am. In the times I used all three names I liked them. But having someone I love name me made the changes as special as the first name.

[Kaz]

Great thread! Quite a few years ago... not sure when, but it was when I was starting to realise this side of me was here to stay, but before I discovered this wonderful place, I kind of felt that a name for this woman within would be a good thing to help me deal with it... Kaz just came to me out of the ether... it just feels so right. No conscious thought... the name arrived. It also, I found later, related to my male name via a Japanese connection (which is weird)... I actively wanted to have the same first letter because at that time I had a credit card with K followed by my surname... and I naively thought that might work OK!

Then I looked up what female names Kaz is a diminutive of... and Karen was there! Now Karen is well close to my male name as well... so with all these connections... I am Kaz for good, aka Karen... just too many coincidences... This is me and who I am... I think fate chose the name...!

[Leah Lynn]

which is why I think mothers should have to wait a few days after giving birth to name the baby :) Think on it. Naming your daughter Bambi just leads to issues 15 years later. :D

Many years ago I was stationed at the Naval Hospital Memphis, And a woman of color gave birth to a girl. She had heard the word "Vagina" on the ward and thought that would make a beautiful name for her daughter. She had no clue what the word meant.

[Kelley]

I was given my female name at birth. It is actually my middle name but because of some quark with my parents I have always been called by my middle name I really disliked Kelly as a boys name, seem there would always be some cute girl in my class named Kelly. I love Kelly as a girls name and feel it is who I am.

[toriwilliams]

I have used the name Tori for 4 years. When i am out dress presenting as Tori, my name reminds me that i am vicTORIous over the norms that society would like us to adhere to. (I am also thinking about adding a middle name, Ororo, and changing my last name to Munroe). Ororo Munroe, better known as Storm is considered one of the more powerful Marvel character. This to me would represent strength. So, perhaps, soon I will be Tori Ororo Munroe, victory and strength, and when i am out in public that is what i want to project. :) Tori

[Anna B]

I an called Anna, on every site I visit. No plans to change.

[reb.femme]

I always liked the name Rebecca so assigned this to myself a long time ago.
However, if a name had to suit my personality, I think it would be Frank Spencer from a UK comedy series of the seventies, so that's out. :heehee:

Therefore, Rebecca Lauren Woods it is for now and always. Don't know why, but these resonate with me and the last name is an extended family name anyway, so I can't loose or change it. :straightface:

Reb