What is your name???

[Sonya]

I am just curious about how you feel about having a different name for your female expression.

- Do you really like having a typical female name when you are dressed and preferred to be addressed as that?
- Do you have one only because it makes communication more comfortable (your name matches your presentation) with others?
- Would you consider or do you ever use your birth name when fully dressed and meet someone new?
- Do you use a female name to protect your privacy?

I adopted Sonya as my second name, I do like the name but I am not very comfortable using it all the time. When I am out at friendly GLBTIQ venues, I am somewhat comfortable using Sonya. Recently I went to a party where there were a mixed crowd and I really struggled using Sonya (I was fully dressed), I felt like I was lying and I am sure people could sense my uneasiness and I am sure that makes people reluctant to strike a conversation with me. I think I would much rather use my birth name but that could also be not too comfortable for people to understand, so I am little bit lost here!! Also my birth name is very rare (maybe 1 in 100 million! or more) and I am not really ready for everyone to know about my crossdressing. I am wondering if anyone other than me feels this way?

[Talisker]

Mostly i use my real name even when dressed. Just me in a dress and i dont try to change personality or voice etc.
I just picked Talisker as needed a login name.
Have separate email address with another female name just to keep things separate from real life.

[noeleena]

Hi.

All of my names are world wide, so does not matter to me who knows ,my first name birth name is both male and female , any way,

noel = no-el to noeleena. edward to edwina my two next names are German and Prussian and last is Loch-head,= Head of the Loch = river / lake , Scottish

the other two are mannfried , Von Reutchthos,

When i changed to noeleena, oh this too can be noeleen'e' in german .for every one the next day after i was interviewed for Two of our nation wide TVNZ stations every one called me noeleena, the only ones who call me no-el are Jos and a few very close friends , though even they call me noeleena ,

All other friends who have known me for 57 years all call me noeleena, so no slip ups with that ,

I did not wont to change my names as it reflects both side,s of who and what i am both body and mind , I belive the name Mom gave me was the right one.

Even those i worked with and have contact in business quite a few, to them no issues even though over the years they called me noel they changed like every one and called me noeleena, so you see it works for some of us , you need to remember im well known so it helps .

...noeleena...

[Nikkilovesdresses]

I thought a lot about names, and tried a few out, but Nikki is totally natural to me for a very good reason- it's a feminization of my given name. The friends who've heard it feel really comfortable with it, and I love that it unites my two sides so perfectly. Most of my non-British friends used to call me Nicky, though I introduced myself always as Nick, and I was Nicky as a small child.

Maybe you have an attachment to Sonya, but if it doesn't sit right with you to use that name, heed your instinct. Don't force it, just keep your eyes and ears open- something will occur to you one day that feels good and suits you, I feel sure.

[kimdl93]

I was named kim at birth...funny how that worked out, huh?

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Sonya, I don't go out so a name is not a problem, When I joined this forum I needed a name so I didn't
want a name that had any connection with anyone in my life past or present so I thought long and hard
and figured that Blue is my favorite color and Orchids are my favorite flower,
And that was the beginning of Blue Orchid. >Orchid

[iGenny]

I'm almost 58, and unlike most of you I didn't even feel a need to dress until a few years ago. Anyway, I chose a female name to create accounts for 'girl' sites like iVillage and to get Reddit subscriptions like makeupaddiction, and of course here once I stopped lurking.

I really don't know if I would have given myself a new name if I hadn't needed new logins. (Darn, more self analysis ahead...)

[EllenJo]

Sonya, a rose by any other name is still a rose. I use Ellen Jo to protect my true identity while online. The name came from a girl I had a crush on back in high school. I not only liked her but I thought she dressed more feminine than any other girl I knew at the time. My wife calls me Suzie. She gave me this name based on her calling me Suzie Homemaker when I do the house chores while dressed. Call yourself whatever you want to. Be Sonya when you want to be. If using your given name makes you feel more comfortable then use that. It is your life and your identity.
Hugs
Ellen Jo, Suzie, Toni, Karen, Julie, Bill, Bob, George, Ringo, Allen, Kim, Nikki, Sonya!

[sometimes_miss]

I picked a female name to use here, as I saw everyone else doing it, so I just thought it was appropriate.

[Zylia]

Excellent question! It isn't about what name we choose as much as why we choose to use another name. I wouldn’t say I preferred to be addressed as Zylia, but it certainly makes communication more comfortable, makes identification on the internet easier and protects my privacy. It’s a tool for me rather than something that properly identifies me.

[Krisi]

Kim is one of the lucky ones. I used to have a male friend named "Dana". He got a lot of junk mail assuming he was actually a female.

For me, "Homer" or "Bart" just wouldn't sound right for a person with boobs, hips and long hair, that's why I use a female name when dressed.

[CarlaWestin]

I think it would destroy the wonderful illusion of being in the wonderful company of women if all of us used our guy names here. Although, I correspond with other CD's using their male names. Interesting, I see them as their male selves in my mind's eye. For years, I was just big-girl-too online. It's way more personable and ladylike to be Carla, when I'm Carla.

[susan jackson]

I have always been Susan

It's just unfortunate that my parents chose to christen me 'Phillip'!

[Cheryl T]

Yes, I do like my female name and prefer to be addressed that way when I present this way.
Can you imagine one of us going through all that we do to look attractive and feminine and then saying "Hi, I'm Maximillian!". I don't think that would work very well.

[Martina]

When I was about 10yrs old the famialy used to go over to my Grand parents and I used to be friends with a girl called Christina, that most shortend to Tina, as I liked the Tina sound so I added an 'A' to my birth name to make Martina.

[Sarah Louise]

I picked a female name to use here, as I saw everyone else doing it, so I just thought it was appropriate.

Same here. I don't really feel like I'm Sarah. I just like the name and it seems to be the done thing on here. Basically, I'm just a guy who likes dressing up in women's clothes.

[Tina B.]

Not out and about, so I don't use the feminine name except on here. I originally chose the name for another site I used to belong to, because everyone there used a female name. I spent a few days coming up with it, looking for something that fit me, not to far from my name, and had a little meaning to me. As it turns out after all of these years, it didn't matter much as I never use it.
I would love to hear myself called by it, but being in the closet, and a different name being a step to far for the wife, it's not going to happen.

[Andy66]

I have met a few CDs who use their male names even while dressed. It seemed like a non issue for them. I also knew a guy who called his mom Fred as a joke. Eventually everyone started calling her Fred. :eek: :heehee: So just call yourself whatever you feel comfortable with.

BTW, Andy is a masculinization of my real name, and comes from a neighbor kid who couldnt say my name correctly when I was about 12 years old. I use my real name in real life though, no matter how Im dressed. Its not perfect, but it is me. *shrug*

[Martina]

When I was 10yrs old the family used to go over to my Grand parents and I used to play with a girl called Christina, that most shortend to Tina as I liked the Tina part so I added an 'A' to my birth name to make Martina.

[suchacutie]

During the first 48 hours after we identified the fact that I had a feminine self there were a long list of "revelations" that occurred during our constant discussion. The first one was this amazing difference between my masculine self and this emerging feminine self. It immediately became confusing if we didn't identify these parts of me, as we had to keep explaining what part we were talking about, so we quickly decided the "she" part needed a name, since the "he" part already had one.

So, I made a list of names I thought would be ok, and my wife picked from that list, and Tina was born.

When I joined this forum, Tina had only been named for a few hours so I was a bit protective of her new name and wasn't sure I wanted to use it here, or anywhere else, at that time. So, I thought about a descriptive kind of name for this forum, and with a very young Tina, and my wife having just said that something about Tina was "cute", the name such-a-cutie also seemed "cute", so I took out the hyphens and here we are.

My feminine self is always referred to as "Tina", whether talking about her when in drab, or referring to myself when transformed to her. We love the separation and it fits the way Tina has evolved over the years as a separate entity with her own life!

[im-sparkles]

The first time my wife seen me dressed i had sparkles in the eye shadow i was wearing. She exclaimed "wow sparkle!" Since then she has always called me that so i use it because i have yet to find a full name i really like for my other side.
When i am dressed i prefer my female name. I want total separation between the two sides. I guess you could say i prefer having a sort of split personality.

[Amy Lynn3]

My birth name happens to be one that is used for male and females. All is needed is to change the spelling, but it is pronounced the same. I did not use the female version of my birth name, because I have never liked it.

My female name is one that I have always liked and if I were a gg it would be changed to Amy.

[Tracii G]

My female name comes from high school where every one called me Tracy.Many said I looked like a Tracy WTH?
It stuck thru out high school and old friends still call me that sometimes although they know my real name.
I added the two I's at the end because it gave it a feminine feel.

[Jenniferathome]

...

- Do you really like having a typical female name when you are dressed and preferred to be addressed as that?
- Do you have one only because it makes communication more comfortable (your name matches your presentation) with others?
- Would you consider or do you ever use your birth name when fully dressed and meet someone new?
- Do you use a female name to protect your privacy?

...

1) The name "Jennifer" has no special meaning for me. It's name I like but I don't relate to it and when it is used it still sounds odd. Still, I do prefer a female name when out.
2) I think having a name by which others can refer to you that matches your presentation makes things easier for all involved.
3) My birth name is unequivocally male. It would sound odd when I am dressed but it would feel normal to me.
4) No, the name has nothing to do with privacy.

[Katey888]

:)

We already have a thread for the origin of your female name (here: http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/showthread.php?174762-Your-Female-Name) - please try to address the questions in the OP rather than just restate what should more correctly be confined to the sticky thread... otherwise this is just repeating what is already on the forum and you all know that ain't happenin'!

:rulez:

My answer...

I'd feel really odd engaging with others under my male name when presenting female... it just seems wrong generally, but then being partially closeted and not out, I need to have some active partitioning both IRL and in my head... so yes, it's partly to protect privacy, partly to prevent incongruity (my male forename does not have a female variant, although my middle name does...) and do I like it? Yeah - it's a great feeling and I think it goes well...

If you feel uncomfortable about your chosen name, maybe you just need to choose one you feel completely comfortable with? At least it's relatively easy for us to do that... :)

Katey x

[BarbDriscoll]

I began associating the name Barbara with my female side in the '80s (story in the sticky). What cemented it was years of using that name in chat rooms. Even though I am not out, for me it is very natural to be addressed as Barbara when dressed and it would feel very strange to be called by my male name or even think of myself as that name when dressed.

[Stephanie47]

I chose the feminine of my male name. If I had been born as a female I would have been named Stephanie after my maternal grandmother who was Stefi (European). My mother was totally stuck on naming her kids after her parents. My older brother has my grandfather's name and grandmother's name as his middle name. So, you have a son who has both of your parents' names, so you give your second son the first name that has already been used as a middle name? Creative thinking? A decade later mom had a daughter. You guessed it. Daughter has mom's mother's name.

So, when I joined this forum I decided to co-opt my sister's name, which really belonged to me in the first place. I suspect she would not mind if she knew since I was suppose to be named that to begin with. We live on opposite ends of the country, so there is almost no chance of her ever meeting her name sake.

I thought about using a female spin off of my middle name, which thank the heavens is not a family name. I couldn't figure any out. I guess I could have created some bizarre name which seems to be common these days. But, I'm a girl of the 1950's and 1960's when tradition prevailed.

[Nikki A.]

I think the name should match the presentation, so I chose Nikki as it's similar to my male name. However those who know me well often slip up and say Victoria or Vikki, since that is the feminine version of my male name. Either way I really don't mind.

[5150 Girl]

I am just curious about how you feel about having a different name for your female expression.

- Do you really like having a typical female name when you are dressed and preferred to be addressed as that?


Bree Wynonna R__________ is what I go by. I prefer to be called Wynonna, but when I present a bank card, or when the class roll call comes up Brian, I'm like, Oh, That's Bree-an, give the I an E sound... But, Bree for short....

[Seana Summer]

For me it really doesn't make all that much difference which name someone address me with. I am comfortable with who I am.

I do think the name is an important signal to those we are communicating with. I think it may make others more comfortable communicating with me either on line or in person when the name matches the presentation and or the mindset (mindset may not be the best choice of word). In the case of talking to someone on-line I think other CDers are more comfortable chatting with someone named Seana than someone named Sean or George. Even I get a little creeped out of if someone named George contacts me to complement me on my hair...... but not so much if someone named Suzan makes the same remark.

As far as meeting new people. I am more likely to introduce myself as Seana rather than Sean if my presentation indicates I am a CD.

I do think it is important for every CDer to be conscious about privacy and safty, and I would not blame anyone that wanted to have a completely separate name and identity for this aspect of their life (that is not a recommendation to hide from the World). The world is a far from perfect place, we can not change every corner of it all at once, yes we need to move forward but we as individuals must be careful.

[justmetoo]

My given name is unequivocally male, so I use a different name when referring to my femme self. It's a useful shorthand when talking with people who know me as male and also know my femme side. My given male name just doesn't "go" with how I feel and how I present myself en femme, so a different name works better in that case. I'm gradually coming to feel like that is also my name. Either way, it's me, just different aspects.

[flatlander_48]

This is the only place so far where I have selected a female name: DeeAnn. However, it came 'way after I joined here and I have not been motivated to change my username. As no one has used that face to face, I don't how I would react. Perhaps if I interacted more with other TG people on a social basis, using DeeAnn would be more appropriate. If I met someone for the first time and I was completely dressed, I would probably tell them both names. Otherwise, what would they call me if I were not dressed at some point?

It is odd sometimes how things work. I selected DeeAnn specifically due to a connection with motorsports. But, what I came to realize much later was that it is also a bridge between these 2 parts of me (male and female) that make up the whole.

So far, I have not really been concerned about privacy. I use the same username on other CD, LGBT, car and motorsports sites. Actually, there is someone on here who PM'ed some time back as they remembered me from a motorsports forum. While I am not running around and telling folks, I'm not particularly hiding either. That requires a lot of extra effort to keep your stories and explanations consistent. I just choose not to invest in that...

[Billie Jean]

Billie is The female versión of my first name and I added Jean to give it a southern quality.Like a few others I lurked here for a while and when I joined I picked my feminine name. Billie Jean

[Jilmac]

I use my femme name whenever I present femme, and sometimes I'm even referred to by my femme name in guy mode.

[Adriana Moretti]

1. Yes....I like having a female name...and i dont mind being addressed as that ( it sounds like a fancy sports car)
2. I knew before I started dressing again after my purge what my name was going to be, it was stuck in my head
3. I dont use my birth name upon meeting others, although alot of my close cd friends know my real name but that comes with time and trust, they have also either seen me in person in drab, or pictures.
4. My real name actually could be either a boy or a girls name, so I went with something different cause it just made it more fun for me. I keep it private until people are not strangers anymore. When you meet people in person, and the online persona becomes a reality, relationships are taken to a whole new level.

[AnneC]

I've answered this one before. I always liked the name Anne and think it is very feminine. I've been Anne a long time now and I hope it pretty much describes me now.

[bridget thronton]

I played with Google and decided Bridget was a good fit. Most of my online personas go by Bridget and I would likely answer to it in RL

[Nadine Spirit]

- Do you really like having a typical female name when you are dressed and preferred to be addressed as that?
- Do you have one only because it makes communication more comfortable (your name matches your presentation) with others?
- Would you consider or do you ever use your birth name when fully dressed and meet someone new?
- Do you use a female name to protect your privacy?

1 - Yes I like having a female name while dressed and yes I prefer to be addressed as such.

2 - Hmm... Only for communication purposes? Maybe. Yes it makes it easier, but I also like the idea of it.

3 - Nope, I never use my birth name while dressed. It is male, and would be odd to use.

4 - Kind of I suppose. I am not interested in being fully out, especially online. It would make work a bit more complex than I would like.

Okay so.... with all of that being said. I am not always 100% comfortable with using my fem name. I think it is obvious to others when I use Nadine, it does not roll off my tongue with the same ease and familiarity that my birth name does. It is getting better, but I think it will take time for me to use it and for others to accept it readily.

[Sonya]

Same here. I don't really feel like I'm Sarah. I just like the name and it seems to be the done thing on here. Basically, I'm just a guy who likes dressing up in women's clothes.

Sarah was also my first name :) when I joined this forum, like many of the replies I never really thought much about a female name seriously until I decided to join here and also started to go out dressed and meet others in the community. Then I had to choose a last name to join facebook :Angry3:

I also agree with Zylia that my chosen name is more of a practical tool more than anything. As I use Sonya more maybe I will get used to it more.

Thanks a lot for everyone's responses :)

Respect and peace to all...

[Beverley Sims]

Yes, no, no,no.

It is only early days for you, get used to it and it will become second nature to you.

[Beth Wilde]

1. I love having a female name when dressed and I love to hear it.
2. I have a full female name which feels infinitely more comfortable than hearing my male name while dressed. It is not only for that purpose though.
3. I never use my birth name but if someone I meet as Beth then meets me in male mode I will give them my male name as it feels equally odd to use my female name when not dressed.
4. Nope, purely as part of the way I am presenting. Most of my friends know both names.

[MsVal]

I am just curious [...]
- Do you really like having a typical female name when you are dressed and preferred to be addressed as that?
- Do you use a female name to protect your privacy?

I used to be annoyed when people asked if my given name was feminine. After a while I became comfortable with the question. Now I think that it's a really great name. I can use it, and do use it, regardless whether I am dressed or not.

As far as privacy goes: out of respect for my wife, I am not about to make a general disclosure. However, I am comfortable with my gender expression. It would not bother me a great deal if someone discovered it. That will probably happen some day anyhow.

Best wishes
MsVal
AKA: Val

[Savannah_Skye]

1. Yes, I like having a typical feminine name. I wasn't very comfortable when I first used Savannah around others, but now it is what prefer when I am dressed or online. I guess a more feminine name did not really affect me too much internally but, just around others. It may be feel like an outsider at first or just different.
2. Although it does help make communication easier, I have always felt a more feminine name was more appropriate for me and overall makes things less complicated
3. No, if I am presenting a feminine expression, it just feels more complete to use Savannah.
4. Yes, I use the female name to protect my privacy. I'm not ready to come out to too many people yet, but I use it for other reasons as well.

[Evelyn S]

In my case the only person who sees me dressed is my wife, and I don't use a female name with her. She sometimes calls me or refers to my dressing using the Spanish feminine form of my birth name, but it is her pet name for me and my female side, rather than a second female name I use.

Some store clerks that I have gotten to know somewhat well while buying women's clothes for myself have asked me for my name. I tell them both my male birth name and Evelyn, and leave it up to them to decide. Some use my male name, some use Evelyn, and I like either one the same while shopping.

[Ressie]

I am just curious about how you feel about having a different name for your female expression.

- Do you really like having a typical female name when you are dressed and preferred to be addressed as that?
- Do you have one only because it makes communication more comfortable (your name matches your presentation) with others?
- Would you consider or do you ever use your birth name when fully dressed and meet someone new?
- Do you use a female name to protect your privacy?



Good question.
Yes, I've found that I love being addressed by my fem name when en femme. But is my name typical? lol
No I don't think communication is the only reason. It also feels congruent with the presentation.
No, I'd rather not divulge my real name until I get to know someone.
Yes, that's another reason.

I'd also feel weird if someone called me Ressie when I'm in my usual male mode, unless it was another CD that knows me.

[Dena]

I do like to be addressed with a feminine name and feminine pronouns. I feminized my name.

[Angie G]

I lovehaving a female name. And I love the name Angie. Here is the only place I really use it, My wife never has used it.:hugs:
Angie

[Kate Simmons]

Just be yourself and you will be fine Sonya. I've had several names over the years which change as I evolve as a person. My current one on here is Kate, easy to remember. My club persona is Ericka which I've had for years. Works for me Hon.:battingeyelashes::)

[OccasionallyJamie]

I hadn't even thought about a female name until I started reading these forums. When I decided to create and account and needed user name I pondered it for a few minutes. The television happened to be on and what program was on ... The Bionic Woman ... and the lead character is Jamie Sommers. It seemed like an omen ... so I decided on Jamie for a name and OcassionallyJamie as user name. (Since I'm only occasionally Jamie).

[Rachael Leigh]

My name came from my real middle name but this version is of course spelled in a feminine way.
Don't know why I didn't think of it sooner because I've used other names before