Why that name?

[AmberDay]

We, as in crossdressers and transgendered, are blessed in one aspect. We can choose our names. Our given names are just that, given to us by our parents. Some people do not like their given name and opt to change it (somebody once said it costs $1000 just for the government to allow it, don't know if that is true though). We on the other hand can choose or even change our femm names.

When I first started dressing fully, at 19 years old, I chose the name, Jessica. Even though I was the only one who knew about it, I loved the idea of having a femm name. I named myself Jessica after a picture of a lingerie model I saw in a magazine. She was so beautiful and feminine. I would walk around my parents' house (when they were away), fantasizing about people taken my picture and calling Jessica. But the problem was I really felt uncomfortable with it; did not fit my personality. So then I threw the name away and just called myself my given name, Jason. I was the same person afterall no matter what I was wearing. After several years though (age 24), I felt like I needed a femm name, so this time I did research. I went to the library and checked out name books to find a name that was 'me'. After several hours I gave up for another day.

That same night I went to work at the factory, and got my inspiration. There was a woman by the name of Amber ahead of me at the time clock. We did not get along at all. In fact she didn't get along with hardly anybody. Ironicly, the thing that inspired me, was that she didn't care about what others thought of her. She did her own things her way, and if somebody didn't like it, tough on them. She was not on anybody's bandwagon. So that inspired me to choose Amber, I like to think I do things my own way, and not follow the crowd. So for 4 years now, and I believe for the rest of my life, I will go by the name Amber when dealing with my female 'personality'.

My question is what made you, or what inspired you to choose whatever name you have?

[KandisTX]

My second wife actually had given me a femme name. She was calling me "Chrissie", a name that was WAY not me in any way, shape, or form. It seemed to "teeny-bopper" or "prissy" to me. When I started dressing more and more, and deciding to go out en femme, I felt I needed a name. I slept on the idea, and during the night one name kept coming up over and over again. that name was Kandis. It stuck and have been using it since.

Kandis:love:

[BarbaraTalbot]

because I wanted to communicate with some GG's on another forum that had expressed their interest in MTF CD's. I knew that as a CD I was hetero, but I never imagined a GG would find the look attractive. Anyway, I was casting about for a name, just took it on face that I needed to use a name starting with B. I thought of Barbara, which reminded me of a schoolmate from 4th grade by that name, that I had an innocent crush on, but didnt quite understand it as such at the time and it seemed to fit.

Barbara needed a last name. At the time I knew Barbara, our house bordered three streets. The street faced Barbara's house was Talbot avenue.

[Violetgray]

The name Violet was given to me, because of my obsession with purple!

[Jannis]

I went to my first Renaissance meeting and was asked my name for my name tag. I did not have a name for my femme side.I had been listening to my favorite rock performer's CD on my way to the meeting, Janis Joplin. So, when asked,it was the only female name that came to mind, so here I am. Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Jannis!!!

[Marla S]

My name was inspired by Marla Glen (http://www.marlaglen.de/), a FTM jazz singer. (great music btw (http://www.myspace.com/marlaglen).)
I respect her for blending the genders by presenting masculine while using her feminine name.
That's similar to what I try to achieve ... being me without creating two personalities or temporally denying feminine or masculine aspects ... a gender blend.

[Marla]

I chose my name from a lady I once dated who was everthing physically that I wanted to be. I dont even come close to her but I still love the name.

[Sheri 4242]

I just felt that "Sheri" was me -- it just felt right -- which was ironic b/c at the time I chose Sheri to be my femme name, I don't recall knowing any GG that went by that name. I later decided that Sheri was short for Sherilyn -- and again, I didn't know anybody named Sherilyn. At any rate, I decided on it and it wasn't too long after that I met a GG named Sherilyn. I accepted this s a confirmation of sorts.

[Sweet Jane]

I needed a logon name and while I was lurking wondering, I picked up my guitar and just started jamming away one of my favorite songs....I think my name subconsciously chose me.....

standing on the corner, suitcase in my hand, jacks in his corset, jane is in her vest, and me?, I'm in a rock n roll band

now I am sort of stuck with it!!

[Deborah Jane]

I decided to use my initials. I thought Deborah Jane sounded pretty/cute so i decided to use it:happy:

[gennee]

Gennee (pronounced Jenny) is shortened for Genevieve. I created it because I want a name that to my knowledge has never been used. Genevieve has a royalty and beauty to it IMO.

Gennee

:happy:

[Annesah]

My feme name pays full tribute to an extraordinary woman; Annie Mazza. She was my day care "mom" when I was two to five years old. She played girly face games with me; (we practiced blinks!) coy over the sholder moves and "I don't care hip shifts". She also tought me the best thing of all. Love with heart and joy! Completely, without reserve, without conditions. The amazing thing is (this was the TG dark ages circa 1952) she was the first to intuitively know about me and accept and nuture even before I knew myself. As we both grew older we still would smile and wink to one another every time we met. Some things, hopefully, will never change! I was blessed to have been with her.:love:

[Jennilouise]

i have always liked the Jennifer and i have always wanted a middle so i choose Louise.

[dskin]

I choose dskin ,well i have dark skin. so i figure oh well why not,and i'm quite comfortable with dskin.maybe i'll change it later? aw no i'll keep it.:heehee:

[Dita_B]

After a few attempts with a different name I crossed paths with the name Dita von Teese... Since Dita is close to my male first name, I feel comfortable with it and stuck to it.

Besides, I can identify myself with her, a perfect match...

:love:Dita.

[ChanDelle]

Well, when I was little, I asked my mom what my name would be if I had been a girl. She said "Chandelle." As you might know, this is a aerobatic maneuver, and my dad was a WWII pilot. I was searching for a name and suddenly remembered what my mom said. The more I use it, the more it seems like it's right. I chose to capitalize the "C" and "D" for the obvious reason, and thus: ChanDelle.

CD

[SandyR]

She really exists. Its a family members first name and the first letter of my last name.

Hugs.

SandyR

[Glenda58]

Got mine from my XGF when she was mad at me she call me Glenda I like it so kept it when she left.

[Joyce1702]

I chose my name from a lady I once dated who was everthing physically that I wanted to be. I dont even come close to her but I still love the name.

That's exactly how it was with me too. I dated a Joyce right after high school. I liked her, liked the name, and the initial was right. :)

Joyce

[Juanita O]

When I was about 18 yrs old I also asked my mother what my name would have been if I were a girl. She told me she liked the name Juanita.On another site on the web simular to this one I was known as Roxann. I finally decided to stick with Juanita, I like it better anyway.

[Amber-Sue]

I also enjoy collecting rock and minerals. One rock I like is AMBER so when it came to picking a name I chose Amber with a middle name of SUE and a last name of Stone. Well the initials were not very nice so I changed the last name to Featherstone. It now fit very nicely and I enjoy being enfem very much

[Sedona]

When I was in college I had a great time in Sedona, AZ, and ended up having a fling with an Arizona woman who, completely unprompted mind you, said that I'd look really sexy in one of her garter belts. Well, I wasn't out at all, and (stupidly) rebuffed her, so I sometimes look back fondly at that time and wonder how my ex lover is doing.

Since then, no girlfriend of mine has come close to being that accepting about CDing. I've only come out to three of them, and all have been only moderately accepting.

[FrancineCD]

after reading the previous posts i wish i had an interesting story. i just picked a femme name close to my actual name. i like the name of francine so it works for me.

francine

[jessbcuzz]

I used to go by Leslie years ago. She was my best friend growing up. We dated a few times, but it never worked out because of being friends for so long. We have lost contact, but I never forgot her. So, I had used her name as a tribute I guess you could say. When I finally understood the reasoning behind my crossdressing. I wanted a unique name. I always played as Mileena when I play Mortal Kombat. So, I took that name. My last name I use while fem is my first wife's last name, which is Brooks. I even have a middle name. Marie. Don't know what I got that from. I guess it just fits. Mileena Marie Brooks! Gosh, just saying it like that makes it sound like I am in trouble.

[Roxi Loh]

I am not sure how I got here. I wanted a name that had my same initials and at the time I wanted a sexy name. I chose Roxi with an "I". I was looking for the hooker/stripper effect. After maturing and being out ... I wanted to soften it to Roxanne as that is how I feel.

[Ashley Lynn Swift]

well my mom always said that if I would have been born a GG, that she would have named me Amy Sue, So when i was deciding on a femme name i took it for a long time, almost 7 years but when i turned 21 and i obtained my CDL, and started driving i suddenly found myself having a lot more time to spend as Amy Sue, while i liked the name the more i thought about it, the more the name just didn't fit, because Amy Sue just seemed to much like a goody too shoes name which just wasn't me, and while i was out driving i seemed to just really be finding myself then about six months ago i finally baught Taylor Swifts deubt CD. i was listening to it for the first time one night all the way through, while i was driving across I-40 coming out of south carolina, trying to make it home for my best friend's son's first b-day, i was just about to nashville tenn. three days b/4 his b-day on jan. 3rd, well it was a dark and cold night, running into on and off snow showers, when i got to the song on the CD "Tied Together With a Smile" for some reason i just found that myself that i could really relate to the song, i found myself just playing the song over and over again, and again, until i finally got to memphis tenn. i found myself having to pull off the road i just couldn't drive anymore all i could do was just cry, since my shift was just about over i stopped just on the arkansas side of memphis, since that day i've been Taylor inside and out, i just really found it approirate i mean heck we are both simple "country girls", and i've always been more of a prissygirl at times, even though i'm not afraid to get my hands dirty. plus Taylor Swift's song just really touch me and inspired me to quit hiding from the truth and start embrassing it. So you could say i gave myself my femme name to honor her, after all she is my role model:love:

[angelfire]

I'd have to say I chose Jessica, because it was the name of my first grade school crush.

[Hermione Simpson]

i choose hermione because of the harry potter character and simpson because its my mums maiden name, i could of used a feminine form of my male name and my proper surname, but but im dressed en femme i want to get as far away from my male side as possible

[Lisa Golightly]

Lisa would have been my birth name so in a way my parents chose it. :)

[Lawren]

It was very simple for me. I chose Lawren because it is a shortened version of my real name and if I ever got mail/packages with Lawren on them and anyone got suspicious I could just say that it is a typo. I think it is rude to open mail when company is around so no problem there.

[Charleen]

Warning- this is weird! I had kinda settled on Karen over the years but wasn't too thrilled. When I joined here I needed a name. Every variation of Charles was taken. Rats! Then I looked out my window and saw my '86 Pontiac hearse. Now the thing is is that most of us that own hearses as private vehicles name them and I had named mine. I had thought long and hard. What would fit? There was a TV character and also a flower associated with funerals that fit- Lily! (Lily Munster) The name Lily was taken here as well so I added "girl" to it.

[serinalynn]

Serina is the name of my paternal grandmother. and Lynn is fron a girl i went to grade school with.

[SallyStone]

Many moons ago, more than I care to remember, I dressed en femme for a Halloween party. I was in the milityary then, and the party included all of my military co-workers and their wives. Surprisingly, my outfit was a hit and before my wife and I realized it, our friends had us out on the town. I remember that at some point during the evening I was being referred to as Sally. That name stuck and it actually became my call sign.

Since my buddies chose the name I never had the desire or the heart to change it. Thanks guys!

Hugs,

Sally

[Lora Olivia]

Don't know why but this name seems like it has always been in my head. I do remember a grade school girl named Laura that i liked, but I do believe Lora has always been with me or rather maybe me with (him) lol

[Tallie]

The first time I saw the actress Talia Shire in the first Rocky movie, I loved her name. If I had a daughter, I would have named her Talia or Tallie. Since I have no kids, I decided to use the name.

[jenny logan]

I chose Jennifer after the character Stephanie Powers played on the old television series Hart to Hart- what a classy lady. Logan just seemed to fit as a last name.

Jenny L.

[Deidra Cowen]

I just thought Deidra was a pretty name and its a bit unusual. Matter of fact I met another Deidra for the first time last weekend at da Stage Door. Cute little lesbian that was raising money doing a raffle for a GLBT charity.

[Sharon]

Sharon is nothing like my given name. It's just the name of someone I knew many years ago and it just seemed like a good fit for me.

[danielle40I]

My second child of three (two girls and a boy) has her middle name as Danielle. It is also my first name (Daniel). As I watched her grow up I was more and more amazed how she took on many of my positive (I hope) personality traits as well as the feminine form I always wanted. She is fun loving, much more witty than her dad and truely a free spirit in a way that I want, someday, to be able to express, as the person I'm working to become when dressed. She and her husband are the only "close family" that has seen pictures of Danielle and she has expressed a desire to meet Danielle in person. She even remarked how so very similar we look when I'm dressed.

I thank The Creator that I have been so blessed with two wonderful women in my life (my beautiful daughter and my lovingly accepting wife Debbie). Perhaps someday my other children will be able to learn of my gift. Yet, in some ways I think all children sense the supportive, nurturing traits we can manifest as we geniunely embrace our own aura of the feminine persona.

Just my :2c:

Dani

[CrossdressinGoth]

I picked Britney because of Britney Spears. As a younger teen I had a huge crush on her, and I always loved her style, from School Girl outfit on. Today she dresses "****y" and I like dressing that way a lot, but I do it more at appropiate times now instead of all the time no matter where I go. Britney just seemed to fit so I picked it. I find its easier to pick a name then to pick 1 pair of heels that you say is your favorite lol

[Paula G]

I thought about using the feminine form of my male name, but it is an unusual name. Instead I chose the feminine version of the male name that is historically connected with my real name.

I recently asked my mother what my name would have been if I were a female, and she said either Rachel or Deborah. Those don't sound like me, though!

[sweet_tina]

Tina has always been there.The same as the surname that I took on. Tina Newman just sounded right. No idea where it came from.Just felt right.Felt as though it was my real name, right from the start.

[Raychel]

I had tried a few names in the past. This is the latest one that I think I will be keeping, Just an extension of my given name, Ray+chel Just like my dressing is an extension of me. I just need to come up with a last name that I like.

[Rachell]

Chose this because it remided me of a real quet girl in grade school, that I thought was real hot but never dated later in life. Also just love the sound of it but added two ll's instead of one just to be a litte different.:GE:
R

[christina marie]

we have a "special" person at work,one of the most decent humans i have ever met, who calls me christina every time he sees me. just seems to fit.

[RuthieER]

I have two femme personae, each with her own name. One is Mari, which is short for Marriet, the name my parents had chosen for the girl they never had. The other is my Adult Little Girl persona, Ruthie, which is adapted from my Guy name.

Mari/Ruthie

[JoAnnDallas]

I collect dragons and dragons do have names. I meet a lady at a Renaissance fest that handmade plush dragons. These are different as you can pose thier wings and head and the tail is weighted so that the dragon will sit on your shoulder. I remember when mine came in the mail. It was funny as she had written on the side of the package, "Handle with care, newborn dragon inside". Inside was my Beautiful dragon and a note, which read, "This newborn dragon does not have a name, DO not name the dragon, the dragon WILL tell you it's name". So I did not name it. A few weeks later I was in custom at a Sci-Fi, Fantasy Con and had the dragon sitting on my shoulder. Someone came up and commented on how pretty the dragon was and asked what it's name was. I looked at the person, looked at my dragon, and just blurted out his name. It was like all of a sudden the dragon told me it was a male and what his name was.
When I first came to the forum, I did not have a fem name. I decided to follow the same route I did with my dragons. Then one day it just came to me. My fem name was JoAnn. It felt right, had a good sound to it, so decided that is what I was to be called.

[melissaK]

melissa - a silly crush on Melissa Joan Hart, the star of "Clarissa Explains it All" of the kids TV show of the early 90's. Added the K just because there's more than a few melissa's on every CD/TG board. Often shorten it though to 'lissa.

[Chelseaswpa]

My name is about as close to my actual name as you can get. My best friend named his third daughter Chelsea and I loved it. I am kind of her "god uncle" and she is a sweet young lady- so it works for me! hugs

[Mayliis]

Hi all,

In english, name Mayliis, is a bit difficult to pronounce but in Estonian, this name is very beautiful and sweed sound. One of the best names i have ever heard...

But i chose name Mayliis, because, i know one girl, she is very special and beautiful. I like how she speak and act and so on.... This is the reason why i love this name...

Kisses,
Mayliis

[Colleentg]

I've had 'Colleen' for the last four years, but out of a specific 'need'! I had been using 'Michelle' for about three years prior, from the point I was able to use the Internet. The first name suggested to me, way back when, by a former CD friend was 'Misha" (pronounced Mee'-Shah). I just didn't feel like that name. 'Michelle' stuck real well with new people I met, even my best GG friend and her family still uses it. I ended using 'Michelle' when a real hacker destroyed my yahoo profile and not even Yahoo could repair it! In fact Yahoo suggested I create a new profile! I didn't want to reuse 'Michelle', fearing that hacker would find it (via IP address match). In no time, I created 'Colleen' a name of a shy, cute and adorable girl-next-door I had a crush on most of my adolescent life. I feel so much like her and it's not a real commonly used name, but to me, very girly and feminine.

[Cindi Ann Kelly]

Cindi is the name that wanted and use. For membership
and e-mail, etc. that name and any other variation that I
desired were already taken. Sexycindi48 was not used anywhere,
so that is the reason for it's existence.

Cindi

[AllyM]

I chose the name of friend of mine when I was a kid. She was the typical tomboy, but very pretty at the sametime.

[lisalove]

Lisa was a girl in high scholl that I had a major crush on. I asked her out many times but she always said no. So I took her name instead. I could have spelt it with two e's instead and it would have been my real name with an sa on the end. But I had already used Lisa on another forum's chat room. So I keep it in memory of the girl I never had. Love just came about when Iwas going to Lisa as my name on another site but it was already taken, Lisalove just popped into my head so I use it . It sounds kind of pornish. And that is me sexy and kinky.

[Veronica 1]

My name is Ron. Ever since the first day of my current job 10 1/2 years ago I have been known as Ronni, wannabe is self explanatory. :D Sometimes I wonder if this has anything to do with my recent realizations of what I want to be, although I had a lot of clues already.

[whitney]

I call myself Whitney Scott.
This may sound strange, but the name came to me while dressed when I was about 15 or so.
I had been dressing for a long time before that, but 15 is when I started experimenting with makeup.
I dressed, did my face and looked into the mirror.
The person I saw looking back at me told me her name was Whitney.
The last name is my given middle name.
I've never felt like anyone but Whitney ever since that moment. In fact, it was the first time I think I actually understood what was going on in my head.

[sweetsandy]

Sandy was the name my mother had choosen for me if I was born a girl. And I've always loved the way that it was kind of a joke of my real name.

[SusanMarie]

Selected by my wife. Snapped it right out when the name subject first came up. I am sure my wife knew about SusanMarie long before I did. She patiently waited for me to be honest with myself. Susan & Marie were special friends from my wifes' youth.

[psion128]

I personally haven't picked one out. I don't know if I ever will. I see that most of you all already have. :)

[Mona]

In the 6th grade there was a Mona who was the prettiest girl in the class and wore full skirts that accented her beautiful legs. Now I get to pretend I'm her!

[Angie G]

My nane comes from the stones song Angie my love for Angie Dickinson and a nurse in my old doctors office named Angie :hugs:
Angie

[Jodie Wexler]

I choose my name in homage to all the beautiful girls back in my old neighborhood in Philly. They were the best, great to look at and fun to be around.

[alysonatl]

When I am en femme, I am Miss Alyson Jill Robbins. My first name is close to my "boy" name, and I like the alternative spelling. A picked Jill just because I always liked the name and it works so well as a middle name. My nickname is Aly, and my girlfriends call me that when we chat.

[Franki Kate]

I chose Franki as a variation of his first name. I liked the i, rather than the conventional spelling, as I feel that I am a bit unconventional. My middle name comes from both grandmother's first names.

[sarah378619]

Jessica,
I did know quite a few cute Sarah's in school. I used to wish I could just get up in the morning and put on a skirt blouse and hose and goto school and be me. I wanted to grow my hair out. I wasn't brave enough to grow my hair out and wear girls jeans and tops until I graduated school. That is when I accepted"sarah and my self. I was almost an Amber but liked Sarah. I liked a fem name because I love those feelings of being pretty,loving makeup,clothes,hair,being compasionate. I am glad for "Sarah" and have intergrated "her" with me ,making me mostly female. I think a fem name is a way of accepting yourself.
Huggs,
Sarah

[Jamie14]

Jamie sounded like a cute name- kind of appropriate for those of us in our 30's as it was kind of a 70's name I think. It is kind of unisex which comes in handy every once in a while. It was also the name of an old baby sitter from way back that I adored ( oh, if she could see me now!!!) I tried Joy for a while but got tired of it so now it's Jamie and i don't anticipate changing it again

[vivianann]

I got my name from a woman I met in pittsburgh pennsylvania, 27 yrs ago. She was a very beautiful buxom blonde. I wanted to date her, but she said I was too feminine, but she wanted me to to come over to her house so she could put one of her dresses on me and do a complete makover on me. and go out on the town, and this was before I told her I liked to wear dresses. she wanted me to be one of her girl friends, and she suggested that I should live as a girl, and take on the name Vivian, that was her name also. When I get a makeover I kind of looked like her. just not as pretty as she was. I lost contact with her many years ago, I would like to find her again. anyway she was what I wanted to look like as a woman, and I loved the name and it stuck.

[Katie Mathos]

My initials are K.T. so it seemed natural to be "Katie" and I love the name.