How did you "choose" your name?

I had a phase where I thought I might be trans. I still wasn't well informed on non-binary gender identities, and I thought, okay, maybe this is me. The name I used was taken from a pair of cartoon siblings that I felt best displayed how I saw myself in a more feminine light. One was this nihilistic, moody teenager who thought life was just this boring mash of stupidity, the other was this vapid, pretty, popular girl who was all about fashion and looking good. And for a few months, I went online under this name, trying to figure myself out.

Fast-forward a year, I have a better handle on myself, both the masculine and feminine aspects of myself, and identify as non-binary. Back then, I had no real idea that a "mixed" or "fluctuating" gender was a legit possibility. But that's how I chose the name I chose.

 

I really like that name!

The name I chose for myself is Cody. I found it through those random baby name sites and liked it a lot. When I looked at it, I just somehow knew it was mine. For me, it was an easy choice.

That isn't to say the name isn't symbolic to me. During the summer, our family took a road trip to the western United States, and one town we passed through was Cody, Wyoming. Wyoming is gorgeous, and I love travel. Cody reminds me of the freedom and joy I felt in nature.

 

Well, my story is a bit gloomy. In 2013, I started hallucinating with a boy. He was about my age, a psychopath with blood on his shirt and a wicked smile. He used to say terrible things to me about other people and things. I was scared when it started, but then I realised he was actually a figure from my subconscious, showing me the darkest corners of myself. It was always me, in the end. He was named Anton and disappeared when I started taking antipsychotics. That's how I chose the my name.

 

I chose my name, Wolfgang, because it was the name my grandparents had wanted to use if they'd had a son, after the composer Mozart. My parents didn't have a boys' name they would have called me and I happened to really like Wolfgang. I like the meaning as well, "path of the wolf".

I love your name as well, Johan.

 

I was always jealous of people named Alex. It was a great name. In 6th grade we learned about Alexander the Great and I was just fixated on learning about (can't remember a damn thing about him now). At the same time I had a new friend named Alexander. I also had two other friends named Alexandria. I thought they were both great names, but while I liked the name Alexandria it just didn't click with me. I was "female" (afab) so I knew that was the name I was suppose to like. But Alexander was the name that clicked me. I just really loved that name.
So many years later when I realized I was trans Alexander was the go to name. It is the name I will go by even though I will make it my middle name. When I told my mom she was a little excited. Alexander was the middle name she originally wanted for my eldest brother.

As for my first name. I am leaning towards Nicholas, though I might leave it Stacy (tis a unisex name after all). Nicholas I like because my current middle name is Nicole, so it is somewhat familiar.
Stacy because that would make my initials SAW, which fits a theme as my brothers' initials are CAW and RAW.

Sorry for how long this all was.

 

I've chosen Aaron because I had no clue what I wanted be called and just looked through name dictionaries, so Aaron was pretty much the first name that came up. xD I then looked at its meaning and found stuff like "mountain of strength" and "warrior lion" and idk I liked it. It just fit, can't really explain it.
My middle name is Valentine and I've chosen it because it sounds cool basically. It also rhymes with my old middle name which was a nice bonus.

 

My criteria for a name was that it had to start with the letter B. It's the same first letter as my birth name and my family names their kids in alphabetical order. That aside, I wanted a name that was simple and yet had a nice ring to it. I'm not sharing my name but everyone calls me Ron for short.

 

I chose Alex. I like it starts with "ale" as same as my given name, the additional "x" for me represents a little dash of non-binary. The name means "defender of the people" which is kind of cool for someone who's a light warrior (=defender of light and truth). It's also a Russian name so by wearing this name I pay respect to my ancestors. The last thing is that in Greek mythology Alexander is another name of the hero Paris that as you can see is my user name here on the forum and which has a personal meaning for me as well. :icon_wink

 

I chose the name Kasim after a while of trying out different names and none of them really seemed to fit. Then one day I was looking up stuff about this band I like (the band is Todd Rundgrens Utopia) and the bass player is named Kasim. I thought that name was kind of cool, and then I decided to see if I liked being called that and I did.

 

No, it's not. Actually, knowing Anton helped me understand myself a lot, so it's kind of something that helps me figure out who I really am.

 

I'm pretty sure I'm a bisexual agender pancake but pancakes are already pretty agender, to be honest.

I just chose a gender neutral name to go by online. It's still in process but Hayden or Drew. I like the names and decided they suited me, my personality and my appearance.

I do like Johan though! It's a very nice name.

 

I started with the name Alex when I first figured out I was trans because it has always been a favorite of mine, but I wanted something closer to my initials. So I searched around baby name sites and asked all my friends and I finally found 'Jackson Mitchell'! It kinda just clicked with me and it sounds very nice with my last name.

Also Johan is a very nice name! Its a pleasure to meet you Johan, I am Jackson (*hug*)

 

I've always been pretty interested in unisex names and I was really happy when I found out that my middle name (Hope) is unisex. I've always preferred it to my first name and I go by Hope online but I thought that if I was planning on changing my name in real life because I'm non binary then it would be better to be a unisex name.
However recently I've been toying with Seth but it sounds a bit weird with Hope.

 

I like two names that sound like my birth name as they will take less time to get used to and feel right, still ned to decided which one though

 

A while back I started looking up baby name meanings and I tried finding a name that I felt fit me well and had a nice meaning that I liked. Eventually I chose "Emma" because it had Norwegian roots and is norwegian, plus I really liked the meaning. But for me it never really sounded quite right when I or other people say it. About a month ago I was telling my best friend how it didn't seem to fit and she suggested I look to a book character. I found the name Kristin and have been going by it ever since.

So yeah in the end it was really simple I just liked a name and stuck with it. Also, I like the name Johan, it's really nice

 

Right now, I got by AJ (Alexander Jerick). First name wise, I was always drawn to it for as long as I could remember--and it helped that I have an acquaintance with the same name who has been an influence on me wanting to be a filmmaker. Middle name wise, it's a nod to an actor/singer/drag performer who helped me find some light during a bad period I was in with my depression.

I'm feeling alright with my choice, but I'm feeling weird about my first name. I'm starting to feel off about it, but no other name I've come across seems to work or suit me. I've tried Andros for a while, but eh, it doesn't feel right. I've thought about Adam and Aaron, but it's giving me the same grief as Andros. I mostly thought about staying in the A's as to make it easier for others around me, since it took them a long time to come around from not deadnaming me so much.

So yeah, I don't know if I'm going to keep my name, especially with me wanting to get my name change over with soon.

 

My official name is James, but I've always gone by the diminutive from of Jamie.

I'm very glad to have the name Jamie to be honest, since it's completely neutral with regards to gender and is perfect for someone who is uncertain and questioning.