Changing your nickname?

General Name Discussion
1

[name_f]My[/name_f] name’s [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], and for basically my entire life I’ve gone by [name_f]Lizzy[/name_f] (although I’ve experimented with many, many spellings). I’m 18 now, and since [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] is one of the more common names given in the 90s, I’ve encountered many other people with my name and subsequently, my nickname. [name_f]Lizzy[/name_f]'s a fine name, but I’m going off to college and the fall and I’m thinking I want to try something new.

I guess the nickname that’s always been forefront in my mind is [name_f]Buffy[/name_f], but part of me says it’s for really stupid reasons. (Predictable ones, too - I really, really love [name_f]Buffy[/name_f] the Vampire Slayer.) I don’t actually like a lot of the nicknames for [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] (the more traditional ones, I guess - [name_f]Beth[/name_f], [name_f]Betty[/name_f], and I’m not really a fan of [name_f]Liz[/name_f], either). I don’t really feel like a [name_f]Lizzy[/name_f] anymore, but I’m not quite a [name_f]Buffy[/name_f] either - I don’t feel like anything. Plus I feel kinda stupid naming myself after a fictional television character.

So I guess here’s the question(s): have you (or anyone you know) ever changed their nickname (or actual name, I suppose) for some reason, and why? [name_m]How[/name_m] easy was it to make the transition? And what do you think of [name_f]Buffy[/name_f], or of any other nicknames for [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]? (I could call myself [name_f]Elsa[/name_f] so I can pretend it’s socially acceptable to go running around singing “Let It Go” all the time.)

Thanks a bunch. :slight_smile:

2

[name_m]How[/name_m] about [name_m]Eli[/name_m] or [name_f]Eliza[/name_f]? Because I feel like [name_f]Elsa[/name_f] is a completely different name rather than a nickname for [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]. I tried having nicknames but eventually it never worked out (I have kind of short name - [name_f]Marta[/name_f], maybe that’s why). Honestly, I can’t remember of anybody who’d successfully change a name or a nickname. But I guess if you want to do that then you’ve chosen the perfect time, cause once you present yourself as [name_f]Lizzy[/name_f] in college you’d be stuck with it; so of course better go with a new nickname, it’s greater chance it’ll stick to you. And I don’t say it’s not gonna work for you - all I say is that I don’t know anybody who would successfully change a name or nickname. Eventually, if it does not work out, you can always go by your full name. Good luck with it!!!

3

I’ve changed my nickname twice throughout my life, but the first time it wasn’t really by choice, it just kind of happened. I changed my nickname from [name_u]Jessie[/name_u] to [name_u]Jess[/name_u], and then to [name_f]Jessa[/name_f], my reasoning being I wanted to stand out a bit from the other [name_u]Jess[/name_u]’ around. For me the transition was both hard and easy . . . my friends I have known for years still call me [name_u]Jess[/name_u], and hell, occasionally [name_u]Jessie[/name_u], but the new people I meet easily call me [name_f]Jessa[/name_f].

For example, I introduced myself as [name_f]Jessa[/name_f] to my high schools drama club my senior year. The freshman and sophomores easily jumped on it, whereas those I’d known for awhile did not. To the newer students it was my name, so they didn’t call me anything else. Also at my job there are three [name_f]Jessica[/name_f]'s in my position so I decided to go by [name_f]Jessa[/name_f]. I’ve been there two weeks and no one calls me anything else. Because you are going to college I think it will be incredibly easy - if you tell them your name is [name_f]Buffy[/name_f], they’ll call you [name_f]Buffy[/name_f]. No one will be resistant if that’s the name you give them. Older friends? Might be a little more reluctant.

On the flip side, I have a childhood friend that upon her adoption at age 15/16 changed her name to a more unisex name to fit her unisex personality and style. I must admit that 7 years later I STILL call her by her “old name”. She doesn’t have a problem with it, but if she did I would have definitely bit my tongue years ago and trained myself to her new name. I think if you [name_f]DO[/name_f] want your old friends to start calling you a different name, it’s possible, it just might take a bit of time.

AND FINALLY, I also knew a friend who went from using his nickname (that was completely unrelated to his real name) to using his real name because he got a professional possession on our campus and wanted to appear more official. He did the whole [name_f]My[/name_f]-name-is-no-longer-skipper-and-im-going-to-ignore-you-if-you-ever-call-me-that-again approach. It worked, clearly, but was kind of annoying to deal with at first.

To summarize, it is possible to change your nickname and if you want to you definitely should :smiley:

I personally am not a fan of [name_f]Buffy[/name_f], but wouldn’t question it on someone else. [name_f]My[/name_f] favorite nickname for [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] is “[name_f]Libby[/name_f]”. I’ve always like [name_f]Liza[/name_f] or [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] as a “grown up” nickname for [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]. And for what it’s worth, I would be more likely to roll my eyes at [name_f]Elsa[/name_f] over [name_f]Buffy[/name_f] - while they both have pop culture references, I would associate [name_f]Elsa[/name_f] with Frozen much more than [name_f]Buffy[/name_f] with the show.

Good luck!

4

[name_m]Don[/name_m]'t you worry! [name_f]Elsa[/name_f] is not a stretch! I’m [name_f]Lyra[/name_f] - born [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] and nicknamed [name_f]Lyra[/name_f]. See that’s a stretch! And to make it even more weirder people are not only calling me [name_f]Lyra[/name_f], I’ve also been called Leaz, Nakisa, [name_f]Anne[/name_f], [name_f]Lizzie[/name_f] and E. [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t feel limited just because you are an [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]!
On my boarding school I was Leaz and I loved it, but I decided on [name_f]Lyra[/name_f] for High School since most of my friends had transioned from Leaz to [name_f]Lyra[/name_f] due to my wishes. Only few call me [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]. Also, [name_f]Elsa[/name_f] is a variant of [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] so don’t worry, ;3

5

I definitely do not think that it’s a bad idea to change if you do not like the nickname anymore. However, [name_f]Buffy[/name_f] just seems weird and childish to me (sorry). Are you opposed to just going by [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]? Other suggestions: [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], Lis, [name_f]Elle[/name_f], [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], [name_f]Liza[/name_f], [name_u]Izzy[/name_u], [name_f]Libby[/name_f], [name_f]Bee[/name_f]/[name_f]Bea[/name_f], [name_f]Lizbeth[/name_f].

6

[name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] has so many options:

[name_f]Zibby[/name_f]
[name_u]Zia[/name_u]
[name_f]Liza[/name_f] (lie-zuh)
[name_f]Elise[/name_f]
[name_f]Bess[/name_f]
[name_u]Bay[/name_u]
[name_f]Bee[/name_f]
[name_f]Lily[/name_f] (it’s a stretch but it works)
Bez
[name_f]Elsie[/name_f] (might be slightly more wearable then [name_f]Elsa[/name_f])
[name_f]Elle[/name_f]
[name_f]Belle[/name_f] (another stretch)
[name_u]Lisa[/name_u]
Lei (lay)
[name_f]Lia[/name_f]/[name_f]Leah[/name_f]/[name_f]Lea[/name_f]
[name_u]Lee[/name_u]
[name_f]Libby[/name_f]
[name_f]Zeba[/name_f]/Ziba
[name_u]Leith[/name_u]

Yeah, and don’t worry about a ‘stretch.’ Heck, my legal name is [name_f]Reine[/name_f] [name_f]Rebecca[/name_f] and I go by [name_f]Lucy[/name_f].