Growing up, I really loathed my name and still don’t like it today. It was very pretty like the [name_f]Emily[/name_f]'s or [name_f]Penelope[/name_f]'s in my class.
[name_f]My[/name_f] full name is [name_f]Zora[/name_f] [name_f]Farrah[/name_f] Abshire. My cultural name is Swetha (sway-tha), my aunts and uncles call me that - I am Horn African/Aussie. I stopped going by [name_f]Zora[/name_f] a very long time ago (it’s like a rougher version of [name_f]Zara[/name_f] to me) and go by [name_f]Farrah[/name_f]. However, I could never get a pretty nick name out of it, just [name_f]Faye[/name_f] or [name_f]Ara[/name_f].
I don’t know, I’ve tried liking my name and just accepting it but it’s really lacking compared to my friends. [name_f]My[/name_f] mum doesn’t even have a story or meaning behind it, she said she just liked how it sounded together.
But, I’m a big girl, I’ll just bare with it
[name_m]How[/name_m] about you guys, do you like/loath your names. If so why?
Ps: you don’t have to say your name if your not comfortable!
[name_f]My[/name_f] name used to be [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] [name_f]Angelica[/name_f]. I legally changed it to [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] [name_f]Claire[/name_f] and I couldn’t be happier. [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] was so common… I hated it. I could never be the only one. [name_f]Angelica[/name_f] was also ‘ugh’ to me and much too frilly.
[name_f]My[/name_f] name is [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] and I adore my name! I was named after my Mum’s (and now my) favourite book, [name_m]Little[/name_m] Women by [name_f]Louisa[/name_f] [name_f]May[/name_f] [name_u]Alcott[/name_u], and I have never met another [name_f]Josephine[/name_f]! I loved being the only person with my name in my class, and I always get so many compliments on my name, and they all ask why my parents chose this name
I usually go by [name_u]Jo[/name_u], and I love that my name gives me the flexibility to have a short, but sweet name, as well as a lovely formal name- something I’m definitely keeping in mind for my future kids!
I always have to tell people have to spell [name_f]Josephine[/name_f], though- and that is SO annoying, because it is a very simple and straightforward name. [name_m]Joseph[/name_m], plus ine.
[name_f]My[/name_f] parents didn’t give me a middle name, my Mum decided that [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] stood well on it’s own, and every possible middle name took away from it. So I’m the only one out of my brothers and sisters without a middle name. I used to hate it, and would make up a new middle name every week and would make my family call me “[name_f]Josephine[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f]”, or “[name_f]Josephine[/name_f] [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]”, but eventually I got used to it.
I’ve been thinking about changing my name legally when I can, however I’ve heard its a really big hassle and am sort of intimidated by the whole court process. [name_m]How[/name_m] was your experience? Was it really difficult, long time get through? And how did you get use to being called a new name, lol?
I hope this isn’t intrusive, I really am thinking about changing my name and would like to know of someone else’s experiences
I really, really love [name_f]Josephine[/name_f]!! It’s the name of one of my protagonist in a novel of mine. Such a sweet, feminine name that’s really strong too. Sort of like the [name_m]Alexander[/name_m]'s and [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m]'s of the female world.
Well, I am in [name_u]America[/name_u] ([name_u]California[/name_u] to be exact) and it is pretty easy here. You pay court costs and run an ad in the paper. It has to run for 6 weeks. Then you go to a window in the courthouse… no judge! If no one shows up to contest your name change then it is stamped by the county clerk and you are done. Depending on which newspaper you choose it runs about $600 total here with court fees and publication fees.
As far as friends and family go… it’s a mix. Everyone close to you will already know about the name change long before it happens so they have awhile to get used to it. I didn’t have any problem with family and friends. One thing about that, though, is I would NOT tell them exactly which name you have chosen until you change it. Everyone had a “better idea” and kept throwing names at me until my head would spin. I appreciated that everyone was enjoying the journey with me… but too many names! Let them know your top three but leave it as a surprise. I’m sure every family is different, but mine was very supportive. I think it was harder for the people at my work. Since it seemed sudden to them it has taken awhile but everyone has been very nice about it.
One thing I didn’t consider before is having children. I just gave birth to my first (she will be the only) child. I can’t tell you how glad I am that [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] and not [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] gave birth to her. I know, I know, I’m the same person. But I [name_m]FEEL[/name_m] different. More like myself. I am so glad that I changed it before I became pregnant with her. We named her [name_f]Sabrina[/name_f] [name_u]Wren[/name_u]. I had plenty of experience looking at names by the time she came along.
[name_f]My[/name_f] entire name is spelled weird: [name_f]Dayna[/name_f] (a variation of [name_u]Dana[/name_u] pronounced the same) [name_f]Rebeka[/name_f]. I’ve had my name spelled wrong on almost everything and I can’t ever find anything to go with it- but I do love the name. It fits me well, I can’t imagine having any other name.
I hated my name growing up and have settled into indifference nowadays. I was named for grandfathers [name_m]Angelo[/name_m] and [name_m]Nicholas[/name_m], both names I love, but really don’t care for the feminization [name_f]Angela[/name_f] or [name_f]Nicole[/name_f]. Plus both those names were top 50 when I was born so I found my own name painfully boring. I loathe the nn [name_u]Angie[/name_u] more than I can express and just the other day someone mistakenly called me [name_u]Angel[/name_u] which is a name I find obnoxious. Oh and get this – I went to school with an [name_u]Angel[/name_u] [name_f]Nicole[/name_f] whose difficult surname was only one letter off from my own difficult surname! I would get her report cards occasionally.
But yeah, not a huge fan of my super common (for my age group) name. I always wanted something more unusual.
I’m a [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] and I’ve never liked it, for all the same reasons as the other [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] above. It’s dull and terribly common, but at least it’s reasonably pretty.
[name_f]My[/name_f] name is unusual (so I won’t actually share) but simple enough and I’m always told it’s pretty. Growing up I didn’t like it but I think that had more to do with my lack of self confidence and wishing I was someone else. I wanted to be popular and somehow I thought having a popular name would do that (child logic, go figure) but as an adult I realize popularity isn’t like that and I’ve grown into a person happy with who I am, for the most part. [name_f]My[/name_f] name is my name. I don’t have a strong feeling about it. It’s nice that I get compliments, it’s slightly annoying and amusing that people mispronounce/mishear it. Despite the pronunciation being pretty straightforward in English. To me it’s plain, like [name_f]Anne[/name_f]. I wouldn’t change it to something that I like better because I think our opinion of our name says more about what we think about ourselves than the name, TBH. Although if it causes distress I can see reasons for changing it.
I like my name just fine. It suits me well. It’s not frilly, but not masculine sounding. (I [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] ultra feminine and frilly names) I use to be jealous because my brother was named after my dad. (though he doesn’t go by it). He got his middle name (name he goes by) after my mom’s teenage heart throb. [name_f]My[/name_f] parents picked my name because they just liked it. lol. I’m not so jealous anymore because, like I said, my brother doesn’t go by his first name, so I forget he and my dad have the same first name most of the time. [name_f]My[/name_f] first name is unisex, which I normally don’t like, but I don’t mind it. I’m just glad the boy and girl spellings are different. Haha.
[name_f]My[/name_f] name doesn’t really suit me, but I’ve grown into it now, and I can’t really see myself as being called anything else. I do love that my name is quite uncommon in [name_f]England[/name_f] (although very popular elsewhere), and that my first and middle names mean beautiful princess ([name_f]Jamilah[/name_f] [name_f]Amirah[/name_f]), and also rhyme.
I’m a [name_f]Danielle[/name_f]- I used to really hate my name and wonder why my name was so long as to my 4 siblings names who are ALL 4 letter names!! So i felt odd and at that current time i only had 2 younger siblings then. But i never got any nicknames that i considered to be cool. I got [name_m]Dan[/name_m] by family and dani by friends…
Later realised I could be called [name_f]Elle[/name_f]… [name_f]Ellie[/name_f]. and various other names! I also used to detest my middle name [name_f]Grace[/name_f]… I don’t actually have much of a valid reason for this but i just hated it as it sounded awful bland to me. But now its a nice name and i don’t have a problem with it.
Its a virtue name and i decided to give my daughter a virtue middle name… She is [name_f]Liberty[/name_f] faith.
I used to ask my mum why she named my danielle i got because it was unusual in 1988 and wasn’t popular at all… then she said if i wasn’t a danielle i would have been a rebecca… i then changed my view completely on my name!! lol I started to feel much better as i don’t know why but i have never liked rebecca so i am glad!
I’m [name_f]Kathryn[/name_f] [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] and whilst I might not have always loved my name, I do now. I like the flexibility of nicknames it gives me: [name_f]Kat[/name_f], [name_f]Kathy[/name_f], Ryn and Kitten are all frequent ones I use though I dislike both [name_f]Kate[/name_f] and [name_f]Katie[/name_f]. I prefer my spelling of [name_f]Kathryn[/name_f] to all the others and think it looks nicer and flows better. [name_f]My[/name_f] mum chose [name_f]Kathryn[/name_f] after a friend of hers at school.
[name_f]Sarah[/name_f] was picked by my dad for the meaning and because it just sounded right. I like it and may well pass it on to a daughter as a middle name, if I don’t use [name_f]Kathryn[/name_f]. Because it’s my middle name it doesn’t matter too much to me that it was a very popular name when I was growing up.
I’m [name_u]Addison[/name_u] [name_f]Claire[/name_f]. I really don’t like my name. I think [name_u]Addison[/name_u] is HANDSOME name for a BOY, but I’m a girl… And [name_f]Claire[/name_f] is just such a boring, filler, middle name. I’ve gone by [name_f]Addy[/name_f], [name_f]Addy[/name_f]-[name_f]Claire[/name_f], etc, but I’m not a fan of those, either. I wish I could have been something at least slightly more interesting, like [name_f]Adeline[/name_f] or [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f]!
[name_f]My[/name_f] Name is [name_f]Heidi[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] [name_f]Gabriella[/name_f]
I like my name just fine. No love no hate just is. I know that my mother had named me in her teens and my father had no choice. So he and my grandparents always call me Prinsessa which is princess in Finnish. Now here in [name_f]Canada[/name_f] I always get asked if I was named after [name_f]Heidi[/name_f] Klum and have to laugh because I think she was about 8 years old when I was born so the answer is NO. I was named for the book my mother loved [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] [name_u]Taylor[/name_u] my mothers favorite actress and [name_f]Gabriella[/name_f] her grandmother she loved so much.
[name_u]Addison[/name_u] and [name_f]Claire[/name_f] are two of my all time favourite girl names!! I love your names,it’s absolutely gorgeous. [name_u]Addison[/name_u] is so spunky and has got an ‘unf’ to it and [name_f]Claire[/name_f] is so soft and pretty and whimsical <3
I absolutely love my name, [name_f]Jemima[/name_f] Fr@nces. When I was young, I remember secretly wishing I had my twin sister’s name ([name_f]Gretel[/name_f]). However, I’m so glad I’m a [name_f]Jemima[/name_f] - I feel like it really suits me, and it’s ‘mine’. I love being the only one, although I often have to repeat my name the first time I’m meeting someone (or, I often follow up with ‘like [name_f]Jemima[/name_f] Puddle Duck’!)
[name_f]My[/name_f] names [name_f]Ebony[/name_f] and I wouldn’t change it for anything. It suits me well but I prefer the nickname Ebs.i used to want to be called [name_f]Zoe[/name_f] bor [name_f]Yasmine[/name_f] but I can’t imagine being named anything other then [name_f]Ebony[/name_f] even though everyone calls me [name_f]Emily[/name_f] or sings ebony and ivory.
Ps I live three hours outside of [name_m]Perth[/name_m] and am in the city now
I’m [name_u]Abilene[/name_u] , after my dad’s hometown. I found it a bit annoying at first, especially when we moved to the UK but have grown to love it.
