Hi everyone!
I am an 18 year old man and I really want to change my name.
My name is very unfamiliar, hard to pronouns, etc. in the place I live in. I want to change it to a normal name this year.
I hope it is OK if I don’t tell you my current name due to privacy concerns but I will tell you about myself, what I look like, my attitude and what I like to be called. I do not want my current name to have any effect on my decision.
I am a very logical and serious person. I do not like bullshit so basically the right side of my brain is out of duty.
I love maths and science and I enjoy studying them very very much. My favorite areas of science are chemistry, physics and mathematics.
I also take bodybuilding very seriously, I work out a lot and as my name username suggests, I will be joining the army when I finish university.
I am starting medicine this year at university and so I will become an army doctor in the future.
Many people tell me that I look like super man or this guy http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100617072627/sfgalleries/images/d/d7/385px-Tvch_04.jpg
both because of my body and face.
What do you think is a suitable name for a person like me?
I want a very aggressive and strong name.
I have these in mind:
Alexander Johnson
Diesel Jack
Blake Robinson
Broke Marshal
Vandal Blaze
Gunner Hixiston
Hector Vandal
Hunter
Axel
Raiden
etc.
I don’t know, just something really aggressive, strong and badass.
I want to make the decision asap because I want to change my name before uni starts. I will be attending uni in a different state so I will not have to use my current name ever again. I am very serious.
If you’re going to be an army doctor, then I think names like [name]Gunner[/name], [name]Vandal[/name], [name]Hunter[/name] and the like are not advisable. From your list, [name]Alexander[/name] and [name]Blake[/name] would be the best choices. You say you’re a serious person but some of your other name combos border on the cartoonish. Here are some strong males names that can be taken seriously in the military and medical professions without overdosing on the macho swagger.
[name]Abel[/name]
[name]Bryce[/name]
[name]Leo[/name]
[name]Marcus[/name]
[name]Abram[/name]
[name]Caleb[/name]
[name]Asa[/name]
[name]Cyrus[/name]
[name]Jude[/name]
[name]Chase[/name]
[name]Zane[/name]
[name]Troy[/name]
[name]Rhys[/name]
[name]Tate[/name]
[name]Dirk[/name]
[name]Knight[/name]
[name]Reid[/name]
[name]Luke[/name]
[name]Heath[/name]
[name]Grant[/name]
[name]Drake[/name]
[name]Dean[/name]
[name]Atlas[/name]
[name]Lincoln[/name]
[name]Roscoe[/name]
[name]Emerson[/name]
[name]Sterling[/name]
[name]Jericho[/name]
[name]Roman[/name]
[name]Chad[/name]
[name]Conrad[/name]
[name]Ivan[/name]
[name]Kent[/name]
[name]Archer[/name]
[name]Ramsey[/name]
[name]Merritt[/name]
[name]Bronson[/name]
[name]Shane[/name]
[name]Fraser[/name]
[name]Duke[/name]
[name]Sage[/name]
[name]Atticus[/name]
[name]Orion[/name]
[name]Damon[/name]
[name]Lennox[/name]
[name]Gray[/name]
[name]Augustus[/name]
You make a name ‘strong aggressive and badass.’ Some of your suggestions sound like cartoon characters ([name]Vandal[/name]? diesel?). If you’re going to make a change-- particularly if you are entering the very conservative, traditional and straightlaced worlds of medicine and the military-- something bland, familiar and related to your current unusual name would be best.
Unless your last name is an absolute nightmare, keep it. If it is a nightmare, shorten it or anglicize it. Changing surname for a guy is a red flag as it is so highly unusual.
I take it you are in Australia. Is your name non-English in background? Let’s pretend you’re, say, Persian and your last name is Mercaptovizadeh. Tough. You should change it to Vizadeh, Mercapto, Merca, etc. this will still allow you to claim your heritage and not alienate your family while making it easier to for everyone else in Australia to remember and pronounce it.
If your first name is Khouroush, for example, pick something similar. Again, you are going to have to justify this choice to everyone, every employer, al, the layers of graduate medical training and medical licensing, for the rest of your life, and anglicizations are easier to swallow. [name]Cyrus[/name] from Khouroush, or [name]Kai[/name], or [name]Russ[/name], etc. If you want the badass vibe, monosyllabic first names often convey that image.
[name]Russ[/name] Merca is pretty cool, and it will be acceptable to your friends and family, too.
You absolutely don’t have to share your real name, but try to think along those lines. And you are right-- if you’re going to change, now is the time.
[name]Bryce[/name]
[name]Leo[/name]
[name]Marcus[/name]
[name]Cyrus[/name]
[name]Zane[/name]
[name]Troy[/name]
[name]Rhys[/name]
[name]Heath[/name]
[name]Drake[/name]
[name]Atlas[/name]
[name]Lincoln[/name]
[name]Emerson[/name]
[name]Sterling[/name]
[name]Archer[/name]
[name]Ramsey[/name]
[name]Fraser[/name]
[name]Sage[/name]
[name]Damon[/name]
[name]Lennox[/name]
[name]Alexander[/name]
I like these.
[name]Bryce Fraser[/name] sounds nice, what else?
I am going to a different state, going to meet completely new people and I really don’t want my current name to come with me. My name is actually funny to say, I hate it.
Some names I see as straightforward and “aggressive”
[name]Jack[/name]
[name]Garrett[/name]
[name]Alexander[/name]
[name]Peter[/name]
[name]Cole[/name]
[name]Ivan[/name]
[name]Erik[/name]
[name]Lance[/name]
[name]Mason[/name]
[name]John[/name]
[name]Kyle[/name]
Something a little more badass
[name]Oscar[/name]
[name]Frederick[/name]
[name]Jude[/name]
[name]Wyatt[/name]
[name]Isaac[/name]
[name]Samson[/name]
[name]Dashiell[/name] “[name]Dash[/name]”
[name]Brandon[/name]
I’m sorry to hear that you have such a rotten deal with your name. I hear what you’re saying about not wanting to bring your current name along at all, but I think [name]Blade[/name] has given good advice. What she’s saying is that your current name [name]WILL[/name] follow you, to some degree, no matter how much you may wish it was otherwise. When you apply for a job, one of the first spaces is dedicated to previous names you have gone by. Your employer will know that you’ve changed your name. Given that you’ll be entering a no-nonsense field, potential employers will prefer a no-nonsense reason for changing your name. [name]Blade[/name]'s reasons make sense, whereas Badass [name]Vandal[/name] would be hard to explain.
Now, you say your name is “funny”. Are you saying your name is [name]Seymour[/name] Butz? [name]Hugh[/name] Jass? In that situation, I think an employer would be able to figure out at a glance why you’ve changed your name and have no more questions on the subject.
If you are set on completely changing your name, I think [name]Alexander[/name] is a nice choice. It’s sufficiently common to look great on a doctor’s degrees, but you can introduce yourself as [name]Lex[/name] or Skandar to hotties at the gym.
I agree with [name]Blade[/name] and TK. [name]Don[/name]'t think that just because you are changing your name it means it will never show up again in the future.
I also think that if you are looking for a more “normal” name that will be well received in more traditional professions I’d take a look at the birth records of where you are from the year you were born. I would also be careful to choose a name that also reflects your heritage. (It you are first generation [name]Indian[/name] American having a name like [name]Atticus[/name] might be considered odd).
Thoughts on your list:
[name]Alexander[/name] [name]Johnson[/name] - I love [name]Alexander[/name]. There is nothing that says “I can/will concur” than naming yourself after [name]Alexander[/name] the Great. This combo of [name]Alexander[/name] [name]Johnson[/name] just feels ordinary, and you sound anything but ordinary.
[name]Diesel[/name] [name]Jack[/name] - [name]Diesel[/name] feels more like a gang moniker than a strong name for you. Esp since you are choosing this name yourself.
[name]Blake[/name] [name]Robinson[/name] - This sounds like the secret identity of a superhero. I wouldn’t choose it.
Broke [name]Marshal[/name] - is Broke a typo? I don’t see how the word for broken says strong, aggressive etc. Maybe [name]Brock[/name] would be better.
[name]Vandal[/name] [name]Blaze[/name] - This sounds like a super-villian moniker of someone like [name]Blake[/name] Robison. I wouldn’t choose this either.
[name]Gunner[/name] Hixiston - [name]Gunner[/name] feels too on the nose if you are planning on joining the [name]Army[/name].
[name]Hector[/name] [name]Vandal[/name] - Is there a reason why you like [name]Vandal[/name]? [name]Do[/name] you want your name to say I rape, pillage and destroy? I do like [name]Hector[/name] a lot and I like the ancient greek roots to a strong warrior.
[name]Hunter[/name] - too on the nose. See [name]Gunner[/name].
[name]Axel[/name] - too [name]Axel[/name] [name]Rose[/name] maybe? I do like this though. This and [name]Alexander[/name] are probably my two favorite off of
[name]Raiden[/name] - see my thoughts on [name]Vandal[/name].
Overall: Many of your choices sound like they were chosen by a teenage boy. Which is what you are but I would consider what names you might want when you are 75 as well.
Name suggestions for you which have links to pretty kick-ass characters or meanings (I found these on the 1995 US birth lists. This should help with keeping your name in trend with your peers): [name]Logan[/name], [name]Scott[/name], [name]Trevor[/name], [name]Zane[/name], [name]Connor[/name] and [name]Victor[/name].
[name]Welcome[/name] to nameberry! 
I agree with blade 100%. The names polka suggested are exactly the style I was thinkingm, a few others you might want to add to your list are:
[name]Finn[/name]
[name]Reid[/name]/[name]Reed[/name]
[name]Nico[/name]
[name]West[/name]
[name]Miles[/name]
[name]Alec[/name]
[name]Max[/name]
[name]Rafi[/name]
[name]Rhett[/name]
[name]Luke[/name]
[name]Caleb[/name]
ps. If you choose [name]Alexander[/name] I think the nn [name]Alec[/name] instead of [name]Alex[/name] is pretty cool.
Of your original list I think [name]Alexander[/name] nn Skander or [name]Xander[/name] would fit you the best. It has the badass vibe with the X but I would still happily go to a Dr [name]Alexander[/name].
Have you thought of the name [name]Fletcher[/name]? I think it fits what your looking for as well. It’s also not very common.
[name]Cash[/name]
[name]Maverick[/name]
[name]Dorian[/name]
[name]Gage[/name]
[name]Weston[/name]
[name]Kale[/name]
[name]Knox[/name]
[name]Madden[/name]
[name]Easton[/name]
[name]Drake[/name]
[name]Maddox[/name]
[name]Ryder[/name]
I’ll just reiterate my point, as you sound quite serious:
As a male, name changes are very unusual. If you really have been accepted as a medical student, you are entering a very conservative, hyper-vigilant profession. We are heavily scrutinized to protect the public from dangerous practitioners.
- for each step of the licensing process, for all of the examinations, you will have to disclose your name change and provide documentaion
- every time you apply for privileges at a hospital, you will provide evidence of your name change and document the reasons
- when you become board-certified in a specialty, you will provide evidence of your name change and document the reasons
- every time you re-cert your boards, complete Continuing Medical Education, etc [annually in the US for the rest of your professional life; board re-certification is q10 years here, not sure for Aus], you will provide evidence of your name change and document the reasons.
Your current name and the reason for the change will follow you for the rest of your life.
Also, socially- if you’re interested in something like surgery and you show up on my service introducing yourself as Medical Student [name]Gunner[/name] [name]Vandal[/name] I can’t even begin to describe the amount of shite we would give you. Pediatrics, psychiatry, etc would be much more accepting, but we would bust your balls from dawn till dusk. Once you graduated and started residency, your seniors, chiefs, fellows and attendings would do the same.
And that’s us… I can’t even imagine what the military guys would have to say.
So choose carefully.
I would never want to see a doctor with a name like a super killer or gang member.
Maybe something suave and classic biblical? They generally aren’t dated, and are solid names.
[name]Caleb[/name]
[name]Asher[/name]
[name]Isaiah[/name]
[name]Reuben[/name]
[name]Elias[/name]
[name]Gabriel[/name]
[name]Just[/name] to add to this, if you do become an army doctor, you will still end up leaving the military at some point and may choose to open your own practice. In this case your name is your “brand”, the first thing a potential patient sees. People want their doctor to give them a sense of being professional, competent, and safe. I would wager that given the choice, a lot of people would be hesitant to choose Dr. [name]Diesel[/name] [name]Blaze[/name] over Dr. BoringName when looking for a physician. Having a name that’s catchy is fine, but you don’t need to sound like an action hero.
Thank you a lot everyone!
I really appreciate your advice. I think my age is having a big influence on my decisions haha but I will try to be very mature about this.
What do you think of [name]Alexander[/name] [name]Lincoln[/name]? By the way, my current name starts with A.
Why do you want to change your surname? Why not just the first name?
My surname isn’t my actual surname, they used my grandfather’s name by mistake when I got my passport… my current surname is 12 letters long. My father has a different surname to me and his brother and my mother has a different surname.
What other surnames go well with Alexander?
In some places it’s actually illegal or highly discouraged for an employer to ask you outright if you’ve changed your name (the reason being is it would be an easy way to brew a discrimination lawsuit, for example an immigrant who changed his/her name to assimilate or a transgender person). What they CAN ask you legally is if any records they need to verify (e.g. work, school, criminal, etc.) are under another name (what they mean of “being known by another name” is if one or more of those records may appear under another name, not a full list of names you may have used since birth), and can penalize you if withholding the name prevents them from properly performing the background check. If the last sentence weren’t true, that would imply that someone adopted or otherwise had their name changed as a child would have to reveal their birth name even if it would be of no use to an employer (on an adoption forum someone once asked this, and in such a case the consensus was that no you don’t need to bring up that fact). (On the other hand, if an employer needs to know a nickname, middle name that appeared as your first name, alias you committed a crime under, etc. to check those records you’d have to bring that up, even though it didn’t involve a legal name change.) Of course, if you’ve already earned your degree under your original name that fact probably won’t be of a practical difference to you.
ETA: After reading more of the posts, I’m talking about the actual employment application (as it would apply to jobs in general), not the licenses, etc. (where they will want documentation if not everything matches).
ETA2: Source for the first paragraph (link broken so as to not flag the post as spam): admin (dot) mtu (dot) edu/hro/forms/whatyoucanandcantasklongversionmay05.pdf
ETA3: In terms of what’s legal/illegal to ask, any questions as to WHY a person changed their name would be verboten (they are allowed to know prior or other names only for record-checking purposes, and asking the prospective employee any details of the name change would also be a red flag in a discrimination lawsuit).
Have you considered the possibility of taking on a family surname, such as your fathers, or a variation of one? I wouldn’t scrap your whole name as you might regret not feeling a sense of connection to your heritage/ ancestry later on in life.
I think [name]Alexander[/name] is a great choice for you, btw.
@namefan none of what you said applies to doctors, as I hope I outlined above.
Lieutenant, gently, I hear a bit of self-hatred in your posts. I don’t know where in the world your family originally came from, but I sure there are ways to make your surname work in Australia without blindly picking a random English one. [name]How[/name] would your family feel about a son called [name]Alex[/name] [name]Johnson[/name]?
I am completely sympathetic to wanting to divest yourself of a 12-letter unpronounceable monstrosity with an equally difficult first name. As someone married into an Arab family-- and I think the Arabs are currently about the most reviled and feared people group on earth-- I am also sympathetic to ugly ethnic prejudice and the desire to ‘pass.’ but remember that tough high school years won’t follow you forever, and at uni-- esp on a medical course-- people will come from all different backgrounds and be interested in world cultures.
All that to say, change your surname to something congruent with an identity that I promise you will later come to cherish.