[name_m]Hi[/name_m] everyone!
A bit of a random question here, but I was just wondering about when people choose to go by a different name that isn’t theirs legally, is it more accepted if they choose a name that starts with the same letter or is similar sounding to their birth name?
Would love to hear your thoughts.
Thank you!
I think in terms of transitioning to a new name, it might be easier for people to get used to or accept, if it is similar to your birth name?
So, it might be easier for a [name_f]Kate[/name_f] to become [name_u]Kitty[/name_u], [name_u]Kadence[/name_u], [name_u]Jade[/name_u] or [name_f]Kailey[/name_f], than for a [name_f]Kate[/name_f] to become a [name_u]June[/name_u], [name_f]Hattie[/name_f] or [name_f]Pippa[/name_f]. [name_u]Or[/name_u] for a [name_f]Mary[/name_f] to become [name_f]May[/name_f], [name_f]Merryn[/name_f], [name_f]Maisie[/name_f] or [name_f]Mira[/name_f] than a [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f].
Still, I think it can go either way, depending how open people are to accepting a changed name
i don’t think it matters !! i know a lot of people who go by chosen names and most of their new names are quite different from the ones they were given at birth, but i’ve never thought anything of it. to be honest, i might find it more confusing if the names were similar, because they’d maybe mix up in my mind?
some people i know have used a name similar to their birth name as a sort of intermediary - i have a transmasc friend who first started using a masc nickname/variant for his deadname when he came out, and then moved into using a different name similar to the “midpoint” name, but completely divorced from his deadname.
basically i think you can do what you want and if the people around you are even halfway decent they’ll respect it.
Everyone I’ve known who has gone by a different name have never had the same initial as their past name and have never run into issues.
I’d lean towards probably yes if they were introducing themselves for the first time, but less so if they were changing what they went by with people they already knew, if that makes sense?
Though at least where I live people tend to be pretty accepting either way, I guess I just feel like it might catch people off guard less if it started with the same letter.
That’s what I did, but I love my nickname and always wanted to have it incorporated. I tried out a lot and even thought of getting to my nickname dozens of ways before settling on one I love! It took me a year to find but I’ve gone by it for over a decade. I just think it’s important to love what you pick!
I think it’s fine. [name_m]Just[/name_m] like how people have the freedom to separate gender from their birthsex, having preferences over what name you use is cool to me, I think people should be treated kindly and fairly.