Legal name change for myself

Hello, I’m hoping for a little outsider insight. Sorry this is a little long.
Here is the story, my legal name is [name_f]Deborah[/name_f]-[name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_u]Holly[/name_u] [name_u]Berry[/name_u] and while I do not hate my name, it has given me trouble all my life. Because my first name is so long, it often does not fit on forms. Because it has a hyphen, it is often confused as [name_f]Jane[/name_f] as my middle name.
[name_f]My[/name_f] passport doesn’t match my driver’s license, my insurance card ran out of space so I am DeborahJan, my primary Dr has me as [name_f]Deborah[/name_f] J, my debit card doesn’t match my license, my passport doesn’t match my birth certificate, my obgyn has me down as [name_f]Deborah[/name_f] H, and the list goes on. [name_f]My[/name_f] medical forms can not be combined because of the name differences. [name_f]My[/name_f] insurance has been denied multiple times because it doesn’t match my I. D. And I have even been held in customs while travelling abroad because of the name difference. Not every system can do a hyphen in the paperwork and then again there is the length.
To make things more complicated I want to add a secondary last name because I want to take both of my parents name. Which that last name is Left.

I’m also named after my stepmom so I can not go by [name_f]Deborah[/name_f] Left because that is her exact name.

I’m really tempted to go with a completely new name but like I said, I don’t hate my name. It just gives me so much frustration!

[name_f]My[/name_f] ideas so far is going by
[name_u]Berry[/name_u] [name_f]Deborah[/name_f] Left (I come from a family of military so a lot of people refer to them as their last name)
[name_u]Holly[/name_u] [name_u]Berry[/name_u] Left
[name_f]Tula[/name_f] [name_u]Berry[/name_u] Left (a random name I use on social media)
[name_f]My[/name_f] mom calls me [name_m]Junior[/name_m] and my stepmom calls me [name_m]Bubba[/name_m]. It’s really only my friends that call me [name_f]Deb[/name_f] so I’m not against a complete name change. I just don’t know how to decide. Any ideas or tips?

Maybe you could get rid of the hyphen and make [name_f]Jane[/name_f] your middle name and keep [name_u]Holly[/name_u] as a second middle name: [name_f]Deborah[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_u]Holly[/name_u] [name_u]Berry[/name_u] Left. With both last names that will be a bit of a mouth full but it might cause you less trouble with your first name. If you find that full name too long and if the name [name_u]Holly[/name_u] doesn’t have special meaning to you, you could also go for this: [name_f]Deborah[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_u]Berry[/name_u] Left. You could even leave out [name_f]Jane[/name_f] totally as well: [name_f]Deborah[/name_f] [name_u]Berry[/name_u] Left.

[name_u]Berry[/name_u] [name_f]Deborah[/name_f] Left, [name_u]Holly[/name_u] [name_u]Berry[/name_u] Left, [name_f]Tula[/name_f] [name_u]Berry[/name_u] Left or another totally diferent name might indeed work for you as well. But maybe you want to keep [name_f]Deborah[/name_f] because you were named after your stepmom. However, if you include Left in your name, you have that aspect from her and then you might care less about keeping [name_f]Deborah[/name_f] as well.

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[name_f]Welcome[/name_f] @Namechanger88 :wave: I’m sorry you’ve experienced so much trouble with your given name.

In terms of what you’re looking for in a new name, here’s what is jumping out at me from your post:

  1. You want to include both surnames ([name_u]Berry[/name_u] and Left)

  2. You don’t want any hyphens or problematic characters/spacing

  3. Nothing too long – first + middle + surname

  4. You don’t hate any of your given names ([name_f]Deborah[/name_f], [name_f]Jane[/name_f], [name_u]Holly[/name_u]) but you’re not opposed to dropping any/all of them either

  5. You definitely don’t want [name_f]Deborah[/name_f] + Left as the first and last name

Does that sound right?

In your position, I would probably keep the two surnames at the end of the name, and give myself a new or simplified first name.

[name_f]Tula[/name_f] [name_u]Berry[/name_u] Left is a lovely choice, especially if you identify with the name [name_f]Tula[/name_f] already.

[name_u]Holly[/name_u] [name_u]Berry[/name_u] Left or [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_u]Berry[/name_u] Left also work nicely, although I wonder if “holly berry” is a bit too literal… :thinking:

[name_f]Deborah[/name_f] [name_u]Berry[/name_u] Left is out because it’s too close to your stepmother’s name, but you could do [name_f]Deborah[/name_f] Left [name_u]Berry[/name_u], if you were open to switching up the order? It doesn’t flow quite so well that way, but it’s much simpler than your current name and includes all your important honour names with minimal change.

Otherwise, you could look for a new first name similar in sound or meaning to [name_f]Deborah[/name_f]. [name_f]Melissa[/name_f] (also means “bee”) or [name_f]Delia[/name_f], [name_f]Delilah[/name_f], [name_f]Della[/name_f], [name_f]Daphne[/name_f], [name_f]Dora[/name_f]

Good luck! :four_leaf_clover:

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I think I would do [name_u]Holly[/name_u] [name_u]Berry[/name_u] Left! That way you keep two of your original names, and it sounds super cool imo!

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[name_u]Holly[/name_u] [name_u]Berry[/name_u] Left sounds nice

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It sounds like [name_f]Deborah[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] Left [name_u]Berry[/name_u] would be best for you from what I’m reading.

Left being a second middle name so it’s still being included, but this way you don’t get confused with your step-mom. [name_u]Berry[/name_u] still being your legal surname.

Unless you identity with [name_f]Tula[/name_f] or [name_u]Holly[/name_u] strongly, I would stick with [name_f]Deborah[/name_f], it’s a nice name and it’s the name you’ve had all your life and what friends know you as.

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You hit the nail! And I thank you for your suggestions

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