I have been sure about wanting to change my first name for years now, but haven’t been able to settle on one name for the longest time. At this point I have 100% decided to legally change my name to [name_f]Capucine[/name_f]. I’m very sure about it. I live in the United States and I’m aware of the mispronunciation issues and spelling issues I’ll have because it’s a [name_m]French[/name_m] name, but I’ve accepted that. I’m very interested in the [name_m]French[/name_m] culture, know a decent amount of [name_m]French[/name_m] and plan to become fluent, and could even see myself moving to [name_f]France[/name_f] one day.
I want to know what an outsider would think of this name change. [name_f]My[/name_f] birth name is a VERY common name to the point of being cliche, so I worry that changing it to [name_f]Capucine[/name_f] comes off as pretentious or plain ridiculous? I don’t think anything will change my mind. I’m quite headstrong, but also just curious. In addition, as a personal choice, I know that I’m never going to have children in the future… so I almost approached this name change as an opportunity to pick a name I love most, as I would do if I had a daughter. Instead, it was an opportunity to settle on a new name that ended up being a process of years.
[name_u]Unique[/name_u] names have naturally been appealing to me in this process because my birth name is so common. So even if I hadn’t decided on [name_f]Capucine[/name_f], it would be another name of somewhat equal rarity. Others I considered for a while were [name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f], [name_f]Delphine[/name_f], [name_f]Bijou[/name_f], [name_f]Margaux[/name_f], [name_f]Marguerite[/name_f], etc, but decided against them for whatever reason.
[name_m]Just[/name_m] wondering what other Berries think of this situation.
Any comments on the name in general are welcome as well
It is a very daring choice, and will attract rather a lot of attention, and no doubt people will want to ask you about it. If you are comfortable with that then you absolutely must go for it. It is YOUR name, your choice, your life.
Best of luck!
I respect your decision and the thought you have put into making it. I admire you because I have thought a lot about changing my name too. I still might but I have only just begun to think about what name I would rather have. It’s a bit daunting.
I’m not trying to change your mind but I am a big believer in trying stuff out before committing. I wouldn’t buy new shoes without trying them on first to see what it is like to walk, stand, turn, jump in them. A name is a bigger deal than shoes. Did you try on the name already? Did you live as [name_f]Capucine[/name_f] and tell your friends/family to call you [name_f]Capucine[/name_f] & introduce yourself to new people with your new name? If so, then what was it like when you did that?
[name_m]How[/name_m] is [name_f]Capucine[/name_f] pronounced?
Well, of course, it’s completely your choice. However…I think [name_f]Capucine[/name_f] would come across as a bit pretentious especially if your name is very common.
Are you aware of the [name_m]French[/name_m] model, actress of the same name? See [name_f]Pink[/name_f] Panther (1960). It being an unusual name it will be people’s first association if they have any so I’d make sure I’m okay with it to start with. I think legally changing a name is a huge step. Can’t you just adapt it as your name of choice you go by. As a nickname you might be able to pull it off as fun or cool without it coming across as pretentious. Best of luck with either decision.
[name_f]Do[/name_f] you mind if I ask how old you are? I only ask because I legally changed my name too. I had the opposite problem you had though. [name_f]My[/name_f] name was so obscure that no one had heard it before and I hated that. I wanted a more common, easy to pronounce and spell name. I changed it only in school when I was very young and by the time I legally changed it as an adult, I hated the name but felt I had to either keep it since everyone knew me as that name or go by my birth name, which I also hated.
If you’re young, I would try the name out in school, with friends, etc. If you still like it after a year or two, then legally change it. You might decide the name really isn’t you after people start calling you by it.
Since you only asked for opinions on the name itself and not on your decision to change your name, I’ll stick to that.
I have no idea how to pronounce it. If it is pronounced the way I think it is… I don’t care for it. I would prefer something like [name_f]Delphine[/name_f].
Agreed. There is that cliche of the suburban girl whose name is [name_u]Ashley[/name_u]/[name_f]Nicole[/name_f]/[insert common name here] changing her name to [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f]/[name_f]Chrysanthemum[/name_f]/[insert exotic name here]…
Frankly, I’m not sure why you’re asking for feedback when your mind is “100% made up,” but I’ll be honest: the first thing [name_f]Capucine[/name_f] makes me think of is monkeys, and the second thing is coffee.
It’s a pretty word…I’m guessing it’s pronounced “Cah-poo-SEEN?” It does, however, make one think of Capuchin (as in monkeys) or coffee (as in cappuccino). You said you mind is made up…and I can appreciate and admire that…but maybe give it a little more thought before doing anything legal. [name_m]French[/name_m] is a beautiful language, but, as others have pointed out, this particular word/name (did you give the pronunciation? I might be wrong.) sounds a bit pretentious.
[name_f]Cathy[/name_f] (talk about common names! LOL)
I’m a [name_m]French[/name_m] speaker living in [name_f]France[/name_f], married to a Frenchman, and having a [name_m]French[/name_m] baby. Since this particular name is VERY [name_m]French[/name_m], I would suggest waiting until you have a real connection to [name_f]France[/name_f] before officially changing your name to [name_f]Capucine[/name_f], if you want to avoid people finding it pretentious. For example, you could wait until you have fully become fluent and have lived in [name_f]France[/name_f] for a year or so. Then, when you introduce yourself as [name_f]Capucine[/name_f], you’ll be able to somewhat justify yourself.
If your [name_m]French[/name_m] isn’t fluent yet and you are only thinking of possibly, maybe one day moving to [name_f]France[/name_f], I would suggest choosing a name which could come across as English as well as [name_m]French[/name_m], e.g. [name_u]Pascale[/name_u] or [name_u]Valentine[/name_u].
Anyway, I asked my husband how the name [name_f]Capucine[/name_f] sounds to [name_m]French[/name_m] ears. He said it’s a name that’s recently come into fashion in [name_f]France[/name_f] (maybe five years ago) and so most of the people carrying the name nowadays are little children. He added that it’s considered cute for a toddler, but that nobody would want it as an adult.
Also, by the way, the name [name_f]Bijou[/name_f] would be considered trashy in [name_f]France[/name_f], kind of like calling yourself [name_f]Precious[/name_f] or [name_f]Princess[/name_f] in English.
This is really, really important. Not only will an American girl changing her name to [name_f]Capucine[/name_f] seem silly in [name_u]America[/name_u], it will seem silly in [name_f]France[/name_f]. The fact is that despite your romantic notions about [name_m]French[/name_m], you are not [name_m]French[/name_m], don’t speak [name_m]French[/name_m], and don’t live in [name_f]France[/name_f]. The impression made by giving yourself an uber-[name_m]French[/name_m] name? Unfavorable everywhere, I’m afraid.
I think it is absolutely your choice. [name_f]Capucine[/name_f] is a lovely name (not at all pretentious in my opinion), and after reading some of the comments, I can’t believe the close-mindedness of some of these people. You live in the United States, so what? You love the name [name_f]Capucine[/name_f], and you have a right to change your birth name to that if you want to. It’s your choice and your life. Anybody who doesn’t realize that or will judge you by your name choice is probably not worth listening to anyway. It is also a sensible choice if you’re planning on moving to [name_f]France[/name_f] later in life.
[name_f]Hope[/name_f] this helps and best of luck!
c_elizabeth214, I hope your response wasn’t addressed to me. She asked for personal opinions on whether or not people in general might find the name pretentious; she asked for a prediction of how other people might judge her. I didn’t even say whether I agreed with those people or not, I just gave a heads-up of how they might think, and made suggestions she could consider “IF she wants to avoid” (quote) people thinking that way.
Not to mention she said she was interested in [name_m]French[/name_m] culture, so she probably wants to know how the name sounds in [name_m]French[/name_m]-- especially if she might live here one day. Explaining considerations of how a name sounds in other languages, from the point of view of other cultures, is the opposite of close-minded.
Personally, it’s nothing to do with me: I don’t care a bit if she changes her name to [name_f]Queen[/name_f] [name_f]Marie[/name_f] [name_f]Antoinette[/name_f].
Thank you c_elizabeth214… I was also a bit shocked by the close-mindedness and judgmental responses.
[name_m]Just[/name_m] to answer a few questions that people had…
I’m 24 years old.
I am aware of the [name_m]French[/name_m] model, [name_f]Capucine[/name_f].
I am very aware of the fact that people associate this name with coffee and monkeys, but I love the name so I don’t really care.
I wonder if people would have the same negative responses if I was having a daughter and choosing to name her [name_f]Capucine[/name_f]? Or do people seem to hate this scenario strictly because I was not born with the name? I don’t think it matters that I’m American. So what if after a year of searching through every name imaginable I happened to fall in love with a [name_m]French[/name_m] name?
It’s not about being close-minded. It’s about being realistic and offering advice that was asked for. I would bet that most of the posters who replied negatively are adults with opinions based on experience rather than the idealism.
If you don’t care what people think, why ask what they think?
I absolutely would.
As for allegations that respondents aren’t being open minded, check out the names in some of these signatures. Nameberry is one of the only places where you’ll find people responding positively to names like [name_f]Plum[/name_f] and [name_f]Poem[/name_f] and Ilyria. It doesn’t get much more open-minded than this.
