Wanting to change my name... where to start?

General Name Discussion
1

[name]Ever[/name] since I was little I’ve hated my name for multiple reasons, and would like to change it. I’ve mentioned it here before, but won’t in this thread because I don’t want people to say “it’s beautiful and traditional, why would you change it?”

The problem is, I’m 16 and can’t legally change it until 18. My parents have forbidden me from going by a different name until then, because I’ve done it before and ended up hating my choice (it was Amala, and I decided it was too weird and hippy-ish).

And I don’t know where to start with choosing a new name. Should I pick one that honours a family member, one I just like, one that suits my looks, one with a meaning that speaks to me… or what? My style is names that sound modern but have a history to them, as well as Irish, Welsh and French names. I want something that doesn’t stand out from the crowd too much but isn’t common.

2

Okay, here are a couple ideas…

  1. If you have a good relationship with your parents (naming taste aside) maybe try to talk with them a bit about other names they considered for you, family names that they like, what they think of some of your favorite names. [name]Even[/name] if you dont agree on the first name you end up using, maybe you can incorporate their ideas into a middle or at least take them into account so there arent hard feelings when you do turn 18 and change it. Or who knows, theres always the chance youll stumble on something you ALL love and can change it sooner.

  2. Put together a serious list and start seriously narrowing it down. I would say you want a name that has personal significance to you–either in meaning or in family member, whatever. You want a name you can live with a long time and it has to feel like “yours.” I wouldnt go by the “I look like a…” plan, (I’ve been told I look like a [name]Samantha[/name] or an [name]Amelie[/name] but I wouldnt want to go by either, mainly because its just people saying I look like an American Girl doll or a movie character, haha. No thanks.) That said, maybe I wouldnt go too far outside your general heritage (like choose an extremely French sounding name if you’re 100% Irish with a very Irish surname for example). Go more with what you feel like you can make your own.

  3. Starbucks test? I know a lot of us do this with baby names, but it is genius. When you go to a Starbucks (or any place that asks your name and calls your name when your drink/order is up) Try some names out. This lets you experience how you’d feel being called that name, gauge how people handle pronunciation, and check for any reactions from strangers. Or ask close friends to call you by ____ name for a day and see how it goes. You have plenty of time, so you could try out a bunch of names like this if you like.

Good luck!

3

Lineska’s ideas are great!

For me, I always thought about names I’d rather have since I was a child, so I’ve never been too stumped on how to find new ideas.

When I do get stuck, I just browse names I like then practice intoducing myself as it, sometimes I’ll record it on my cellphone’s voice memo, and then play it back. That’s how I realized how odd [name]Dahlia[/name] was on me.

I’ll write the name out quickly and see how naturally it flows from my hand.

Also, I tried to find names close to mine that I liked, so I came up with [name]Emma[/name], [name]Amalia[/name], [name]Mikayla[/name], [name]Natalia[/name].

I’m into astrology, and I stumbled across this book called “Zodiac [name]Baby[/name] Names”, which has names sorted based on Zodiac signs. I went hunting through the [name]Aries[/name] section, (my sign) and found a bunch of names I really like/love. I also when through the other sections that had attributes that I wanted for myself, such as [name]Libra[/name].
If you can’t get this book at your library, you can search online for some lists of names sorted by sign. I know one site as a few of them. [name]Just[/name] google “names for zodiac sign girls”.
You don’t necessarily have to be really into astrology, but it can help narrow your name search down. :slight_smile: I have some [name]Aries[/name], and [name]Libra[/name] names written down with me if you’d like them.

I’ve also asked my boyfriend, and close friends for names that they think would suit me. I got a lot of [name]Jennifer[/name], which I found funny. I asked my mother what names she’d considered, and she’d remembered [name]Dahlia[/name], but I eventually nixed it.

It’s also very helpful to have someone to consistantly bounce ideas off of. I frequently message a few other girls on here who are on the hunt for their own new names. [name]Feel[/name] free to message me if you want to discuss and track your own name ideas with someone. :slight_smile:

4

Lineska’s ideas are great!

For me, I always thought about names I’d rather have since I was a child, so I’ve never been too stumped on how to find new ideas.

When I do get stuck, I just browse names I like then practice intoducing myself as it, sometimes I’ll record it on my cellphone’s voice memo, and then play it back. That’s how I realized how odd [name]Dahlia[/name] was on me.

I’ll write the name out quickly and see how naturally it flows from my hand.

Also, I tried to find names close to mine that I liked, so I came up with [name]Emma[/name], [name]Amalia[/name], [name]Mikayla[/name], [name]Natalia[/name].

I’m into astrology, and I stumbled across this book called “Zodiac [name]Baby[/name] Names”, which has names sorted based on Zodiac signs. I went hunting through the [name]Aries[/name] section, (my sign) and found a bunch of names I really like/love. I also when through the other sections that had attributes that I wanted for myself, such as [name]Libra[/name].
If you can’t get this book at your library, you can search online for some lists of names sorted by sign. I know one site as a few of them. [name]Just[/name] google “names for zodiac sign girls”.
You don’t necessarily have to be really into astrology, but it can help narrow your name search down. :slight_smile: I have some [name]Aries[/name], and [name]Libra[/name] names written down with me if you’d like them.

I’ve also asked my boyfriend, and close friends for names that they think would suit me. I got a lot of [name]Jennifer[/name], which I found funny. I asked my mother what names she’d considered, and she’d remembered [name]Dahlia[/name], but I eventually nixed it.

It’s also very helpful to have someone to consistantly bounce ideas off of. I frequently message a few other girls on here who are on the hunt for their own new names. [name]Feel[/name] free to message me if you want to discuss and track your own name ideas with someone. :slight_smile:

5

I legally changed my name when I was 18 because I really disliked my birthname, the meaning, the spelling, the way everyone would always mispronounce and misspell it and mistake it for being another name all the time. [name]Even[/name] now, people will still tell me it was a lovely name and I shouldn’t have changed it, but since I live in the USA having a name that was so different that English speakers had a hard time with it was not fun. So I spent a few years researching names before finally coming up with a name that suited me. [name]Just[/name] consider the time between now and your 18th birthday as time to research and find your new name.

First, I asked my mom what other names she had considered using before I was born, ironically I did end up using one of the names. I looked into my family history and at what names had been used in the past. I looked up the meaning and etymology of every single name I considered, looked up it’s history, checked out its associations, how common it was [there’s where I made my mistake, I over shot it. Went from a name hardly anyone could spell or pronounce to a name that now is too popular. But I digress.] I wanted to make sure the name flowed together well, that it had unique (non-repeated) sounds, that was rhythmically pleasing to the ear. I made sure I varied the numbers of syllables. Then I tested the names. I’d go to Panera and order a icy coffee drink and give them a name to call out. [This is the same idea as the Starbucks test, it works with any place where they have to call out your name to pick up your food or drink.] That’s a great way to test out how people respond to a name, whether they crinkle their nose or compliment you on the name.

I also practiced my signature, practiced saying various names aloud, had friends call me by the other names just so I could see how they worked.

6

I like the sound of the Starbucks test. Might try it sometime.

SAB Whirligig

Oh wait…I don’t know where Starbucks is around here. Oh well.