(no subject)

[ewx]

If you changed your name, what would you change it to?

Comments

[mstevens.livejournal.com]

Something that doesn't end with 's' and with only one common spelling.

[simont]

Damn right. Ease of spelling would be my prime criterion. Anything which is hard to spell because of more than one common spelling would be out, and so would anything (like my actual surname) which is hard to spell because it's so obscure people aren't already aware of the correct spelling.

On the other hand, going straight for Smith or Jones would probably be excessive. Something with some individuality, out of whatever was left after I'd winnowed my list for ease of spelling. And then I suppose I'd let aesthetics do the rest.

[nja.livejournal.com]

Perri 6 (http://www.hsmc.bham.ac.uk/staff/staffdetails/6p.htm). Or possibly not. Given that changing your name is very easy, I suspect most people are content with the name they currently have.

[simont]

Changing your name may be legally easy, but it's always seemed to me like a hideous hassle in practical terms - all the stuff still using your old name needing to be updated. My surname is hard to spell and pronounce for most organisations I deal with, and so I wouldn't have chosen it if I'd had free choice at the age of (say) 18, but now I've got it the inconvenience is easily outweighed by inertia.

What I always find surprising is that so many women still say they'll change their names on marriage. I can't imagine wanting to change my name for a reason like that, and therefore I had vaguely assumed that now women had the option to keep their original surname, most of them would jump at it like a shot. I still keep being surprised at how wrong I was.

[ex-lark-asc.livejournal.com]

I already have :)

[saraphale.livejournal.com]

I refuse to implicate my alternate identities in a public forum.

I used to think 'Michael' would be a good name for me, but now I'm not sure.

[senji.livejournal.com]

I used my middle name amongst friends for a few months when I was a pre-teen...

Otherwise I have a nom-de-plume that I'd probably used if pressed and didn't want to give up my "real" name. I've never really fancied having a different name though...

[wendym.livejournal.com]

Dave. Wouldn't change sex or anything, just fancy being called Dave for a bit. In a woman called Alex man named Shirley kind of way.

[beckyc.livejournal.com]

Well, Dave, for one of my middle names, I was named after my grandfather. But people are mostly used to it being a female name now...

[beckyc.livejournal.com]

Becky

(I'm not being silly: for most legal purposes it's not my name.)

[beckyc.livejournal.com]

Of course, there is the silly part that the way it is written "beckyc^H" ;-)

[mair_in_grenderich]

Todd.

[ceb.livejournal.com]

I like Clare.

(What I didn't like was sharing an initial with my annoying little sister who was forever opening my post. These days we just confuse dentists.)

[mobbsy.livejournal.com]

These days we just confuse dentists.

As a hobby?

[kjaneway.livejournal.com]

Zelda Crackintackle, obviously.

[hsenag.livejournal.com]

I was named Arjuna Ganesh Sittampalam because my father's first name is Arjuna, but with the intention of me being called Ganesh. They didn't do it the other way around because my initials would then have been GAS, and my father, whose initials are ASS, was rather worried I'd get teased for it...

Anyway, the point is that having a "first name" that isn't really a first name can be a pain in the neck, because I tend to have to use it on official stuff, and I'd happily do without the "Arjuna". But then not having a middle name also might cause confusion...

[lnr]

My mum's Elizabeth Ann and has always been Ann. Only her school insisted on calling her by her first name. I doubt that would happen now. I don't think she'd want to drop the Elizabeth though.

[lnr]

For a while I used to contemplate being Catherine rather than Eleanor. But really it's no easier to spell since there are so many variants. And I seem to have rather grown back into my own name. I'm even getting used to being Ellie to lots of people again.

As for surname, I kind of like mine. I've had it a long time ;-)

[fivemack.livejournal.com]

Habakkuk

[liv]

Why go with the boring spelling when you could have three qs?

[geekette8.livejournal.com]

First name: I hated being "Victoria" when I was growing up but as soon as I realised I could be Vicky instead I didn't mind, so I wouldn't change that part.

Last name: Well, when I got married I went from an always mis-spelt name (Wilks without an e) to an always completely butchered name (Larmour) and I have to say, if I could go back in time and do it again I'd probably try and arrange for both of us to change our names to something completely different (something relatively short, easy to spell and pronounce, but not shared with too many of the rest of the population - Blake, Grant, Cross, Ward type of things).

I like having the same last name as my husband, as a general concept, though. And as others have said it's too much hassle to change your name to just do it without any external impetus.

Oh, and I do also like the fact that my initials (VKL) are not that common.

[k425.livejournal.com]

Ah! So that's who you are!

I probably should have looked at your info page. Not that looking at mine helps work out who I am, mind.

(It's Linz, from, oh, various places!)

[ghoti.livejournal.com]

I used to say that if I got as far as 25 without a (marriage) namechange in sight, I'd change my name legally. This was because I don't like mny surname, it's easy to misspell, but I do like the idea of one name for a family (and why should I get someone else to change their name for me, when I don't want my surname?)

I'm now 26. When I turned 25, I was engaged, and had a son of a different surname to me (and I don't remember that choice being discussed at great length). Now I am no longer engaged, no longer entirely sure I will change my name or what to, but I don't want to deliberately change my surname to something other than Benedict's or $future_family's, but I also don't want to change it to Benedict's if I might then acquire a husband with a good surname, which I would like to share with him. Mrs kyte Watson and I have several times discussed the merits of the name Watson, and are generally agreed that it's a fine name to marry into.

If I had changed my name it would have been to a family name - either one of my grandmother's maiden names (and I rather like my paternal grandfather's maiden name of 'Godwin') or my mother's maiden name.

As for first names; I was nearly called 'Birgit' in which case I would have changed to 'Bridget' by now. Otherwise, I like the name Elspeth, but I'm not sure it's me. It would certainly be something pronouncable. I've been an honorary Emily in the past, so maybe that would be it.

So, I guess if I knew I wasn't going to want to change my name by marriage (and if he had a really bad surname I wouldn't want it), and I was changing my name, and I wasn't bothered about Benet's surname, I might very well end up as 'Bridget Godwin'. Does that suit me?

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

I'd probably use my middle name, either in French or Italian form. And I've already changed my surname. If I had to change that again, for a particular reason, I'd use my great-grandmother's one, as it's got a bit of cachet in some circles. ;-)

I have occasionally thought about a pen name, if I ever get around to sending my novels to a publisher, and if I did I'd probably take an ex-boyfriend's surname, because it goes well with my full first name (there's already a writer with my current surname and a similar first name, and my maiden name has unpleasant connotations).

[sparrowsion]

I wouldn't want to pick a name for myself from scratch -- I'd spend too much stress worrying about getting it right, and regretting making a bad decision later. Better to deal with what fate has allocated, making judicious selections when the opportunity arises, eg the opportunity of marriage, adoption of a nickname or contraction as a regular form of address. Although with the benefit of hindsight, "judicious" should probably include consideration for ease of spelling and pronunciation.

[burkesworks.livejournal.com]

If the gubmint has its way and we all become forced to carry ID cards, I'm going to change my name by deed poll to "Buck U. Flunkett".

[teleute.livejournal.com]

I have never really thought my name suited me. I only respond out of habit, and 'Emma' doesn't seem to have anything to do with me at all. I respond just as well to teleute (or Lute, which is a really cool short form) although no one calls me that any more. I think Alex would suit me much better. My dad wanted me to be called Alexandra, but my mum vetoed it because she wanted a daughter called Emma. I wish she hadn't :-) I will probably name a daughter Alex, if I get the chance.

[bjh21.livejournal.com]

Something with a two-syllable first name, I think. Far too many things sound like "Ben", and "Benjamin" is just too long (in addition to being silly). A surname that can sensibly be pronounced with a French accent might be nice, too.

[claroscuro.livejournal.com]

I'm happy with my (changed) surname: Amery is kinda nice, imho. I'm still toying with Shadow as a RL name, because that's how I think of myself these days. I can live with the 'Sarah', and friends tend to pick up 'Saz' quite quickly, (and a very few people have adopted 'Shadow' already), so doing it 'for real' seems too much effort. Besides, my family would go nuts, and it might look a bit strange on job applications...

[vyvyan.livejournal.com]

Vivien. I don't much like my real first name - it seems pretentious and girly - but my parents would be more upset than I can be bothered with if I changed it. I'm happy enough with my surname though, even if nobody can spell or pronounce it.

[ptc24.livejournal.com]

I want one of those long pretentious Culture names, with about seven parts or so, but would feel stupid being the only one.

[mhk.livejournal.com]

I liked my maiden name and I'd prefer something shorter for my christian name.

[oldbloke.livejournal.com]

Been there, done that, changed it back.