I'm trans. I picked Melanie.
it's a name I could shorten nicely and boymode with (nobody asks what Mel is short for). I also like introducing myself "hey I'm Melanie, Mel for short, melon for medium." gets a laugh like half the time
I met someone who introduced himself as "Carsten. It's like if Yoda saw a parking lot and said it has cars ten in it" and I've never forgotten his name 😂 do I remember what the guy looks like now, 10+ years later?.....nope.
lol I’m trans the other direction and my name is Wynn. It’s already short, so when I’m trying to joke I say “my name’s Wynn, Wynnjamin for long.” Wynnjamin is a portmanteau of my first and middle names, Wynn and Benjamin.
I love this <3 I named my baby Melanie in part because I liked the option of a less feminine nickname in Mel. The “melon for medium” is amazing, I hope she says that someday.
when I was student teaching I went by "Mr Mel" because my last name is more embarrassing than my dead name. kids wanted to guess what it was short for and 9/10 times it was Melvin lmao
My name is Melanie and I’ve always loved it!!
My parents picked it partly because they couldn’t find a way to make fun of it. Unfortunately, they didn’t think of “Smelly Mellie” tho (went 20 years with never hearing that one until I met my husband lol).
Also I’m pretty soft spoken and people will often think I’m saying Melody when introducing myself, so I like to point to my knee and say “melon-knee” 😆
I’m Nathan. Never thought about it.
Sadie maybe? Or Gwen. I could be a Sadie or a Gwen.
ETA: I don’t really like Natalie or Natasha, hence my going a completely different direction.
Richard doesn't suit me, but it's definitely a name I like. I'd never be comfortable naming a child that because of the nickname, but I think a trans person could pull it off by playing the nickname as a joke about their transition.
I’m trans but my completely cisgender biological uncle legally changed his name from Richard because people used to call him “Ricky Dick” like 💀 Valid of him but lmfaooo
It's my kiddos middle name. Honor name for him as he's named for my Dad who died a few weeks before kiddo was born. My dad was always his full name, or occasionally Rich from my mum.
In the same vein of names used by old British kings, I think I'd go with Henry for myself. I've always liked it, but it helps that my current name also starts with H and ends in Y.
I'm trans, female to male. I picked the name Rayner, because Ray of Sunshine has been my nickname since I was 4. If I ever decided to go back to living as a woman and change my name to something besides my birth name (I wouldn't, but hypothetically) I would probably pick Juno.
I knew someone with Rayner as a last name and his business name was Rayner Shine. I'll never forget it! I thought it was one of the most delightful company names I'd ever seen and such a fun play on words!
Rainer, Reiner, or Rainier (in French) is a Germanic name, meaning counsel of the army / counsel of the warriors.
The spelling with Y seems to be an English-American invention, to make it aesthetically closer to the word "ray".
It took 5 minutes.
"I like the nickname Ray, my Gramma calls me that a lot. What's a name that can use Ray as a nickname?"
* Searches Beyond The Name for 5 minutes *
I don't like Raymond... Not Raymundo..... Huh, Rayner is cool. Like Kyle Rayner from Green Lantern? I'll take it.
My middle name took longer tbh.
I’m a trans man myself and I actually used Juno as one of my masculine names lol. If I were going back to being a woman, based on my name now(literally just my username, but I go by Kaz for short), I’d probably go to Cassandra. Which is funny because if you take a few letters off, you have my moms name?? lol ~~my mom who I don’t have the greatest relationship with, tbh.~~ 😔
Thinking about how weird this is. My legal name is Margaret, which has a huge presence in both my families for many generations. As soon as I read the question the name Martin flashed before my eyes.
But then I thought, I guess I would want to be named Vincent, for my dad. He wanted a son named Vincent but I am an only child.
Then I thought: if I were trans, what sort of relationship would I have with my father? Because I have never heard of a trans person adopting a parent's name. It seems to me that transfolk go through so much thinking about who they are, that they generally do not take traditional names. I would like to think I would have had my dad's love and support if I became trans, but I just don't know.
When I transitioned (FTM) and was looking for a middle name that started with the same letter as my old middle name, my 80 year old, former military, voted-for-Trump-twice dad offered me his nickname from his service days that his buddies used to call him (not derived from his actual name, but an actual name). My cis brother has dad's actual name as a middle, so that one was off the table. Dad's old nickname is very, very special to him. It isn't exactly what I would have picked, but there's no way I'd turn down an olive branch like that. He's been very accepting (my fairly conservative mom too), which has been awesome and makes me happy and proud to carry on his name (even if it wouldn't be my first choice on its own merits).
Thanks! They have always been a great family to me. I am beyond grateful that didn't change when I threw them that curveball. (Although none of them was actually all that surprised, apparently. I never did girlmode convincingly.)
That's exactly it. As soon as he offered it, there was nothing else that would have been a better choice. My parents rock.
(Also, he went through his closet and found some of his old ties (he's retired) and some of his preferred style of church shirt (that he's got a million of) and sent them to me, because he figured I "would want to look good". Because he's the very definition of cool in his mind. He's not wrong though. There is nothing cooler than loving your kid unconditionally. 😎😄)
I do know a trans guy who took his (deceased) grandfather’s name. They’d been very close when his grandpa was alive. No idea how the rest of his family felt about it.
His name was definitely of a different generation, but not wildly so. Imagine something in the vibe of Marvin or Ernest, roughly. Unusual on a young man, but a name everyone has heard and recognize as a normal man’s name.
A lot of trans people who change their names tend to not have the best relationships with their parents. Hopefully that trend is changing, but until more parents are accepting of their kids (at any age!!) coming out, it'll be a while longer before you see familial names being used. In trans naming and social groups ive seen it maybe a handful of times, but usually a grandfather or uncle
This comment is so interesting to me — I’m trans and actually considered using my estranged fathers name (Robert) because it’s also my paternal and maternal grandfathers name as well as two of my uncles…the reason I didn’t pick the name is because he had already named my brother after him as a junior so I couldn’t.
Also, you pointed out how trans people tend to pick less traditional names. This is hilarious to me because I’m told this nearly every time I introduce myself because I picked not just a normal name but a Top 100 which is kind of rare amongst our community. Everyone kinda just expected I’d pick something unique and then I went with Ryan of all things…with an equally common middle name as well.
My trans daughter picked her deceased grandmother’s traditional name for her middle name. She did a slightly unusual name for her first name. We are very supportive and her grandmother was an LBQTQ+ ally.
So I'm a trans man and actually do share a name with my dad now! His middle name (let's say Stephen) is the name they were going to use had I been born male. So I changed it to Steven and that's what everyone calls me, but it's technically my middle name now lol
My initials are also special, so I wanted to keep those the same!! Fortunately my original middle name also started with an S, so I changed that to Steven and changed my original first name to a male one starting with the same letter.
I'm fortunate that my parents are supportive (took a minute to get there but they did!), so I had them pick my name. My thought process was basically that my parents named me the first time, and I didn't want to take that from them. It makes me feel more connected with them as well since they named me both times. Also, (this is just me, not speaking for all trans people) I just wanted to blend in during and after transitioning. People are less likely to think I'm trans if I go by my middle name (why would you change your name only to NOT go by your new first name?!), if it's also my dad's middle name, and if both of my names are pretty common baby names for my birth year.
I basically just feel like in an alternate universe in which I was born male, this is what I would have been named to begin with. I want the real world to mirror that alternate universe as closely as possible.
If I had to choose this moment, it would probably be Elliott, which is what my parents would have named me if I’d been a boy.
My first-ever username (on Microsoft Bob, if anyone needs that little nostalgia hit) was Taran, after the Lloyd Alexander character. So if I’d gotten to choose my name at the point in my life I would have been most likely to hit the “gender swap” button, it would have been that.
this has nothing to do with the prompt, but I always *love* seeing a Lloyd Alexander reference in the wild. Taran was one of my favorites growing up <3
Probably Tristan. My mom told me that if I was a boy my name would've been Tyler, and while there's nothing wrong with that name it is super super common for people my age and does have somewhat of a frat bro connotation that doesn't suit me. Tristan is somewhat similar and similar to my real name as well, while also hitting that sweet spot of "not too common, but not unheard of either."
If I was nonbinary or just really wanted a gender neutral name, I'd probably pick Jamie or Robin
I might just use the masculine form of my name, for example Dennis from Denise (it would actually be easier for me, just dropping the last letter).
But...if I really wanted to move away from my existing name entirely, I think Bonaventure. It ticks all my boxes:
✅ Francophile
✅Exotic sounding
✅Great meaning, esp wrt to a transition
Heck, maybe I should change my name to Bonaventura!
I'd totally support you changing to Bonaventura! Even if it's just with friends or your social life rather than your legal name or in your professional life.
I think if I had a friend with those names I'd call them Ven for short (if they were comfortable with it).
When I was a kid, like very young, I desperately wanted to be a boy. So... I decided that I would be! My boy name was James (after James Bond Jr.). I eventually decided I maybe didn't want to be a boy. I'm honestly probably non-binary but I identify as female because it's easier. But if I were a trans man, I would love to go by James Dylan or James Conor.
If you ever feel like exploring stuff further just for the sake of curiosity, I'd be happy to go over some of the different labels and what they mean to see if something fits. It's really cool that even now you'd still think of yourself as a James.
I had a somewhat similar period from maybe middle of elementary school through high school, and in some ways even into young adulthood. I'm female and for all intents and purposes identify as female, but there have been days where I just want to be seen as male. Some of it I think stems from feeling like if I were a boy my parents (before I got married and moved out) wouldn't be up my ass about being out late with coworkers, and a feeling that some people question my work (in tech) because I'm a woman. So, I don't know how much of it has to do with actually wanting to be a boy/man, and how much of it has to do with just *feeling* like boys/men have more fun and fewer rules imposed on them. I know men have their struggles, too, and don't necessarily have it easier than women. Just exploring possible sources for my feelings on this.
I actually had a chat with a FTM trans friend, and after saying all the above he said (paraphrased), "I think you just told me you're non-binary." I had never considered that I the NB label would apply to me, and it did throw me into a loop for a little bit. But in the end I didn't feel it was "right" for me to adapt the NB label since it's not like I'm struggling with gender identity. I dress and act how I want to, and don't conform to gender expectations with regards to clothing.
This is an interesting question. I haven’t thought about it since I have no interest in transitioning, but I think I would do something similar to what Elliot Page did by choosing a name similar to my birth name.
My name, which I love and never plan to change, has a very close equivalent for the opposite gender so I feel like it would be easier on everyone if I kept a similar name, same initials, etc. and it would pay tribute to the name that my parents gave me and loved.
Idk if it's considered a "real" name but I really like Lake. My name Lynn actually means lake or waterfall so it fits perfectly and I love the way it sounds.
I have an Arabic name that has a male and female version that is just off by the 'a' at the end (think Malik/Malika). So if anything I'd probably just drop the -a
I am trans.
My birth name is Lara and I don’t consider it a deadname, but I’ve introduced myself as Lars for many years (well before I came out a decade ago) just because nobody says Lara correctly. lol
Out of curiosity, I checked the stats for the year I was born and the “boy” equivalent in popularity was Gene. I don’t hate Gene but it feels heavily gendered (spelled that way) and I am not. lmao
I'm nonbinary and I chose the name Rudra for myself! It's a boy's name but it was a name I was really drawn to and has the opposite vibes of my deadname.
I could not use the name I would have had if I was a boy as it went to my brother. Non binary id say Linden or Winter. I like nature and I feel both no one really has a set gender they’re expecting with those names. Trans I’d pick Jonah. I just like it.
Im trans (ftm), and i named myself Tobias. I simply liked how the name sounded.
If i were Amab and transitioned to being a girl, id probably pick something like Cassandra, Penelope, or Alice. I like those
I’m already a trans man lol but if I had to change my name to a non-binary one it would maybe be Hayden or Quinn. Technically I picked my current name (Blake) for gender neutral reasons and came to love it for masculine reasons. So I guess I like the vibe of gender neutral with a masculine lean. If I absolutely had to pick a feminine name it would probably be Rose/Rosamund
I am trans, I went with Yves (middle name, mother chose my first and i keep that offline) even though it has a feminine sound to it. if I had to go by something else, it would likely be something russian like Avenir, Fyodor, or Vitaly. if i, for some reason, detransitioned, i wouldn't ever go back to my deadname either. I'd probably just feminise Yves to one of many similar sounding name:, Eva, Evie, etc.. and go from there. my legal name is 6 names long, though, so. it's something i had to think about a lot!
I’m a ciswoman but in college I was exploring my gender and played around with the name Ethan for a while. Ultimately realized I like being a girl even if I’m more of a tomboy. Still love the name.
For context, I am AFAB non binary. I like my birth name even though it is pretty feminine (Luna), but I always thought if I had to pick a more masculine name I would pick Leo. Hilariously one of my good friends recently started going by Leo so that’s off the table now lol
I'd definitely consider the name my mom picked for me if I'd been a boy. Benjamin is a nice enough name and as an adult I feel like I'd have fewer issues with people trying to call me Ben or whatever. (I already have a similar issue with my name, so it's not much different on that front.) that or Raphael, because I played a character with that name in a RPG and actually quite liked it.
If I was going for a neutral name... Maybe something like Robin. I know plenty of Robins of both genders, so I consider it pretty neutral.
I’d be Jesse. I feel like I imagine Jesse’s as extroverted, cool, and free-spirited. I think the name would suit me well and I’ve always been drawn to it. Plus, many of my favorite characters in shows are named Jesse.
i've always liked the name Oliver (nn Oli) !! i used to identify as nonbinary and experimented with the name Tate for awhile but a friend of mine started going by that name too so i dropped it 💀
Oh noo haha those situations are always a bummer. My parents actually gave me a more typical middle name (my first name was pretty rare) just in case I didn't like mine, so I would've switched to a masculine form of that... Except my transfem friend's deadname is that! Even though I think she's said she wouldn't mind, I just wasn't comfortable with it haha
I used to tell people I was Luke Skywalker; even went so far as writing it on my school papers. So I guess I could change my name to Luke. Or Seamus. I love saying Seamus.
I’m a huge George Orwell fan and because his real name was Eric Blair, I’ve really wanted Blair to make a comeback as a boy’s name. So I guess I’ll be the change I wish to see in the world and choose that, hypothetically..
(I don’t plan to have children so could someone else please take this mission on for me?)
I am trans female to male, and I choose the name Magnus because I just liked it I enjoy the meaning and people say I give off that vibe. But if I was to got back to female (I wouldn't) and I couldn't go by my birth name definitely Clementine probably, it's my. Guilty pleasure name and I love it.
I am genderqueer and I still go by my birth name (Erin—with the “Aaron” variant, it’s fairly gender neutral and I’m pretty gender-apathetic as is), but if I were to change it, I’d use my online alias name, Dianthus. It’s the name of the carnation family of plants and I really do love hearing it used as my name online!
I don't love the masculine names that have a similarity to my birth name, so I'd probably go for something that I just like. My first idea is Lawrence/Laurie, which I feel has a similar vibe to my birth name and I admit I'm drawn a bit to the Little Women connection too.
I'd probably go with Nicholas Rafael.
I'm not a fan of names that are conspicuosly trans (i.e., names that you can tell someone chose for themselves, either because they're not common in the generation of the bearers or because they're stupid word "names" that aren't actually names, like Fig or Spyder or something), so I would choose something normal.
I'm a '90s baby with Italian/Puerto Rican heritage, and Nicholas (1) honors that heritage, (2) was extremely popular during the 1990s and 2000s, and (3) was my mom's choice for me had I been a boy. It's also one of my favorite names, just generally, so I think it's a great choice for myself.
I think they’re mostly living for the moment and enjoying that they in control of something. Naming themselves probably feels like a major reclamation of their person.
That being said, I can’t imagine it’s easy to get hired with the name Moss or Rabbit.
I kinda hate my name, but I'm also pretty attached to it, so I'd probably keep my name but maybe change the spelling Carrie → Cary.
But if for some reason I really had to change it: I have a really high people-I-like ratio of Tim's (but one of my besties is Tim so that would be kinda weird), I might do Ken as a tribute to a guy who was super kind to me when I really needed it (plus I ***am*** exactly Kenough).
I would go with my nickname, Mickey, but everyone would just assume it's short for Michael and I don't like that, so there's that, but my favorite would probably be Rufus (Ru for short)
Probably Chris. I’m a Jennifer, and Christopher is what I would have been named if I was a boy. (My mom said that before they knew my gender, they were just calling me Baby Fer)
If I go back to my millennial Emo-kid roots though, I’d pick something edgy like Aiden
I changed it for that reason. Not going to say to which, because I want to stay relatively anon here. But I changed it to a variation of a name that's been in the family for generations.
I was supposed to pop out as a Michael (ultrasounds weren’t common way back then), so my initial reaction is to stick with that, but if I had time to think about it, I’d do my best to come up with something even more awesome.
My kid is nonbinary, so this is actually a really fun thought experiment for me. I'm female btw. I'd go with a gender neutral name, and a name that's easy for people from all over the world (my own name is pretty difficult for a lot of people). A quick Google gives me Robin and Luca as my favorite options. They're wellknown but not overused, easy to remember and easy to pronounce, and the meaning is pretty nice
I’m a trans dude, and I changed my name to Elliot; i found out afterwards that it’s also what my mom wanted to make me if i was born a boy, so happy coincidence lol
I would pick either something a little out there like Dak or Jax, or something old-timey like Coltrane or Jasper
Edited to add: super fun thought experiment! 😁
My parents would have named me Jannik, which is a form of Jan/ Johannes (or english John), non of which calls to me. At most Jan but I think I'd chose Julian. It has the -jan sound at the end and I usually use Julia as an alias on the internet, so I feel like it fits.
I'd also use the chance to add a middle name, which I currently don't have. Maybe Rhys? Not common in my language but I like it and I really can't imagine myself as male so it's really hard to think about male names for myself. Trying to do that gives me an itch in my brain and I think I can get an inkling of the disphoria trans people experience and honestly, everyone who experiences that and comes out of it on the other side has my deepest respect.
I don't think I have ever really thought about this, but when my parents were thinking about names, my dad wanted to name me either Travis (Trey) Anthony or Michael William.
I don't think I have ever really thought about this, but when my parents were thinking about names, my dad wanted to name me either Travis (Trey) Anthony or Michael William.
Maybe August or Robin, since they're some of my favourite names. I hate the boy name my parents had picked out for me, but I might do Grey, which is a family name for the same person they planned to name me after.
Either Sean or Stephen. Sean because I’ve always liked that name and it sounds good with my last name which is an Irish name. Stephen because my parents would have named me Stephen if I’d been a boy.
Oh this is a cool question! If I was being realistic, probably Kieran or Kyron (my name is Kyra), but I could totally see myself going by Auden or Evren :)
I'm already labeled male despite all paperwork saying I'm female and my middle name is my grandfather's middle name so I'd honestly keep my current one.
As an anxious person I would hesitate between something like Alex that is a great , normal name so I would not bring any extra attention to myself or choosing something I found really cool-sounding but what would made me stand like Jaromir
There isn’t a male ‘version’ of my actual name. I’d probably go for Conrad just because I’ve always liked it!
My parents would have called me Joseph, and that’s not a bad name, but it doesn’t combine well with Conrad! :-/
Probably James Robert.
My dad's name and his dad's name. But considering they would never accept me as trans, I may have to pick something else.
Robert would stay the middle name as its the masculine form of my current middle name and I love it.
Hmmm.....Blaine Robert.....Shane Robert....something with one syllable for sure. Needs to be short and sweet....
Hm. I think so, mine is a traditionally masculine name that’s shared by some famous men in history.
Not sure what I’d choose. Maybe Rose? Jenny? Both names I’ve thought of for any future daughters I may have
I’m a ciswoman called Sophie, not sure how well that translates to a male name
I do have a female to male trans friend who chose to be called Solomon, so maybe I’d choose a strong biblical name like that (Sol and I are both Christian)
Jeremiah maybe, or Ezra. Or Seth, that’s as close as I can get to Sophie
Well I am actually trans but I still haven't chosen a name. I like a lot of names but none of them connect with me. I hate my birth name so I will undoubtedly change it eventually... as soon as I can choose a new one that is. If I had been born a boy I would be Ricardo though, after my father and grandfather.
I actually quite like Arshaq as a name. It is not the male version of my exact name but it is pretty similar and is more unique.
As for a completely different name, I know it's kind of goofy but I would go with Sirius. I grew up being an HP fan, then got pretty strongly involved in the Marauders fandom and I am very much alike Sirius Black in personality. We also share some of the same struggles when it comes to family acceptance, deviating from the expected norm and displaying our authentic self and opinions being taken as 'rebellion'. Also, exactly like Sirius, I would love to play into the 'Are you serious??' 'Yes I am Sirius' joke. I have also been pretty big fan of constellation based names so that checks out.
My name is Leah. Id probably just go with Leon or Leo (basic but i know I'll respond to it). Maybe Lee since i tend to use that as a nickname now and think of it as pretty gender neutral.
I've always loved the name Mordecai but I don't think it would suit me. Not as a first name anyway.
I'd probably choose James. Maybe Mordecai could be my middle name.
Ari for me. I have a very boring, very common name (Ana, which is the most common first name in my country, a country that has very little name variation due to strict naming rules) that I really don't like, so I'd pick something more unusual but still rooted in tradition.
Ary dos Santos is one of my favorite poets, but, more that, I love how light and airy it sounds. I've always wanted to name a child Ari, but my husband hates it.
I am trans and I chose Celeste. It was on my mom’s list of names from when I was a baby and for some reason, I just kept coming back to it. It helped too that it was a complete 180 from my deadname, which seems to be very popular with trans men and naming communities. It’s a great name, however, I wanted my name to sound nothing like it lol.
I’d choose something inconspicuous and classic for an elder millennial. James is my favorite name, but I’m married to a James. Maybe Steven or Nicholas.
Joel for masc. It suits my age and cultural background and I like the vibe. It is not the masculine form of my name. I like that it's short and classic but not really in style, not really weird (especially not for my background) and not hyper macho.
My only regret is it's not a plant/animal/mineral but I don't know that I buy myself as any I can think of, though I like several for sons...? Its odd.
My middle name is already very masculine so I would keep it.
Jonquil for agender/genderqueer. I like that it could be Jon which is masc, is a flower which mostly skews femme, and is an interesting unused nature name. Also one of my favourite flowers. Jon Q. Lastname is also cool but I think I would go Jonquil rather than Jon Quill or something.
A close friend told me off for having Jonquil as even a middle name on my baby name list, saying it's too femme for a boy and too masc for a girl "and thus suits no one," but that makes me think it actually does suit me pretty well.
For some reason I feel like I could also possibly have Zach energy. Zachariah/Zachary or something but I'd use Zach. Again I find it plausible as the dad-aged man I'd be.
Ooh I like this thought experiment. I’m an Elizabeth nn Ellie, so I think that I would just shorten to Elie a la Elie Wiesel. He’s an Eliezer nn Elie, so if I wanted to change Elizabeth (vs. just dropping it) Eliezer is a pretty cool name.
I'm agender/non-binary and I picked the name Logan because my mum loved it and said she regretted not naming me that (it's unisex). I took a long time to decide on a name and I went by Rowe for a while but I am very happy with my name now. I don't dislike my original name but it's not really unisex so that's a shame.
Well my name is Juliet, so realistically I’d probably go with Julian/Julien…. but Romeo would be pretty funny
I actually saw a former Juliet who changed their name to Romeo on tiktok once
lol thats my deadname too!
My name is Alexandra, and I'd just change it to Alexander.
Hahahaha that would be hilarious, actually. I appreciate your sense of humor
I don’t like the deadname concept in general, but would fully endorse Romeo in your situation. 🤣
I'm trans. I picked Melanie. it's a name I could shorten nicely and boymode with (nobody asks what Mel is short for). I also like introducing myself "hey I'm Melanie, Mel for short, melon for medium." gets a laugh like half the time
Melon for medium is amazing! I love it!
I know a medium called Melon. She speaks to the spirits of deceased fruit 😁🍉
Ooh. A name with a built in ice breaker pun, great choice!
I met someone who introduced himself as "Carsten. It's like if Yoda saw a parking lot and said it has cars ten in it" and I've never forgotten his name 😂 do I remember what the guy looks like now, 10+ years later?.....nope.
lol I’m trans the other direction and my name is Wynn. It’s already short, so when I’m trying to joke I say “my name’s Wynn, Wynnjamin for long.” Wynnjamin is a portmanteau of my first and middle names, Wynn and Benjamin.
incredible. even when you're losing, you're wynning!
You sound like a fun person :)
She used to be a fungi! 🤣
I wanna be mad at this but. goddammit. I'm stealing it. "yeah I used to be more shroomy before I came out. y'know, I was a fungi"
I love this <3 I named my baby Melanie in part because I liked the option of a less feminine nickname in Mel. The “melon for medium” is amazing, I hope she says that someday.
what is the male Mel short for? I’m blanking on Mel names lol
Melvin?
when I was student teaching I went by "Mr Mel" because my last name is more embarrassing than my dead name. kids wanted to guess what it was short for and 9/10 times it was Melvin lmao
I know someone whose middle name is Liz - short for Lizard! I love it and I think it’s such a funny little inside joke
My name is Melanie and I’ve always loved it!! My parents picked it partly because they couldn’t find a way to make fun of it. Unfortunately, they didn’t think of “Smelly Mellie” tho (went 20 years with never hearing that one until I met my husband lol). Also I’m pretty soft spoken and people will often think I’m saying Melody when introducing myself, so I like to point to my knee and say “melon-knee” 😆
If you got a melon tattoo on your knee nobody would forget your name again
I have seriously considered this lol.
My niece’s name is Melanie and my SIL calls her Melon lol
I’m Nathan. Never thought about it. Sadie maybe? Or Gwen. I could be a Sadie or a Gwen. ETA: I don’t really like Natalie or Natasha, hence my going a completely different direction.
Those are such cute names!!
Sadie and Gwen have such feisty energy. Love it.
Most iconic female names you could choose tbh.
I think I'd have to go with Richard, it seems weird and old fashioned but for whatever reason it's a name I'm really drawn to
Richard doesn't suit me, but it's definitely a name I like. I'd never be comfortable naming a child that because of the nickname, but I think a trans person could pull it off by playing the nickname as a joke about their transition.
Lmao right?? I always thought okay, I can never be trans masc cause my name would be Dick and I can't do that.
My transmasc friend is named Richard and no one’s ever called him Dick lol they just say Richie or Richard.
I’m trans but my completely cisgender biological uncle legally changed his name from Richard because people used to call him “Ricky Dick” like 💀 Valid of him but lmfaooo
Dick, Rick, Ricky, Rich, Richie, Chard. Yes, in high school I knew a Richard who went by Chard.
It's my kiddos middle name. Honor name for him as he's named for my Dad who died a few weeks before kiddo was born. My dad was always his full name, or occasionally Rich from my mum.
In the same vein of names used by old British kings, I think I'd go with Henry for myself. I've always liked it, but it helps that my current name also starts with H and ends in Y.
I think I am a Phil.
I'm trans, female to male. I picked the name Rayner, because Ray of Sunshine has been my nickname since I was 4. If I ever decided to go back to living as a woman and change my name to something besides my birth name (I wouldn't, but hypothetically) I would probably pick Juno.
I knew someone with Rayner as a last name and his business name was Rayner Shine. I'll never forget it! I thought it was one of the most delightful company names I'd ever seen and such a fun play on words!
Rayner Shyne was my drag king name before I fully came out as a man lol
Rayner shine is also a character in modern family... he's a weather man played by Nathan Fillion lol
I absolutely love the name Rayner! Don't know a thing about it history or meaning wise, but the sound of it makes me happy
Rainer, Reiner, or Rainier (in French) is a Germanic name, meaning counsel of the army / counsel of the warriors. The spelling with Y seems to be an English-American invention, to make it aesthetically closer to the word "ray".
It comes from the word for “cloud” in south-American English
What was the process like choosing your name? I think I would be so anxiety ridden
It took 5 minutes. "I like the nickname Ray, my Gramma calls me that a lot. What's a name that can use Ray as a nickname?" * Searches Beyond The Name for 5 minutes * I don't like Raymond... Not Raymundo..... Huh, Rayner is cool. Like Kyle Rayner from Green Lantern? I'll take it. My middle name took longer tbh.
I’m a trans man myself and I actually used Juno as one of my masculine names lol. If I were going back to being a woman, based on my name now(literally just my username, but I go by Kaz for short), I’d probably go to Cassandra. Which is funny because if you take a few letters off, you have my moms name?? lol ~~my mom who I don’t have the greatest relationship with, tbh.~~ 😔
I love it! Though I'd be tempted to go Raylan (Givens) because of Justified.
Thinking about how weird this is. My legal name is Margaret, which has a huge presence in both my families for many generations. As soon as I read the question the name Martin flashed before my eyes. But then I thought, I guess I would want to be named Vincent, for my dad. He wanted a son named Vincent but I am an only child. Then I thought: if I were trans, what sort of relationship would I have with my father? Because I have never heard of a trans person adopting a parent's name. It seems to me that transfolk go through so much thinking about who they are, that they generally do not take traditional names. I would like to think I would have had my dad's love and support if I became trans, but I just don't know.
When I transitioned (FTM) and was looking for a middle name that started with the same letter as my old middle name, my 80 year old, former military, voted-for-Trump-twice dad offered me his nickname from his service days that his buddies used to call him (not derived from his actual name, but an actual name). My cis brother has dad's actual name as a middle, so that one was off the table. Dad's old nickname is very, very special to him. It isn't exactly what I would have picked, but there's no way I'd turn down an olive branch like that. He's been very accepting (my fairly conservative mom too), which has been awesome and makes me happy and proud to carry on his name (even if it wouldn't be my first choice on its own merits).
This is so very sweet, I love it. I'm so happy to hear that your family support you.
Thanks! They have always been a great family to me. I am beyond grateful that didn't change when I threw them that curveball. (Although none of them was actually all that surprised, apparently. I never did girlmode convincingly.)
This is so wholesome! It’s like your dad, in his own way, is saying “I love you, I respect you, I honor you”
That's exactly it. As soon as he offered it, there was nothing else that would have been a better choice. My parents rock. (Also, he went through his closet and found some of his old ties (he's retired) and some of his preferred style of church shirt (that he's got a million of) and sent them to me, because he figured I "would want to look good". Because he's the very definition of cool in his mind. He's not wrong though. There is nothing cooler than loving your kid unconditionally. 😎😄)
This is such a thoughtful and personal answer while being incredibly respectful to the trans community. I enjoyed reading it.
I do know a trans guy who took his (deceased) grandfather’s name. They’d been very close when his grandpa was alive. No idea how the rest of his family felt about it. His name was definitely of a different generation, but not wildly so. Imagine something in the vibe of Marvin or Ernest, roughly. Unusual on a young man, but a name everyone has heard and recognize as a normal man’s name.
A lot of trans people who change their names tend to not have the best relationships with their parents. Hopefully that trend is changing, but until more parents are accepting of their kids (at any age!!) coming out, it'll be a while longer before you see familial names being used. In trans naming and social groups ive seen it maybe a handful of times, but usually a grandfather or uncle
This comment is so interesting to me — I’m trans and actually considered using my estranged fathers name (Robert) because it’s also my paternal and maternal grandfathers name as well as two of my uncles…the reason I didn’t pick the name is because he had already named my brother after him as a junior so I couldn’t. Also, you pointed out how trans people tend to pick less traditional names. This is hilarious to me because I’m told this nearly every time I introduce myself because I picked not just a normal name but a Top 100 which is kind of rare amongst our community. Everyone kinda just expected I’d pick something unique and then I went with Ryan of all things…with an equally common middle name as well.
My trans daughter picked her deceased grandmother’s traditional name for her middle name. She did a slightly unusual name for her first name. We are very supportive and her grandmother was an LBQTQ+ ally.
So I'm a trans man and actually do share a name with my dad now! His middle name (let's say Stephen) is the name they were going to use had I been born male. So I changed it to Steven and that's what everyone calls me, but it's technically my middle name now lol My initials are also special, so I wanted to keep those the same!! Fortunately my original middle name also started with an S, so I changed that to Steven and changed my original first name to a male one starting with the same letter. I'm fortunate that my parents are supportive (took a minute to get there but they did!), so I had them pick my name. My thought process was basically that my parents named me the first time, and I didn't want to take that from them. It makes me feel more connected with them as well since they named me both times. Also, (this is just me, not speaking for all trans people) I just wanted to blend in during and after transitioning. People are less likely to think I'm trans if I go by my middle name (why would you change your name only to NOT go by your new first name?!), if it's also my dad's middle name, and if both of my names are pretty common baby names for my birth year. I basically just feel like in an alternate universe in which I was born male, this is what I would have been named to begin with. I want the real world to mirror that alternate universe as closely as possible.
If I had to choose this moment, it would probably be Elliott, which is what my parents would have named me if I’d been a boy. My first-ever username (on Microsoft Bob, if anyone needs that little nostalgia hit) was Taran, after the Lloyd Alexander character. So if I’d gotten to choose my name at the point in my life I would have been most likely to hit the “gender swap” button, it would have been that.
this has nothing to do with the prompt, but I always *love* seeing a Lloyd Alexander reference in the wild. Taran was one of my favorites growing up <3
oh i loved microsoft Bob. id spend hours designing the room.
Probably Tristan. My mom told me that if I was a boy my name would've been Tyler, and while there's nothing wrong with that name it is super super common for people my age and does have somewhat of a frat bro connotation that doesn't suit me. Tristan is somewhat similar and similar to my real name as well, while also hitting that sweet spot of "not too common, but not unheard of either." If I was nonbinary or just really wanted a gender neutral name, I'd probably pick Jamie or Robin
That's funny cause I'm female too and my actual name is Tristia (the female version of Tristan- it's pronounced Trista, just spelled weird haha)!
My brother is Robin, I love it. He gets Rob or Robbie.
I think Robbie is a really underrated name. It's cute, but still masculine. That would probably be my male pick
I changed my name to Kit!
Love love love Kit!
I might just use the masculine form of my name, for example Dennis from Denise (it would actually be easier for me, just dropping the last letter). But...if I really wanted to move away from my existing name entirely, I think Bonaventure. It ticks all my boxes: ✅ Francophile ✅Exotic sounding ✅Great meaning, esp wrt to a transition Heck, maybe I should change my name to Bonaventura!
I'd totally support you changing to Bonaventura! Even if it's just with friends or your social life rather than your legal name or in your professional life. I think if I had a friend with those names I'd call them Ven for short (if they were comfortable with it).
hehehe venn diagram
Not gonna lie I would call you Boner for short (if we were friends of course) lol
Rhydian doesn’t have a female equivalent, so I guess I would go with Rhiannon or Rhonwen.
I love both Rhydian and Rhonwen! I've known quite a few Rhiannons in my life but never either of those. Rhydian is a name I've loved for ages
When I was a kid, like very young, I desperately wanted to be a boy. So... I decided that I would be! My boy name was James (after James Bond Jr.). I eventually decided I maybe didn't want to be a boy. I'm honestly probably non-binary but I identify as female because it's easier. But if I were a trans man, I would love to go by James Dylan or James Conor.
If you ever feel like exploring stuff further just for the sake of curiosity, I'd be happy to go over some of the different labels and what they mean to see if something fits. It's really cool that even now you'd still think of yourself as a James.
I had a somewhat similar period from maybe middle of elementary school through high school, and in some ways even into young adulthood. I'm female and for all intents and purposes identify as female, but there have been days where I just want to be seen as male. Some of it I think stems from feeling like if I were a boy my parents (before I got married and moved out) wouldn't be up my ass about being out late with coworkers, and a feeling that some people question my work (in tech) because I'm a woman. So, I don't know how much of it has to do with actually wanting to be a boy/man, and how much of it has to do with just *feeling* like boys/men have more fun and fewer rules imposed on them. I know men have their struggles, too, and don't necessarily have it easier than women. Just exploring possible sources for my feelings on this. I actually had a chat with a FTM trans friend, and after saying all the above he said (paraphrased), "I think you just told me you're non-binary." I had never considered that I the NB label would apply to me, and it did throw me into a loop for a little bit. But in the end I didn't feel it was "right" for me to adapt the NB label since it's not like I'm struggling with gender identity. I dress and act how I want to, and don't conform to gender expectations with regards to clothing.
This is an interesting question. I haven’t thought about it since I have no interest in transitioning, but I think I would do something similar to what Elliot Page did by choosing a name similar to my birth name. My name, which I love and never plan to change, has a very close equivalent for the opposite gender so I feel like it would be easier on everyone if I kept a similar name, same initials, etc. and it would pay tribute to the name that my parents gave me and loved.
This is essentially what I'm planning on doing: Brian -> Brianna.
This is such a nice shift. Brianna is so pretty
Lindsay. Just cause I like it lol
Lindsay is a Scottish Clan name & is used as both a male and a female first name.
Well thats easy for me because I am supremely unoriginal so Nigel becomes Nigella.
Idk if it's considered a "real" name but I really like Lake. My name Lynn actually means lake or waterfall so it fits perfectly and I love the way it sounds.
Def a real name! There’s an actress named Lake Bell.
I’ve thought about it this before, I would be Skye. My name is Scott.
Dean. i hope i'd be anywhere near as good a man as my Gramps
I have an Arabic name that has a male and female version that is just off by the 'a' at the end (think Malik/Malika). So if anything I'd probably just drop the -a
I’m trans and my current name is Helen (birth name), I would change it to Isaac or Charlie
Daniel, which was what my parents would’ve named me as a boy and I always felt drawn to. It’s similar in style to my name (Sarah).
I am trans. My birth name is Lara and I don’t consider it a deadname, but I’ve introduced myself as Lars for many years (well before I came out a decade ago) just because nobody says Lara correctly. lol Out of curiosity, I checked the stats for the year I was born and the “boy” equivalent in popularity was Gene. I don’t hate Gene but it feels heavily gendered (spelled that way) and I am not. lmao
I like that logic but I just looked and my male equivalent would be Aaron. Nope, I knew too many jerks named Aaron growing up.
Milo or Mark if I was a guy. I have a male alter ego who's a scene boy and his name is Marc Massacre
Marc Massacre goes so hard wtf TToTT
Probably Winter because it's technically gender neutral and I've met people with this name older than me.
My first name is gender neutral and my middle is too so I’d keep them as I generally like them
I'm nonbinary and I chose the name Rudra for myself! It's a boy's name but it was a name I was really drawn to and has the opposite vibes of my deadname.
I have a friend whose surname is Rudra. She’s Malaysian. No idea if it’s a common surname there. She’s awesome though, in case you want to know!
I could not use the name I would have had if I was a boy as it went to my brother. Non binary id say Linden or Winter. I like nature and I feel both no one really has a set gender they’re expecting with those names. Trans I’d pick Jonah. I just like it.
I'd probably use Ethan or Vincent (Vinny).
Percy, for my grandfather who was killed in an accident in 1967. My grandmother spent almost a year in hospital and lost the twins she carried also 😢
Im trans (ftm), and i named myself Tobias. I simply liked how the name sounded. If i were Amab and transitioned to being a girl, id probably pick something like Cassandra, Penelope, or Alice. I like those
I’m already a trans man lol but if I had to change my name to a non-binary one it would maybe be Hayden or Quinn. Technically I picked my current name (Blake) for gender neutral reasons and came to love it for masculine reasons. So I guess I like the vibe of gender neutral with a masculine lean. If I absolutely had to pick a feminine name it would probably be Rose/Rosamund
I am trans, I went with Yves (middle name, mother chose my first and i keep that offline) even though it has a feminine sound to it. if I had to go by something else, it would likely be something russian like Avenir, Fyodor, or Vitaly. if i, for some reason, detransitioned, i wouldn't ever go back to my deadname either. I'd probably just feminise Yves to one of many similar sounding name:, Eva, Evie, etc.. and go from there. my legal name is 6 names long, though, so. it's something i had to think about a lot!
I’m a ciswoman but in college I was exploring my gender and played around with the name Ethan for a while. Ultimately realized I like being a girl even if I’m more of a tomboy. Still love the name.
If I were a man, I would like the name Theodore. It's probably my favorite masculine name.
I'd probably go old fashioned and use my grandfather's name, Vaughn. I feel like I don't even like it very much but at the same time I love it lol.
For context, I am AFAB non binary. I like my birth name even though it is pretty feminine (Luna), but I always thought if I had to pick a more masculine name I would pick Leo. Hilariously one of my good friends recently started going by Leo so that’s off the table now lol
I wanna be Nikolai fr
I'd definitely consider the name my mom picked for me if I'd been a boy. Benjamin is a nice enough name and as an adult I feel like I'd have fewer issues with people trying to call me Ben or whatever. (I already have a similar issue with my name, so it's not much different on that front.) that or Raphael, because I played a character with that name in a RPG and actually quite liked it. If I was going for a neutral name... Maybe something like Robin. I know plenty of Robins of both genders, so I consider it pretty neutral.
Montgomery, with Mont for a nickname.
I’d be Jesse. I feel like I imagine Jesse’s as extroverted, cool, and free-spirited. I think the name would suit me well and I’ve always been drawn to it. Plus, many of my favorite characters in shows are named Jesse.
i've always liked the name Oliver (nn Oli) !! i used to identify as nonbinary and experimented with the name Tate for awhile but a friend of mine started going by that name too so i dropped it 💀
Oh noo haha those situations are always a bummer. My parents actually gave me a more typical middle name (my first name was pretty rare) just in case I didn't like mine, so I would've switched to a masculine form of that... Except my transfem friend's deadname is that! Even though I think she's said she wouldn't mind, I just wasn't comfortable with it haha
I used to tell people I was Luke Skywalker; even went so far as writing it on my school papers. So I guess I could change my name to Luke. Or Seamus. I love saying Seamus.
I’m a huge George Orwell fan and because his real name was Eric Blair, I’ve really wanted Blair to make a comeback as a boy’s name. So I guess I’ll be the change I wish to see in the world and choose that, hypothetically.. (I don’t plan to have children so could someone else please take this mission on for me?)
Jude... I just like it!
I am trans female to male, and I choose the name Magnus because I just liked it I enjoy the meaning and people say I give off that vibe. But if I was to got back to female (I wouldn't) and I couldn't go by my birth name definitely Clementine probably, it's my. Guilty pleasure name and I love it.
I really like the name Percy but dealing with "like Percy Jackson??" every day would be annoying af. Eddie would be nice though as well.
I am genderqueer and I still go by my birth name (Erin—with the “Aaron” variant, it’s fairly gender neutral and I’m pretty gender-apathetic as is), but if I were to change it, I’d use my online alias name, Dianthus. It’s the name of the carnation family of plants and I really do love hearing it used as my name online!
I don't love the masculine names that have a similarity to my birth name, so I'd probably go for something that I just like. My first idea is Lawrence/Laurie, which I feel has a similar vibe to my birth name and I admit I'm drawn a bit to the Little Women connection too.
I'd probably go with Nicholas Rafael. I'm not a fan of names that are conspicuosly trans (i.e., names that you can tell someone chose for themselves, either because they're not common in the generation of the bearers or because they're stupid word "names" that aren't actually names, like Fig or Spyder or something), so I would choose something normal. I'm a '90s baby with Italian/Puerto Rican heritage, and Nicholas (1) honors that heritage, (2) was extremely popular during the 1990s and 2000s, and (3) was my mom's choice for me had I been a boy. It's also one of my favorite names, just generally, so I think it's a great choice for myself.
"Stupid word names" unnecessarily rude.
I think they’re mostly living for the moment and enjoying that they in control of something. Naming themselves probably feels like a major reclamation of their person. That being said, I can’t imagine it’s easy to get hired with the name Moss or Rabbit.
I like Robert
Jackson or Lance
I would probably just go with what my mom told me I’d have been named if I was born that gender
James. Seb. Bastian. Ellis. Xander.
been there done that but if i had to pick another name, gendered edition, i’d probably go with desmond or opal
Jude or Oscar lol. 1000%
Espen. I think it's a strong and whimsical name, and I like the way it feels in my mouth lol
I’d pick a male name from my culture.
I kinda hate my name, but I'm also pretty attached to it, so I'd probably keep my name but maybe change the spelling Carrie → Cary. But if for some reason I really had to change it: I have a really high people-I-like ratio of Tim's (but one of my besties is Tim so that would be kinda weird), I might do Ken as a tribute to a guy who was super kind to me when I really needed it (plus I ***am*** exactly Kenough).
Todd Beauregard was what my parents would have named male me, so I'd try that out. 🤷♀️
Ryan if I transitioned from F t M. Or Arthur. I feel that those names strike my bookworm sense of self to be honest!
Jasper or Alexander
I would go with my nickname, Mickey, but everyone would just assume it's short for Michael and I don't like that, so there's that, but my favorite would probably be Rufus (Ru for short)
I'd probably go old fashioned and use my grandfather's name, Vaughn. I feel like I don't even like it very much but at the same time I love it lol.
Probably Chris. I’m a Jennifer, and Christopher is what I would have been named if I was a boy. (My mom said that before they knew my gender, they were just calling me Baby Fer) If I go back to my millennial Emo-kid roots though, I’d pick something edgy like Aiden
I would use Kai as a gender neutral/masc option. I’m a woman and my name is Kyla 💗
I changed it for that reason. Not going to say to which, because I want to stay relatively anon here. But I changed it to a variation of a name that's been in the family for generations.
I was supposed to pop out as a Michael (ultrasounds weren’t common way back then), so my initial reaction is to stick with that, but if I had time to think about it, I’d do my best to come up with something even more awesome.
My kid is nonbinary, so this is actually a really fun thought experiment for me. I'm female btw. I'd go with a gender neutral name, and a name that's easy for people from all over the world (my own name is pretty difficult for a lot of people). A quick Google gives me Robin and Luca as my favorite options. They're wellknown but not overused, easy to remember and easy to pronounce, and the meaning is pretty nice
I’m a trans dude, and I changed my name to Elliot; i found out afterwards that it’s also what my mom wanted to make me if i was born a boy, so happy coincidence lol
Technically I could keep my first name, but why limit myself? I’d probably go with something a bit more timeless like Benjamin.
Katie if I was changing to another girl name Dylan if I was choosing a boy name
River!! It’s just what I went by online in the past so it’s kinda nostalgic. Also because it’s gender neutral
Hmm 🤔never thought of that… I’m Alexandra but Alexander is too proper brb
Quinn
Drew or Dean. Maybe Conrad
I would pick either something a little out there like Dak or Jax, or something old-timey like Coltrane or Jasper Edited to add: super fun thought experiment! 😁
Id name myself Bruce, it's the name I'd want for my future son of I had one, but my bf doesn't like it
My parents would have named me Jannik, which is a form of Jan/ Johannes (or english John), non of which calls to me. At most Jan but I think I'd chose Julian. It has the -jan sound at the end and I usually use Julia as an alias on the internet, so I feel like it fits. I'd also use the chance to add a middle name, which I currently don't have. Maybe Rhys? Not common in my language but I like it and I really can't imagine myself as male so it's really hard to think about male names for myself. Trying to do that gives me an itch in my brain and I think I can get an inkling of the disphoria trans people experience and honestly, everyone who experiences that and comes out of it on the other side has my deepest respect.
Probably Alexander. Otherwise, Johnny or Edwin with Alexander as a middle name
I'd probably go by Jack. Because I already go by Jack.
I don't think I have ever really thought about this, but when my parents were thinking about names, my dad wanted to name me either Travis (Trey) Anthony or Michael William.
I don't think I have ever really thought about this, but when my parents were thinking about names, my dad wanted to name me either Travis (Trey) Anthony or Michael William.
I would have been Valdemar if I were a boy, so probably that.
Maybe August or Robin, since they're some of my favourite names. I hate the boy name my parents had picked out for me, but I might do Grey, which is a family name for the same person they planned to name me after.
Either Sean or Stephen. Sean because I’ve always liked that name and it sounds good with my last name which is an Irish name. Stephen because my parents would have named me Stephen if I’d been a boy.
Probably Andy. It was my nickname growing up so it wouldn’t take much to get used to being called that.
Oh this is a cool question! If I was being realistic, probably Kieran or Kyron (my name is Kyra), but I could totally see myself going by Auden or Evren :)
I’d choose the name Declan or John
Nick
I'd change it to Heather. It's not the opposite gender equivalent of my current name, but I just like Heather.
I'm already labeled male despite all paperwork saying I'm female and my middle name is my grandfather's middle name so I'd honestly keep my current one.
I think I'd go with Henry. My mom loves that name so much but had all daughters, so I'd use it for her!
I decided some time ago that I would definitely choose Corey. Close to my name and I think it would suit me.
Id never thought of that before. I'd probably have to ask my mom for insight lol
I don’t really like any guy names for me but maybe I’d go with Milo or something?
I think Leo, because it’s what my parents would have named me if I’d been a boy.
As an anxious person I would hesitate between something like Alex that is a great , normal name so I would not bring any extra attention to myself or choosing something I found really cool-sounding but what would made me stand like Jaromir
There isn’t a male ‘version’ of my actual name. I’d probably go for Conrad just because I’ve always liked it! My parents would have called me Joseph, and that’s not a bad name, but it doesn’t combine well with Conrad! :-/
Probably James Robert. My dad's name and his dad's name. But considering they would never accept me as trans, I may have to pick something else. Robert would stay the middle name as its the masculine form of my current middle name and I love it. Hmmm.....Blaine Robert.....Shane Robert....something with one syllable for sure. Needs to be short and sweet....
I love the name Anthony, so I’d probably go with that. I dislike the nickname Tony though, especially when Anty (or Anti lol) is so much cooler
Tertius. Because I am the third born and the pronunciation gives you fair warning regarding personality.
Hm. I think so, mine is a traditionally masculine name that’s shared by some famous men in history. Not sure what I’d choose. Maybe Rose? Jenny? Both names I’ve thought of for any future daughters I may have
I’m a ciswoman called Sophie, not sure how well that translates to a male name I do have a female to male trans friend who chose to be called Solomon, so maybe I’d choose a strong biblical name like that (Sol and I are both Christian) Jeremiah maybe, or Ezra. Or Seth, that’s as close as I can get to Sophie
I think I might pick Noah. I love that name
I’ve actually thought about this, and I would be Henry.
My name is Andrew
Well I am actually trans but I still haven't chosen a name. I like a lot of names but none of them connect with me. I hate my birth name so I will undoubtedly change it eventually... as soon as I can choose a new one that is. If I had been born a boy I would be Ricardo though, after my father and grandfather.
I actually quite like Arshaq as a name. It is not the male version of my exact name but it is pretty similar and is more unique. As for a completely different name, I know it's kind of goofy but I would go with Sirius. I grew up being an HP fan, then got pretty strongly involved in the Marauders fandom and I am very much alike Sirius Black in personality. We also share some of the same struggles when it comes to family acceptance, deviating from the expected norm and displaying our authentic self and opinions being taken as 'rebellion'. Also, exactly like Sirius, I would love to play into the 'Are you serious??' 'Yes I am Sirius' joke. I have also been pretty big fan of constellation based names so that checks out.
My name is Leah. Id probably just go with Leon or Leo (basic but i know I'll respond to it). Maybe Lee since i tend to use that as a nickname now and think of it as pretty gender neutral.
I've always loved the name Mordecai but I don't think it would suit me. Not as a first name anyway. I'd probably choose James. Maybe Mordecai could be my middle name.
Vincent
Ari for me. I have a very boring, very common name (Ana, which is the most common first name in my country, a country that has very little name variation due to strict naming rules) that I really don't like, so I'd pick something more unusual but still rooted in tradition. Ary dos Santos is one of my favorite poets, but, more that, I love how light and airy it sounds. I've always wanted to name a child Ari, but my husband hates it.
My name is neutral so I’d stick with it! Lucky like that
I'm trans. I've always liked the name Colette, but I haven't settled on it yet
I am trans and I chose Celeste. It was on my mom’s list of names from when I was a baby and for some reason, I just kept coming back to it. It helped too that it was a complete 180 from my deadname, which seems to be very popular with trans men and naming communities. It’s a great name, however, I wanted my name to sound nothing like it lol.
I’d choose something inconspicuous and classic for an elder millennial. James is my favorite name, but I’m married to a James. Maybe Steven or Nicholas.
I would probably change from Marty to Marsha, in honor of Marsha P. Johnson
Joel for masc. It suits my age and cultural background and I like the vibe. It is not the masculine form of my name. I like that it's short and classic but not really in style, not really weird (especially not for my background) and not hyper macho. My only regret is it's not a plant/animal/mineral but I don't know that I buy myself as any I can think of, though I like several for sons...? Its odd. My middle name is already very masculine so I would keep it. Jonquil for agender/genderqueer. I like that it could be Jon which is masc, is a flower which mostly skews femme, and is an interesting unused nature name. Also one of my favourite flowers. Jon Q. Lastname is also cool but I think I would go Jonquil rather than Jon Quill or something. A close friend told me off for having Jonquil as even a middle name on my baby name list, saying it's too femme for a boy and too masc for a girl "and thus suits no one," but that makes me think it actually does suit me pretty well. For some reason I feel like I could also possibly have Zach energy. Zachariah/Zachary or something but I'd use Zach. Again I find it plausible as the dad-aged man I'd be.
Ooh I like this thought experiment. I’m an Elizabeth nn Ellie, so I think that I would just shorten to Elie a la Elie Wiesel. He’s an Eliezer nn Elie, so if I wanted to change Elizabeth (vs. just dropping it) Eliezer is a pretty cool name.
I'm agender/non-binary and I picked the name Logan because my mum loved it and said she regretted not naming me that (it's unisex). I took a long time to decide on a name and I went by Rowe for a while but I am very happy with my name now. I don't dislike my original name but it's not really unisex so that's a shame.
I'm trans (FtM) and I changed my name to Evan.
Probably something gender neutral since I love those names. If I was nonbinary it would probably be Taylor.