Changing your name in middle age

[Plumsandpearls]

Vets have always done that, in my experience. I've always thought it rather endearing.

My dogs have their own surnames (yes I am a loser )

 

[Dony]

My brother was christened with 3 names and he's always been known by the 3rd name. He's never considered swapping to his 1st name.

My dad used a variation of his name for about 30 yrs before switching back to his original name. This was at a time in N. Ireland when your name impacted on your employment chances. At his wake/funeral it was quite funny hearing different people refer to him by his other name.

 

[Plumsandpearls]

My brother was christened with 3 names and he's always been known by the 3rd name. He's never considered swapping to his 1st name.

My dad used a variation of his name for about 30 yrs before switching back to his original name. This was at a time in N. Ireland when your name impacted on your employment chances. At his wake/funeral it was quite funny hearing different people refer to him by his other name!

My dad always got called Sean by his GAA friends - he was John to everyone else.

 

[shodan]

My dad changed his name in his mid 30s to John.

Yes, my father is named after me....

I also know a guy who changed his surname in his late 40s. He went from a Frost to an Alexander. I have known him for nearly 20 years and have called him Frosty for all this time. I've spoken to him about it and he's happy for me to continue but it does get confusing for people who have only known him as Jon Alexander.

Or there is another guy I know who changed his surname to Martin in relation to his mother remarrying and him not having a very good relationship with his father.
His first name is Martyn.....

 

[Dony]

My dad changed his name in his mid 30s to John.

Yes, my father is named after me....

I also know a guy who changed his surname in his late 40s. He went from a Frost to an Alexander. I have known him for nearly 20 years and have called him Frosty for all this time. I've spoken to him about it and he's happy for me to continue but it does get confusing for people who have only known him as Jon Alexander.

Or there is another guy I know who changed his surname to Martin in relation to his mother remarrying and him not having a very good relationship with his father.
His first name is Martyn.....

Martyn Martin, stop yer fartin', holy jaysus...I'm only startin'

 

[Reese Withouterspoon]

My dad changed his name in his mid 30s to John.

Yes, my father is named after me....

I also know a guy who changed his surname in his late 40s. He went from a Frost to an Alexander. I have known him for nearly 20 years and have called him Frosty for all this time. I've spoken to him about it and he's happy for me to continue but it does get confusing for people who have only known him as Jon Alexander.

Or there is another guy I know who changed his surname to Martin in relation to his mother remarrying and him not having a very good relationship with his father.
His first name is Martyn.....

My Dad used to refer to someone he knew called George Smellie, who decided he wanted to change his name...


... so he changed it to Arthur Smellie.

 

[shodan]

My Dad used to refer to someone he knew called George Smellie, who decided he wanted to change his name...


... so he changed it to Arthur Smellie.

View attachment 1654508

possibly the greatest missed opportunity of all time!

 

[mikes48]

I attended a Management course at the Civil Service College in Edinburgh in 1975 and the invitation (?) asked for your first, or other name by which you wished to called - for lapel badges. I was happy to be known as Mike.

So everyone naturally accepted and used the name on the other attenders' badges.

Over the course of the next few days, as you got to know people, it was clear that several of them saw this as a golden opportunity to be not so much themselves, but who they wanted to be.

The funniest was one "Quentin" - great guy, but not even his first, second or any other name. I don't know how he kept a straight face when people called him Quentin right from day one , but it came quite naturally - you just didn't question it.

After a while you realised that some "names" didn't match the person's initials. The one we all sympathised with was a lovely Scottish lady badged "Nancy". Her only initial was "A", and we eventually teased it out of her. All her life she had hated being named Agnes, and she relished the chance to be called something more to her liking. So good for her .

 

[iqoniq]

One of my trans friends ended up being known as a completely different name. Early on she'd chose her name, so we all knew her as that. When she started to transition and things started to get "real", she decided to change her name to something else. The problem is nobody really bothered taking it onboard and her old name has stuck. She eventually gave up, and even now will introduce herself by her old name, but make it clear it's a nickname.

I'm really lucky in the fact that my name is androgynous (same as my siblings) so it's never been an issue for me (non-op). Even if I did change my name to Sindarella de Crewelle Mistress of the Dark Pleasures, my parents said they'd still call me by what I was named at birth as it's less of a mouthful and doesn't sound wrong on so many levels.

 

[WattsX99]

I’m in my fifties and I’ve made a concerted effort to drop my middle name. I know it’s probably not the same principle, but it’s something that’s always bugged me and something I’ve never used.

I haven’t done it by deed poll but I’ve contacted places like the council & the dwp and asked if I can just use my first and last names and they’ve all agreed.

 

[Plumsandpearls]

I’m in my fifties and I’ve made a concerted effort to drop my middle name. I know it’s probably not the same principle, but it’s something that’s always bugged me and something I’ve never used.

I haven’t done it by deed poll but I’ve contacted places like the council & the dwp and asked if I can just use my first and last names and they’ve all agreed.

My work dont have my middle name as they dont need it (and I hate the name). Staff cards have your full name on it, and I can do without 'Charles' on my staff card.

 

[krish]

Couldn't ever imagine changing my name, which is my forum name, at almost 50. It's short and sweet (no na at the end, already dropped by my parents at birth) and no middle name.

Alexander Johnson switched to his middle name, Lyingfudgeer, at 13.

 

[Notorious PIG]

One can change one’s Christian name in later life but it would surely take one’s friends, family, colleagues, (and anyone who has known one for many years) a looooooong time to adapt to the change if they’ve always known one by the original name.

One will have to keep reminding this circle of associates over and over and over again (possibly for years) of the name change. Using someone’s name when we address someone is something we often don’t think about, it just comes out without thought. It’s a habit hard to change. Just saying.

 

[Reese Withouterspoon]

One can change one’s Christian name in later life but it would surely take one’s friends, family, colleagues, (and anyone who has known one for many years) a looooooong time to adapt to the change if they’ve always known one by the original name.

One will have to keep reminding this circle of associates over and over and over again (possibly for years) of the name change. Using someone’s name when we address someone is something we often don’t think about, it just comes out without thought. It’s a habit hard to change. Just saying.

If you're not a Christian, you can do it anytime you like...

 

[Notorious PIG]

Couldn't ever imagine changing my name, which is my forum name, at almost 50. It's short and sweet (no na at the end, already dropped by my parents at birth) and no middle name.

Alexander Johnson switched to his middle name, Lyingfudgeer, at 13.

Krishna is a nice name, but a wise decision by your parents, or you’d face a lifetime of being nicknamed Harry.

 

[Mona Lott]

My mother has always been known as Kay, she moved house to a different part of the country and is now known as Kath. She was in in early sixties when she did this

 

[BigA1]

"What have you done wrong"...?

 

[Judge Mental]

If you and your wife are both comfortable with it then go for it. Try to let everyone know at the same time that from now on you are going to be using your middle name. Don’t feel the need to explain. It’s your name and you need to be comfortable with it. You’ve (hopefully) got a lot of life left to live. People who know you well may find it difficult to remember and might slip up but eventually it will stick and every new person you come into contact with won’t know any difference.

 

[Metromedia 1433]

Not a big deal really. Unless it was from John to Joanne, which I would find a little more disconcerting.

The Mayor of Liverpool had a gender change and renamed themselves from Joe Anderson to Joanne Anderson

 

[shodan]

Just remembered another one...
There is a guy in my office who I know as John. I've also noticed that some people know him as Dave.

Turns out his name is John but he prefers Dave.
The fun part is that my first name is John and my middle name is David so its got me thinking...

 

[Haliday9]

A guy a college told the lecturers when he first started that he didn't like his name, Kevin, and he wanted to be known as Rick. Why would you choose Rick? Out of all the names you could have?

My lecturer started calling him Kevrick when he wasn't there.

I have a family member who changed their name and I have finally got used to calling them by the new name after about ten years.

 

[Goooner]

There's a guy that works for our company in an office over the road, he's called Bob, has been for as long as I've worked here which is about 15 years.

Found out about 2 years ago, his actual name is Frank.

 

[Dony]

There's a man who lives not far from me who walks up and down the road every day, so it's often that I would see him. When we first moved here he introduced himself but I immediately forgot his name, it was either Eamon or Eugene.

I decided to call him that and 17 yrs later and we still refer to him as Eamon or Eugene when he's out off earshot (as in 'there's Eamon or Eugene going past').
When I'm talking to him I just mumble something beginning with E.

 

[iqoniq]

The Mayor of Liverpool had a gender change and renamed themselves from Joe Anderson to Joanne Anderson

When I read the news of the new mayor I did actually wonder whether he had changed his gender.