11 Year Old Has Changed Her Name

Both my parents used a variety of first names at different ages, which gave me quite a task when writing their obituaries, given there were friends and relatives from all stages of their lives present at the funerals. Dad was Frederick, but was known from birth by his mothers maiden surname (not even a given name) until he went into the Forces and became Fred. Later he was Dick and finally Frederick. Mum loathed her given name of Nellie and used her middle name of Helen in the Forces. Then later in life she became Nel and finally Ellen!

I always wanted a middle name. Somehow I managed to convince my teacher at primary school that I was Margaret Susan Christine, and I loved seeing the register, with mine the longest name on it!

Obviously they didn’t check birth certificates in those days!

My husband called by his first name by his birth family, but by his 2nd name by me and everyone else. My son had 2 friends who were brothers - they both decided to use their 2nd names when they didn't have good experiences at school and started home schooling instead.

My MIL was named Margaret after her mother, but chose to use her middle name because she didn't like her first. She then named her only daughter Margaret, why?? At 8yo Margaret junior then chose to use HER second name. Seems daft to give a child a name you never liked yourself, even if it was after her GM.

Glad that my two granddaughters have middle names as their first names begin with the same letter. Luckily their second names begin with different letters. Using both initials is the only way to addresss birthday cards etc.,without putting full first names . So far they haven’t said anything about changing their names. They are 13 and11.

trendygran in my youth I knew a family of four girls, named Jean, Joan, Jacqueline and Joyce. I wonder how they sorted their mail?

Our adopted daughter had two names when we got her. We chose a new first name, and gave her the first name that her Mum had chosen, as a middle name. We later found that the name we had discarded had been her birth Mum's name, and regretted not keeping that instead. DD is glad we didn't as she dislikes it.
DD also decided to change her Christian name, on the spur of the moment, when she started senior school. She informed the teachers that her name wasn't E...... but C........, but was swiftly shot down! She likes her name now!

I was born just as the war started, and my Mum used to joke that names were rationed, so I only got one. Apparently my aunt chose my name, as they couldn't decide on one. I was rather peeved at that news! My name, Brenda, seems to have had a very short shelf-life, and I have never heard of a Brenda younger than her late sixties. I would be interested to hear of any.

We had a Brenda on our street who’d now be late 50s, GreenGran. I must admit the name seemed a bit old for her. It’ll probably be back in fashion soon though, never fear!

I’ve always been known by my middle name, which is a nuisance when anything official crops up, medical appointments etc, because they always use my first name. I now just answer to either.

I had an aunt who was christened Bessie, which she disliked because it was a diminutive rather than a complete name. She changed it to Elizabeth when she was about 18. I have no idea if it was ever official, but I always knew her as Elizabeth.

My father (her brother) also disliked his name, which was exactly the same as his father’s. He used a different name at work, though not in private life.

My children have two names each, one relatively unusual, one more ordinary. The idea was that if they disliked the more unusual name, they could choose to use the more ordinary one. Neither has done so.

DH was given a first name which was a family name on both sides. His mother didn’t like her brother who had that name and so DH was always called by his second name. Caused lots of problems in the past, especially when he started a new job and was addressed as “Tom”. Never having used the full name he didn’t answer to the diminutive ?

Is this so unusual.?I do not like the names my parents gave me so I sign in to GN using what would have been my preference for Christian names.

I tried using my middle name for a while when I started dating. It didn't last long because after I'd introduced myself as M***, I promptly forgot and didn't answer to it. It puzzled my boyfriends no end!?

My Mum preferred to be known by her middle name. My grandmother decided to use a different surname in her youth because she thought hers was rather common. Not by deed poll, she just asked everyone to use her new chosen name. And my MIL was always known as Pat even though her birth name was Daisy, which she hated. She didn't have a middle name.

I rarely come across the names frequently heard in my junior school days. Molly ! Brenda ? Shirley? Freda?

My DH changed his name when we retired and started a whole new life. He said he never had really liked his given first name so now uses his middle name. It took a bit of time for family and close friends to get used to, but he's known by his middle name now and his first name only appears on official documents.

up to her i was known as my 2nd name for 20 years then when i left school home and made my way in the world changed it to my first name so my family call me by my 2nd and any friends or new acquaintances know me by my 1

I think the following came from the Readers' Digest years ago but it still makes me smile.
Asked to fill in his full name and title on an official form, the response was Mr R.B. Jones.
The form was returned requesting that the full names be written
His response: Mr R(only) B(only) Jones.
Their response: Dear Mr Ronly Bonly Jones,

I don't like either of my given names. I was registered Edna Julie (not really) all official documents are Edna Julie also GP however, I have always been known as Julie even by my parents. I was Julie from day one at primary school my bank account is J.E. xxxxx why mum didn't register my birth as Julie Edna I have no idea.

Talking about changing names because they were ‘common,’ a lady I know persuaded her new husband to become a Smyth instead of a Smith.
Pretentious? Moi?

A class mate caused a real storm when we were all asked for our middle name. She was top of the class and was never in any trouble but she refused point blank. She was sent to the very intimidating headmistress and eventually the girl’s mother had to be called in. The moral of this story is don’t name your child Sally Caprice! She went up in our estimation no end!

I discovered only recently that my wife doesn't use the first name she was christened with.

My eldest son was known by his middle name, and when he changed schools at seven years old told the teachers he wanted to be called by his first name. fine by me ,I still call him by his middle name but no one else does.

I went to school with my friend for 6 years before I learned that she used her second name Anne ...rather than her first name Elizabeth. Wish I’d have thought of it and I would now be called Ann I instead of an awful common fifties name...chosen by my 4 year old brother on the day I was born. I’ve never forgiven him or my mum.

Luckily I named my kids with everlasting names....and they both love them . My son was the only person to have the name in a school with 400 kids and so was my daughter. I would never have gone with popular names as they soon grow tired when you hear them so much. My son had three Matthews and five Daniels in his class of 33 kids in the eighties/ nineties

When I was pregnant with our second child and we were thinking of baby names, I asked my husband why he had insisted on a quite unusual first name for our then 10 year old. Was it, perhaps, a family name?
'No', he said, 'and I don't really like it now.' Sheesh!

So we asked our son what he felt about his name and he said he'd always hated it and would far prefer his second name (my choice).

So we decided to change it.

We put cards with this new name all round the house; we informed the school and by the time his brother was born, we were all used to the 'new' name and that's the way its been ever since.

Only has paternal grandparents who lived a long way from us and were rarely able to visit, ever called him by his original name.

We were told, however, that if it ever came to signing a legal document, my elder boy would need to put his full, registered name. No problem.

Matthew and Daniel must be close to 'everlasting'!
New Testament and Old Testament so I'd say classic rather than shlrt-term popular.
DS and DiL are at the stage of choosing a name for their first baby and seem to like a name until they decide it doesn't "go" with the surname.
Also careful about initials which might form unfortunate acronyms - think Philip Ian Graham!
I have very little idea of their thinking but know they both have excellent taste and won't choose anything tacky or trendy.
8 weeks and we'll know if it's a Kylie or a Wayne!