I can’t reveal my first name but it is old-fashioned English–think Meredith, Esther, Olga, Gretchen…
My last name makes me too identifiable. It is an Ellis Island misspelling that makes me the only person on this earth with my exact first and last name combo.
I thought I would change it with marriage but I don’t think marriage is going to happen for me, at least not anytime soon, and I’m not putting anything on hold for it anymore.
I think with my old-timey first name I could afford a zany last name. I like Winter and Snow. I don’t want it to be too “out there” or difficult to spell, so I’m not going to do something like Zephyr, and I would like suggestions that aren’t too tied to a specific concept. Interesting enough but not excessively unique.
My background is Taiwanese and white American without ties to any specific country strong enough to pick a name from some European country I only have a bit of a connection to from generations ago. The white side is Irish, Welsh, and French. I am not trying to stand out excessively. I do not feel a strong connection to my Taiwanese side, and that could be its own post. I don’t want something commonly mispronounced. I was thinking something like Shaw? It might make my ex think I’m obsessed with him but he already thinks that so whatever.
You might as well set yourself up for success and use a name that people subconsciously associate with positive traits.
Someone suggested Hope, and it’s a great name for a doctor.So I suggest King, (Arm)strong, Grace, Smart, Good, or Harmon. Or perhaps something like Washington, Churchill, Franklin, Luther or Addams.
I also like Shepherd, even though I doubt it carries much subconscious weight nowadays.
You’re right, those are great suggestions! Dr. Shepherd was a character on Grey’s anatomy tho so that’s a hard no.
- Chesty LaRue
- Busty St. Clair
- Hooty McBoob
lol’) ; drop table users;McGillicuddy? Meredith McGillicuddy.
I knew a couple that did this. Neither of them changed their names when they got married, and both their names were just weird. They wanted more professional-sounding names, FWIW.
I somewhat agree to explore the un-messed up spelling, but can see how that might not work. My friends just dug through family histories until they found one they liked. Settled on Snook. Worked for them.
Starting from scratch, I would start with syllables first to see what fits. It’s either you want a mirroring of the syllables of the first name if you want something formidable and important-sounding, or a single syllable that is a stark punctuation if it suits you more.
A few examples:
2-syllable names might do better with 1 or 2 syllables - Maureen Star, Maureen Wright. Maureen Harper, Maureen Rivers flow well.
3 syllable names might work with up to 3 - Meredith Mackenzie. Meredith Lancaster.
You might also want a “job name” as other suggested as they are sort of ethnically neutral (other than being English) - many 2 syllables. Taylor, Harper, Archer, Tanner, Hunter, Sawyer, Driver, Wainwright, etc.
Or something you like in nature - Rivers, Forester, Woods, Fields, Bay, Mariner
If you go for 1 syllable, make it a word people know that pops. Knox. Hale. Quinn. Snow. Stone. Frost. Hart. Steele. Black. Night. Day.
Also, search online first to make sure that no one with the same name is a serial killer or something.
Best of luck!
Star
Sharp
Shale
Spark
Namey McNameface, if you’re looking for a middle name change too.
Edit: plenty of other suggestions for this already, just more proof it’s a great name!!
My last name makes me too identifiable. It is an Ellis Island misspelling that makes me the only person on this earth with my exact first and last name combo.
I used to think this, until someone on Facebook popped up with my name. They still feel like they cropped up (like some CIA cover name/id theft) because my brother worked in the Navy in the very town he worked in 20 years ago. But whatever.
I used to think so as well, until apparently there’s another me in Chicago. He’s a bit older and a college professor
I’m just here to say having a common name is really nice imo.
if you had the first name as austin, change the last to powers. i actually new a guy early in the pandemic , his name is austin powers.
ESTHER and gen.
If the issue is identifiability why not just change it to another, more common family name? Fix the misspelling so it’s not as rare or change to your mother’s maiden name. Or some of your grandparents.
I thought I would change it with marriage
Then do it. Pick your celebrity crush, then get together with friends and family for a fake wedding and name change
change it to “happy-adjustable-spanners” like that one guy did when he lost a bet 😄
Ok you’re Virgil !
Siobhan might be out since people will think iit is Si-Bohan instead of the correct pronunciation She-vaugn.
There is some good unique but easily spelt and pronounced Celtic names and mixed with a single syllable last name could make you plain and neutral like you want.
There is a YouTube channel with a guy saying Celtic names. Maybe hearing someone say the names would help sell you on one.
My in-laws almost named my partner Siobhan. My first name is also unique and not intuitively spelled. We have a family joke about this name and my partner dodging a bullet.
If you’ve never dealt with regular people, outside Ireland, it would be an utter nightmare to say “last name is Shu-vahn, S, I, O…” and get cut of by O by aggressively stupid people who have already written down “Shuvaughn” and moved on. I’ve been told by people I don’t know how to spell my own name, or that my first name is now something that sounds similar and is more familiar to them, and not what I’m telling them.
Only people with EU passports should ever mess with Celtic spellings of names.
It was almost my sister’s name. But they went with Gillian which apparently in the Americas is less common than Jillian.
