Am I wrong for legally changing my birth name?

Question

My mom gave me this weird name and I changed it to a normal name. I think that name was holding me back from getting a good job. Some say I'm crazy but I hear people change their names all the time. What do you guys think?

Answer 1

I don't think you're necessarily "wrong" for changing your name, but I think you should examine your basic motivations for doing so.

If, as you claim, you are doing it for professional reasons, it is an entirely reasonable thing to do. Many people have done the same thing because it is a simple fact of life that other peoples' first impressions have a very real affect on us.

If you are doing it because you somehow resent the decisions your parents made on your behalf, it's probably best if you learn to come to grips with it. As someone who's "blessed" with an uncommon name myself, I've still not come to embrace it, but it doesn't matter as much to me now as it once did. A different name won't change the circumstances that drove you to change the name in the first place.

I would strongly council parents who are thinking of giving their children a unique name to, at least, give them a common middle name. Then, if he or she so desires, the child can use the middle name as their "professional" name. There are plenty of people who refer to themselves professionally by their first initial and their middle name, rather than face the prejudice of using an unusual first name.

I wish you happiness.

Answer 2

What was the name?

Answer 3

I don't see a problem with it. You have to live with your name for your entire life - why should you live with a name you hate? Sometime I wonder when the kids being born to some of the people on here will change their names :) If I were to change my name, I think that I would keep the original name as a middle name just for prosperity.

Answer 4

Personally, i find it no different then women changing their last names when they get married. Is your dad going to get mad at your for not keeping your maiden name? Not likely. So i dont see the big deal with this. Maybe have your mom still be able to call you what she named you but everyone else calls you by your new name.

Answer 5

I think changing a name is a good thing. My parents adopted a baby 3 years ago and her name was Mckayla Marie Skye Blue Counts. Can you imagine trying to spell that in kindergarden. We changed her name to Mckayla Marie and our last name. I dont think parents realize that kids have to live with there names for the rest of there lives.

Answer 6

You are not crazy - if I would have been given a name that I was displeased with I would have changed it too. You are the one that has to live with the name not your Mother.

Answer 7

Not wrong at all. A lot of mothers give their children unique or made up names to make their children special but very often the children don't feel special because of it.

Answer 8

If you feel like you need to change your name, you can since the name belongs to you - not your mom, your cousins, not your dad, not noone except you and you have that choice. You shouldn't let anyone stand in your way since you know how you feel like and you know exactly what you feel like.

Answer 9

Nope.. as long as you think that it suits your name. I used to have a Chinese name but I completely switched it to Anna because people kept making fun of it while i was in middle school.

Answer 10

I don't think your wrong at all, your the one that has to live with the name, not your mom!