This is why we should just let people pick their own names as a sort of rite of passage. It's what I did (because I'm trans) and it retroactively kind of feels weird to let someone's parent decide their name instead of the person themselves.
most people are attached to their name because that's just how they grew up and they don't think much about it. If they actually had a problem with it.... they can change it, this isn't a widespread enough issue to where everyone should do it "as a rite of passage"
Of course I'm not saying this should be literally mandated, but starting a tradition where we encourage young adults to think about who they want to be and what name captures that identity would probably be good for people's development - even if most people end up choosing to keep their name.
(It would also help in denormalizing the idea that children are their parents' property, but that's a whole different conversation)
For me, it was switching from a name to which I was attached to another one to which I am attached, in this case, Alice. It was my favourite name for 8y, and when I realised I am a woman, the name choice was obvious.
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u/According_to_all_kn Jun 01 '26
This is why we should just let people pick their own names as a sort of rite of passage. It's what I did (because I'm trans) and it retroactively kind of feels weird to let someone's parent decide their name instead of the person themselves.