I hate my common name! Can I change it as an adult?

I've had the same irritation but tbh I'm really happy with who I am as a person so it doesn't matter to me.

Seriously odd comment. Lots of people are perfectly happy with themselves as a person but have shit names so change them. Changing names does not change them as a person.

My old work colleagues called me Lou, DH calls me Looby, best friend calls me Loulabelle!

But this is all lovely. You'd lose it all if you changed your name to Tuesday.

I'm a Louise, born early 70s.

I've had the same irritation but tbh I'm really happy with who I am as a person so it doesn't matter to me.

I get called Lou and Lulu by friends and family. I'm also Irish so my heavily accented friends call me Lou-ee-az, three syllables.

I lived in America and got call Weezy there.

I think a nice differentiation which is subtle but pretty is Louisa.

I was born in the 50s and was very jealous of the Louise at school in our year. I have a name very common at that time and really wanted to be called Louise.
If you're going to change your name try not to choose something too outlandish.

Eloise as an alternative thatmight be easier for your family to stomach?

I would have no problem if either one of my DS changed their name. Would take a while to get used to but any slip up wouldn't be deliberate.

It's ridiculous to change your name at your age, whatever it happens to be. Everyone you know already will just feel totally awkward calling you by a different name, and are likely to slip up very frequently. A school friend of mine changed her name in her forties because her old name didn't go with her new married name. Pretty much everyone we know still refers to her by her original name apart from any new people she's met since changing it. It's not deliberate, it's just that she's been known by that name for so long it's ingrained.

This may be a common abbreviation, and I appreciate it’s not about the same name as Louise, but a new colleague started with us called Lel. I thought it was a super cool name and maybe a shortening of Eleanor. Turns out she was Lesley but absolutely hated her name. I think you could choose a name beginning with L so it’s less of a shock to you and your family and just go with it as an abbreviation/nickname. Like - Lara, Lily etc

Part of

I know an 18 year old who just changed her name by deed poll.
Do it OP, I think it will be empowering to take control of this pet of your identity

My sister is Louise and we all now call her Loula (after a decade of her insisting her name was Loulabelle).
I remember as a kid being jealous, because it was such a pretty name.
I love her name so much, I gave DD it as a middle name, in honour of her.

You can do whatever you want, it's your name, but FWIW, I think it's a lovely name.

I know two different women who changed their first names when they got married. They figured they were already doing the paperwork to change one name, why not get a first name they liked with it.

As for people finding it difficult, people seem to manage when people change their names when they marry/divorce so I don’t see why this would be any more difficult.

Change it to whatever you want. Life is incredibly short, make the choice and go for it!

I changed my name to the shortened version (think Jennifer to Jenny) a few years ago, also changed my middle name to something cool but almost certainly outing!

I hated my name, have used short version since primary school so I decided one morning to make it official, and I did.

My name is so stupidly common, and so was the male variant, that between guys and girls there were 7 of us that answered to on name.
My DH had the exact same issue, also very common for guys and girls, and there were 5 with their name in class.
When we had our dc in the late 90's, we went with incredibly unique names. DD is one of 2 I have ever come across, and DS is the only one I have ever come across. This includes online, as well.

I totally understand your situation! Do what feels right, you are the one who answers to it, not anyone else.

Loulabelle sounds fun!

Tallulah
Louella

Yes Elle could be good, or a kind of variant of Louise, something like Luan?

Louise was very common. Along with Kelly, Michelle, Sarah, and a few others.

I had a common name, middle name was no better. Changed them both in my 30's, no problem. Very easy and I'm glad I did.

I knew someone who did just that but without even the deedpoll bit. She was moving and changing jobs though so a bit easier.

To be honest it didn’t take long at all to adjust. The only sticking point was her parents, her dad refused to acknowledge the new name and her mother kept forgetting.

The only time it was ever a problem was when she went to stay at her parents and someone tried to contact her on their landline. It was pre mobile phones and her dad answered and said they had the wrong number. Wouldn’t be a problem these days.

Why do you need to legally change your name? You could use a nickname like Lola or Lulu? Or a nickname related to your surname? Or even a random name! My mum is legally called June but everyone knows her as Aggie because when she was young she looked like the blonde woman from ABBA.

I'm late 70's child too and there was only one louise in my class and another one with an a on the end making it Louisa, I really like your name.

My friend Louise goes by the name Elle (L) for social media so her clients can't look her up. Would using the first letter sound as a modification work for you?

I don't think popularity should affect how you feel, a name is just a tag.

Look at all the Johns, Steve's and Mohammed's out there

Louise is much nicer than Molly, Louisa? Do you have a nickname?

Louise is a lovely name!

There were loads of my name too in the 60's (Karen) but i like my name. After more than 50 years it is just me.