Changing my own name?

As if telling us you're called Kelly or Donna is fucking outing 🤣🤣

Just change it. Tell your friends, and once it becomes the name that everyone knows you by, it is your legal name. I did this in 1985.

My mum was a bit disappointed, but now she quite enjoys the fact that she is the only person who ever calls me by my original name.

classic 70's/80's like Sharon or Tracy
They aren't classic 1970s/80s. They're early 1960s names.

I agree, just own it, my own name is classic, bit dated, mumsnet isn't ready for its comeback yet but my mother's name 😢 it's terrible, in the Dolores, Angustias genre

I know sisters called Sharon and Tracy and nobody thinks twice about it when they know the person.

No don't purposely misspell it, that will definitely tip it over into Chavvy!
I think you're probably really overthinking it and no one else would give it a second thought. Especially if it's classic 70's/80's like Sharon or Tracy.

Having said that it's not Chardonnay is it? I think it's the really pretentious names that sound much worse than the ones that are just a bit dated. If it is you could change it to Charlotte.

I would change it completely then.

My friend’s daughter was adopted when she was 3. Daughter has always hated her name. And when she went to secondary she changed it to a name she loved - after 6 weeks no one calls her by her old name.

Life is too short just change it.

I want to change mine as my parents weren’t great and named me - and they don’t and didn’t pronounce it right and I want to be my middle name. So I want to change mine and indeed have started. Just say actually I’ve adopted a new name from now on I’m Charlotte - change it on social media and you’d be surprised how quickly people will change

My db's name is James and over the years he changed it to Jim both personally and professionally just by introducing himself using that name. Only family still call him James. I do think you need to use a shortening of your name rather than changing the spelling.

Own it! You will be part of breaking this stupid stereotype. Sharon, Tracy and other classic names are proper names. Plus if you have international audience they would not know these stereotypes

@Veryinteresting24 , it might be the name on her BC.
I know several Lindsays who have spellings like Lindsay, Lindsey, Lynsey and Linzi and Caseys with spellings like Casey, Casei, Kacie, Kaseigh and Kaci.
I'm not keen on Lindsay or Casey other than as a surname

Does your name have to be so prominent in your marketing? Presumably you are selling a product or a service so maybe focus on that rather than you. If I see a flyer promoting something it’s usually with a company name, not the name of one person.

There is a hairdresser in my area with an unusual spelling of a normal name and I wonder why she doesn’t use the common spelling but her salon has got a business name so it doesn’t really matter.

Sharon is a name. Sharren is not a name. Don't do this! It's much much worse!

Personally think you should just own it. It's your name, the worst people will do is guess your age.

If you must change it...
Use a middle name if you have one?
Use a grandparent's name?
Use a name you've always loved?

Don't change your actual name for some terrible misspelled version of it

It’s difficult to offer suggestions as you don’t wish to say what your name is. I don’t think shortening your name or mis-spelling it is going to resolve anything.

With regard to your website and the positioning of your name at the top… I wonder if you could position it elsewhere so that it’s not so prominent. When potential customers see your items first they’ll make their assumptions on those, not your name.

Good luck with your business!

Any chance you have a better middle name? You could style yourself as S Rachael Jones or S Catherine Jones or whatever.

Hmm I really want to know what it is now! If it's Keeley or Kayleigh I think it's fine as it is!

Worse than Tracy? I mean Tracy is only bad because viz slated it.

If it's Bernadette, what about Bonnie
I just can't think of any 1970s names that are that bad. 🤔

If it's just about the logo can you not put "S. Jones, Founder" rather than your full name?

I'd pick an updated version of the name, a good list upthread. If it's Lisa then Eliza.
If it's Tracy then how about Sadie, that has the same pattern.

Oh yes I remember that thread. Begins with a K?
I think when people are asked their opinion of a name, it's mainly people with strong opinions that reply. If I saw a thread asking about a name that I felt indifferent to I probably wouldn't click in, it's only when I really love or hate a name that I respond otherwise I have nothing really to say about it. So you probably saw a very disproportionate response to the name! I wouldn't bat an eyelid if I met an adult with your name, I wouldn't think about whether it was dated or 'chavvy' or whatever else, I would just accept it and move on. And for what it's worth I think it sounds like a friendly sort of name!

Don't make name choices based on MN, there are too many amazingly class conscious types on here. And anyway names that MNers "hate" they will inevitably love or decide are fashionably retro 5 years hence.

I have a 'common' 70s 80s name, but would not let anyone's silly prejudices make me feel I had to change it for a business. Just be you.

do you have to promote yourself? you're selling stuff right? its the stuff I'd be interested in not the person selling it.
eg if your website was 'lovely handmade pots' I'd be looking at the pots and not especially interested in the person selling them- if there was a whole load of guff about Sharon and her journey and her life it would actually put me off.
I suppose I'd expect a name somewhere in the small print but if that was 'S Jones' I wouldn't care at all.

You are not your name. You are you.

Don't feel you have to alter one little bit of you to suit other people and their stupid prejudices or snobby opinions on what constitutes a "good" name. Who are they to judge you or your name?

@Meraide , If it's what a pp has implied, it's fine. Just use it. Nobody bats an eyelid at Karren Brady's name do they, even though the name's a different spelling of a dated name.