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Original poster

Which name would you have picked for yourself as a teen?

87 replies

KimHwn · 20/10/2025 08:06

Was just thinking about how much our tastes change as we grow, and as fashions change.

When I was in my mid-teens, I was desperate for a posh English name. I probably would have chosen Constance for myself, which would have been ridiculous- I am neither posh nor English. When I was in primary school and playing house, I always called myself Nicole. Again, I am not a Nicole at all.

What would you have picked for yourself as a teen?

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patooties · 20/10/2025 19:27

Jacinta.

DemonsandMosquitoes · 20/10/2025 19:23

Natalie. I’m 53 and it’s still my favourite girls name.

ShesTheAlbatross · 20/10/2025 19:14

I had a real love for the name Lisa

LittleGreenDuck · 20/10/2025 19:13

I hate my name, I wanted to be Amy or Natalie. I still hate my name, it can't be arsed to do anything about it.

TheFiveLakes · 20/10/2025 19:04

KittyRannaldini · 20/10/2025 08:08

Emma.

Something like Emma too - something something unfussy and classic.

I've always been fairly embarrassed by my name but never got around to doing anything about it, partly because I feel as though you don't choose your name - nobody names themselves (I know people do these days, but they didn't in the 1980s when I was younger unless they were "artist names" - it would have felt pretentious and forced and attention seeking to change it, and required justification for mortally offending my parents I think).

FrayaMorstater · 20/10/2025 19:01

I’ve always loved the name Jessica since I was very young. It would have been my daughter’s name, but alas I had 2 boys so that never happened.

cantpullthetrigger · 20/10/2025 18:58

Angelique. It was the name I was given in my French lessons age 12 and I would have happily changed my name by deed poll to it I was that attached!

FeatheryFlorence · 20/10/2025 18:57

As a small child, Carol or Linda. As a teen, Portia.

CheerfulBunny · 20/10/2025 18:56

I only thought about this the other day - I wished I was a Stephanie or a Morgan. I thought they sounded so glamorous 😄

ImWearingPantaloons · 20/10/2025 18:56

When I was very little, Sharon or Kelly.

As a teen, Emma or Felicity.

PermanentTemporary · 20/10/2025 18:54

Ferdinanda. My plan was to change my name by deed poll when I was 18.

Reader, I did not.

Overtheatlantic · 20/10/2025 18:52

I wanted to be Charlie. I thought it was the ultimate cool girl name and unisex which made it better.

PastaAllaNorma · 20/10/2025 18:46

I was a pretentious wanker, I wanted to be something Gothic and Wicca like Raven or something Shakespearean like Rosalind or Miranda. I'd have loved to be willowy and mysterious but really I was dumpy, clumsy and far too pragmatic to be a heroine.

God only knows how my parents tolerated my 15 year old self.

MotherOfCatBoy · 20/10/2025 18:46

Rosanna

Though I have always liked my own name so count myself fortunate.

PistachioTiramisu · 20/10/2025 18:43

Alexandra - a family name but I didn't get it!

DuchessofSuffolk · 20/10/2025 18:42

Probably something like Chardonnay, like Chardonnay in footballers wives LOL

Disco2022 · 20/10/2025 09:42

I made people call me Kitty! Not at all like my real name.
I did also pretend my surname was that of Richey from the Manics too so I was slightly unhinged. Used to get post delivered to Kitty Edwards and my mum was ever so confused.

Gustavo1 · 20/10/2025 09:09

I wanted to be Sadie, like Sadie Frost.
Sadie Smith was my “Ken Adams” name as an older teen 😂

Careeradviceplease1234 · 20/10/2025 09:07

I'm not sure about my teens. I think I was fine with my name by then but as a younger child playing make believe games I think I usually wanted to be called Lucy or Jessica (born in 94)

Tanya285 · 20/10/2025 09:05

I wanted to be Chloe, before that time when there were a million Chloe's.

Yellowe · 20/10/2025 08:46

I love the name Constance, but it has neither English nor posh vibes for me.

One of my closest friends and my goddaughter are both Constances. One is a French rugby player and the other is a Sligo dairy farmer. And the only other one I know of used to be a friend’s therapist in NY.

I had a strange childhood love affair with the name Jennifer for reasons now obscure to me.

Anon572747525991 · 20/10/2025 08:45

This probably dates me, but a 'jewel' name eg Crystal, Jade, Topaz. But when I was 16 I read a book with a main character called Saskia, which was then earmarked for a future daughter. I had boys so it never got to be used.

EmpressaurusKitty · 20/10/2025 08:43

One of the bonuses of having 2 fairly long names was that I had options & was able to use a lot of different shortenings through teens / university.

When it got to the stage where I couldn’t remember who called me what, I went back to just using my whole first name.

Screamingabdabz · 20/10/2025 08:41

As a child I wanted to be Victoria but then as a teenager I would’ve chosen Lauren. That was the cool name then and why loads of millennials are called Lauren!

nopiesleftinthisvehicle · 20/10/2025 08:38

What a fun thread 😀
As a teen, Jasmine.

As a younger child, Mandy (my favourite girls comic)