Help me change my name please

[ByebyeKaren]

For a long time, I've wanted to change my first name for various family reasons.

My name is Karen but I can't think of anything I like that is linked even in a small way. It can't be Kate as have two in the family already.

Oh and it's not because of the current connotation within the name!

All suggestions considered 😀

Cora? Coral? Kazia?

The Kardashians are useful for their K names!

Kris
Kim
Kourtney
Khloe
Kendall
Kylie

I mean some of these are ridiculous but Kendall is a nice name.

Karrie? Klara? Karina?

Or Corinne for a closer sound match?

Another vote for Kara / Cara / Ciara.

Kayleigh if you want to have a totally different sound, but the same initials.

I changed from Karen to Kara! I wanted to keep my initial the same, and didn’t want a huge change.
A year on, I have zero regrets 😊

@ifeelbeautifulbutunnoticed As a Karen who switched to Ren in university, I can confirm it is possible to make this change successfully :) People do just assume it's Wren though.

I’m sorry that idiots have ruined your lovely name. It was on my shortlist if DS was a girl, before all this nonsense kicked off. Anyway…

Karina
Kareina
Chiara
Kiera
Kathleen
Caitlyn
Kayen
Rena
Rowena
Irene
Irena
Marina

Have you played with the anagrams?

Or try Karen backwardss Nerak?! Hm probably not.

Kraken 😀

Karrie seems an easy switch, imo.
You might not want to change it legally, keep Karen but go by Karrie. I say this as someone who has had a name change via Deed Poll and it's really a pita. Various government apps won't recognise me, several years later (match up my details to their system when I need to update passport/driving licence).

Hi 👋 OP, may I suggest Kaz? I believe it’s often used as a shortened version of Karen so it gives you the option of not having to legally change your name.

Or how about these other K names: Katy, Katie, Kylie, Keeley, Kelly, Kyla, Kendra, Kezia. Or Kasia, like the lovely BBC newsreader Kasia Madera!

I fully empathise as I’m also considering changing my first name and have decided to change it but keep the same initial, so there is some linkage, but unlike you I don’t have a lot of choice as my name begins with one of the tail end letters of the alphabet! It’s an ethnic name and it makes me absolutely miserable and affects my confidence and sense of self worth. I detest meeting new people because I hate having to tell people how to pronounce and spell it. People (mainly at work) also can’t seem to work out which is my first name and which is my last name and call me by my last name even though it sounds like a swear word! 🤣 I also think sometimes I’m racially profiled as a new immigrant unable to speak English, which is not the case at all! The only thing stopping me changing my name right now is: DH’s attitude (he thinks I’d be a sell-out) and being a dual passport holder the process to change it is a PITA. My non-UK country is very far away and I have to physically lodge a form and prove I live there, which I don’t currently. Not sure how to get around that! Anyway I digress…good luck with your name change journey! 💐

Kiki,

Karina,

Kay,

Carrie,

Wren,

Karenina - just use Nina?

Cara

Hi 👋 OP, may I suggest Kaz? I believe it’s often used as a shortened version of Karen so it gives you the option of not having to legally change your name.

Kaz doesn’t sound like anything but a nickname though. People are likely to ask her what it’s short for or what her real name is and then she’d be back where she started.

in England you don’t have to change your name legally. You can just start using any name as long as you aren’t doing it for criminal purposes. Even if you do want to change it by deed poll it’s simple and inexpensive.

Thanks everyone. Lots of lovely names suggested.

I'm still favouring Kara

Kara is fab! Go for it x