I hate my name. Changing first name?

[Upallnightfeeding]

Interested to hear if anyone has changed their first name due to just not liking it. How did it go, did everyone in your life start calling you the new name? How did you go about implementing it?

Also let me add I don’t hate my name for any particular reason, I just don’t like it. I don’t know if I would want to or even if I could change it due to everyone already knowing me as my current name. It’s just a thought I have sometimes.

thanks guys!

Not really but I changed my commonly used nickname. Like from Liz to Beth if that makes sense? I didn’t have to do anything official. Just the known as and did it when I started uni. I assume you mean first name? If so do it. I always hated the shortening of my name that my parents chose and so I was stuck with as a child. Be who you are! You aren’t the name you hate. X

As an adult it would be quite odd?
Do you plan to just announce to everyone “Btw, I’m Nicola now; not Pamela, ok?”
I’d wonder what was up with you, tbh.

It would be good to change it if you're changing jobs, or going to Uni, or are moving to a new area, or your DC are starting school etc. Any significant life change where you're meeting new people and so have a clean slate. At least a few people will call you by it. If not, is there a shortened version you prefer. Like Bea for Barbara or something.

Family member did this as an adult, from a popular religious name. Changed it to a shorter similar name, same initial. He’s been known by his new name for 20 years, we didn’t think anything of it, I never heard anyone comment adversely.

Of course you can change it.

It would probably be easier for people who know you to handle/remember the change if it's similar.

For example someone with the name Katherine going from Kathy to Kate. Or Sharon to Sarah rather than a massive change like Paula to Amy.