Teenager wants to change their name

[Stressedgiraffe]

I don't know what to do. I've said if they still want to do it at 18 they can. My major worry is that what they want to change it to isn't a name it's a noun. I don't want to say the name but think 'table' ' truck' 'monitor'
I worry that they won't be taken seriously when they get a job/career.
They don't want it to stay as a nickname but as their proper name.
What would you do?

Tank isn't that bad on the scale of unusual names. Some poor sod is going around saddled with the name Aragorn.

All those Khaleesis aren't looking so great after season 8 of GOT either.

I would tell them. No, don't ask again as your proposal lacks careful consideration.

I can understand your concerns if it isn't an 'actual' name, l'd be concerned about how people would maybe perceive it professionally.
My eldest stepson was Christopher. He hated it, and to be honest, it didn't suit him. He's very alternative and Goth.
When he was twenty, he changed it, not massively differently, but to something he preferred. He changed it to Christian, but spelled differently to that.
It's unusual and much more suited to his personality.
After he'd done it legally, he rang me and said "Will you tell my mum?" which made me laugh. Absolutely not. You're old enough to change it, you're old enough to tell her yourself.
He's thirty now and still loves it. And l think his mum's come round.
He has a PhD in his field as well as another degree in a similar field, so it doesn't seem to have held him back at all. The field he works in is very specific, scientific, which helps, l think.

They can always change it back...

If he goes anywhere near Liverpool the locals may just think he's being overly polite.

Except in this circumstance the parent has no "authority" 🙄

Is this a gender thing? Or just a nickname thing? I don't know if it makes a difference really, but it feels like a slightly different question if they're aiming for something gender-neutral (which Tank doesn't feel!) or if this is something everyone has been calling them for years and they're tired of explaining that they're actually called Jonathan.

What's brought all this on?

Yes some annoying administrative inconvenience- the kind we all live with all the time these days. It’s hardly the end of the world

Considering some of the suggestions here, Tank isn’t too bad.

Tank isn't that bad as a name, I suppose.
It brings to mind a weaponised vehicle, bulky and slow-moving.
For a man, it could work, but I’m not sure I’d say the same for a woman?
It is the kind of name I would associate with a UFC fighter.

It won’t affect anything at alk. Tell them to wait and do it themselves. This is a tempest in a tea pot.

Tank? 🤣 Short for Tanker the W**r? 😂 Have they not heard that before? They will soon if they change their name to that!

Say No because it’s a daft non-name and stop calling them Tank too as it’s just encouraging it. Yes, they could change their name when they’re 18 but hopefully the whole idea will have worn off by then.

I've always been surprised there hasn't been loads of Aryas and Sansas

My DGM always called me Fanfanackapan. I'm glad it didn't catch on

He’s been using it for 3 years

To me it sounds like a Bully XL sort of name...

Why is it important to have Tank as his official 'government' name?

It's fairly easy for him to go by Tank, and only need to see his real name on formal documents (passport, exam certificates, bank statements etc). And how often do you look at those things?

In day to day life, he can always be referred to as Tank.

He can tell future teachers, colleagues etc to use Tank. When you start a job or uni, they normally ask you how you want to be known and what your email should be.

If he hates his real name though, I can see his point a bit more. He might just want rid of it completely. But he should wait til 18. Then if it turns out to be a mistake, then it was his decision!

Nobody cares about names anymore. We live in a world where nearly anything goes. I know and know of kids with all sorts of "weird" names. Once you've seen it once you just forget about it.

And there's nothing stopping your child using a different name, even if it's never officially changed. Your child could apply for a job using the name Tank tomorrow if they want to. It's up to them.

Is it a gender thing? Are they wanting to be called Tank because they think it sounds really masculine or something? It’s not the best name in the world, especially if someone is tiny but I’ve heard worse real names in my line of work. There’s not a lot you can do once they’re 18 I suppose

I knew it would be Tank. It just says American nickname of a High-school student who is built like a tank.

I used to know someone who changed his name to 'The Dragon' at 18. He was originally called Mike and after that we all called him Mike The Dragon. Nobody could actually bring themselves to call him just 'The Dragon' or even 'The' which I suppose was officially his first name.

I don't think jobs were a consideration for Mike The Dragon at that time, although he's probably an IT consultant or accountant or something now. Maybe.

Tank isn’t that bad, it’s not an unheard of name and at 16 he can change it via deed poll without permission anyway. I’d just get him to consider keeping the first name as a middle name, makes it maybe a bit easier to switch again socially if he wants to again, and when I changed mine it was helpful having that link with the old name for some paperwork faff.

Don’t indulge in this. Could be just going through a rebellious teen streak, and may regret it.

He/She can wait until they’re 18!

What does the father say ? You both need to be aligned in this front.

I think it's could be a rejection of a name I love and has family links. Its a very feminine Russian name.
The gender thing i hope they grow out of. Which is another reason not to change it legally yet.