To change my name from Elizabeth

[awkwardasfuck]

God I just hate it. It sounds like lizard. It's a Christian name meaning "loved by god" and I'm a staunch atheist. It was the Queens name and I'm firmly anti royal. It was my maternal grandmothers name and she was abusive to my mum, who, in turn, has passed that trauma and abuse onto me to the point where we are no contact. Ive always been called Lisa but I don't like that much either.

I've been going by Lis, pronounced "Liss" but what can I move to? Urgh.

I would in your shoes, there is trauma attached to that name for you.

I'm not a fan, my niece is called Elizabeth and it's not allowed to be shortened (her Mum is adamant, she chose that name and that's what she has to go by), I think it sounds stuffy and old fashioned.

Plus kids at school will shorten it, it's just inevitable, my DD has a nickname for her and I don't correct her.

I’m Elizabeth shortened to Liz or Lizzie. I’m not keen on the name but I remind myself my late mum who I adored loved it x

If you're going to change it OP then i think you sound like someone who should go wild!
I think the antithesis of a prim and proper royal/religious Elizabeth has got to be Jezebel!
If Jezebel is too much then maybe Delilah.

I’d choose something from the movies - some of my favourites are Ariel, Dorothy, Casper, and Maximus.

We had a book of names at home and it was listed as a diminutive - we found it hilarious

Hannah - which I also dislike.

I have a cousin Hannah as well

Lovely name and has dozens of shortenings to choose from

Must say I find it strange to hate a lovely classic name like Elizabeth. Now if your parents had saddled you with e.g. Heavenleigh….

Admittedly I’m biased though.

Sil wouldn’t allow niece’s name to be shortened.
Then she had another girl who shortened her big sisters name and sil does too now.

Foreign versions.

Isabelle/Isobel/Isabella
Eloise
Elsa
Elise / Elisa [ay - leese]
Lise rather than Lisa
IIse
Bettina [Italian]
Liesel
Bethan, Bethany

But if you want to choose something completely different, I'd suggest find people in history that reasonate with the person you want to be?

My friend Elizabeth has always just gone as Ellie. Only her passport and driving licence says otherwise

Bette. It's kind of chic and old fashioned.

What's wrong with Claire in 1997?

I love the name Elizabeth: it makes me think of the wonderful Lizzy Bennett in Pride and Prejudice and Elizabeth I, one of the most powerful and impressive women of her time. But that's just me.

I know a couple of women who have changed their names several times in the hope that each new name and each new 'self' will make life easier or better. It doesn't seem to have worked for either of them. We are who we are, no matter what we are called.

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but I also know from personal experience that sometimes embracing the monster is a more effective way of disarming the past than running away from it.

@awkwardasfuck

whats wrong with Hannah??

there is only one answer of course

Balonz

It's already taken in my family

(it's also the name of someone who drunkenly attacked me about ten years ago...)

And none of that withstanding I just don't like it as a name!

I think it's beside the point that Elizabeth is a lovely/classic name (it is - I was going to use it if I had a dd)

OP would like to shed a skin so I would endorse something completely unrelated to Elizabeth.

I have found it an extreme relief (after 30 years of trying to heal, so no running away from the monster) to step into the person that feels like the true me, untethered by all the baggage, which I have worked through and resolved.

What happened to me can't be undone, but we can put ourselves in charge now.

YES!!! 🤣🤣

10/10

I'm so glad you found releif <3

Bess

Glizzy

I actually love the idea of calling yourself Lizard.

"Liz, short for Elizabeth?",
"No, Lizard".

Elle- she who must be obeyed!

Me too.