this post was submitted on 15 Dec 2025
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Say if someone came up to you and asked "If you were a boy/girl what would your name be?" could you answer them without needing think or is that not something most people give a thought to?

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[–] GalacticGrapefruit@lemmy.world 44 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Hi. Trans person here.

This is how The Big Questions start. Good luck.

[–] inb4_FoundTheVegan@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If you're thinking about what your life would be as the opposite gender, then you're already thought about gender more than most. Doesn't necessarily mean you're any flavor of trans, but generally this isn't something cis folk think about.

No one can tell you who you are, especially an internet stranger. But if OP or anyone else has an answer to what name you would've had as the other sex, than this link is massively helpful in sorting through these thoughts.

[–] ElectricWaterfall@lemmy.zip 3 points 15 hours ago

Very interesting read even as a cis person. I don’t understand how anyone can read this and then believe any of the propaganda about trans people.

[–] JASN_DE@feddit.org 42 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] Tywele@lemmy.dbzer0.com 23 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

I knew the name I would have gotten if had been born a girl for multiple years before I came out as trans and now that is my real name.

[–] prex@aussie.zone 20 points 1 day ago (1 children)

So your parents chose your trans name? That's awesome!

[–] Tywele@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 1 day ago

Kind of yeah 😊

[–] mybuttnolie@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 day ago

but are your parents now transparent?

[–] Tonava@sopuli.xyz 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'm trans so I would have to decline answering, as any other name than my current one would just be asked and used in attempts to hurt me. But I do know exactly what names I would have

[–] VivianRixia@piefed.social 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Same, but I was thinking that no way I'd go back to the old one. But my current name doesn't have an obvious gender flip, so I'd have to come up with an entirely new name again.

[–] Tonava@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 day ago (5 children)

Totally fair. I also have a gender neutral name these days, but since my parents thought names for both a girl and a boy before I was born I'd consider those my woman/man -names. But yeah the reality of being trans is that you can't ever tell any other names, unless you're lying for safety. It's always weaponized

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[–] northernlights@lemmy.today 9 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Yeah my name is Clement, so Clementine, like the Walking Dead character. Actually kids in school called me that thinking it was mean... I actually didn't mind.

[–] rikudou@lemmings.world 5 points 1 day ago

Clementine is one beautiful name!

[–] Today@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Crap. Now i have to go watch Eternal Sunshine and I really don't have the emotional energy for that today.

[–] Luci@lemmy.ca 8 points 23 hours ago

Good luck with your transition!!!

[–] starlinguk@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'm a woman, my parents already gave me a male name. I never really thought about it until my brother had a son and named him after me.

[–] oopsgodisdeadmybad@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 day ago

My (man here) little sister used my unisex middle name as her daughter's name after me. 🥰

She's not my only niece, but that will always be special to me.

[–] _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)
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[–] MagicShel@lemmy.zip 5 points 1 day ago

If you asked me to pick a different name remaining a guy I don't think I could without a lot of thought.

[–] Lasherz12@lemmy.world 4 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago)

Can't say I've ever thought about it as a cis male. It's pretty easy to come up with the best sounding derivative though. If you feel that this may be an important choice for you it may benefit you to explore further and perhaps talk to a therapist who has helped others with dysphoria.

It may also help to add that I've gone through phases of not liking my name. It's not a "normal" name and people very often mishear it as something else. Through this I've only ever considered other cis male centric names, also derivatives of my actual name.

[–] BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I have given more thought to what I would change my name to if I was trying to hide as a criminal than I have for if I switched genders.

[–] Apytele@sh.itjust.works 4 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

I have an agendered one but I'm also legit considering changing it.

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[–] j4k3@piefed.world 3 points 1 day ago

I could come up with something contextual on the fly, but it is not a thing I think about. I do not feel a need to navigate or explore my sexual dogma, not that there is anything wrong with doing so. I guess I am lucky to have grown up with experiences that helped me learn what I do and do not find arousing. I think I am open to new experiences, but I generally follow my curiosity wherever it leads and do not care how anyone else feels about that. I'm fiercely loyal, so not in that way.

[–] Denjin@feddit.uk 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

My name works equally well for either gender, so yes.

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[–] user224@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Can I think about it, or am I at gunpoint?

[–] reev@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] user224@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Aisha (after the Fennec fox that I couldn't pet at a contact zoo when I was 10 because it was still too young)

[–] RattlerSix@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Huh, Aisha being too young isn't a problem for some people.

(In Islam, the prophet Mohammed married his wife Aisha when she was 6 and he was 50, but waited until she was 9 to consumate the marriage)

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[–] First_Thunder@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 day ago

Not really. Probably just the female version of my name

[–] NotASharkInAManSuit@lemmy.world 3 points 22 hours ago

My name is not gendered, so I’m good to go.

[–] MightyThistle@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

My mum said if I were a boy, my name would've been Daniel

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[–] oopsgodisdeadmybad@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 day ago

My name has an obvious feminine version, and I like it enough too.

I've personally known only very few women with that name, (it's not uncommon) but the ones I did were gorgeous, so I'd happily put myself in that club if I woke up different tomorrow.

My middle name is already unisex too, so my initials wouldn't even change lol.

[–] spittingimage@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I have a gender-neutral name, so I'd probably stick with the same one.

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[–] mrcleanup@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

I'd have no idea. Yeah, there's a feminine name I could extract from my current name, but my first impression is that I wouldn't want that. I have no idea.

Good luck with your journey!

[–] johsny@lemmy.world 3 points 21 hours ago
[–] letsgo2themall@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

My name can be used for both. Lucky me!

[–] Dalacos@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

I think the female versions of my name sound terrible, so, no on that front.

In general not a thought I've had aside from that. I've always felt comfortable with my gender/sexual orientation.

Actually, I have one at the ready, mostly because my dad used to call my brother and I by our feminine equivalent names to bug us as children (different time, young army guy).

Have not given thought to preferred choices, though, just that one.

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I don't even like my own name for various reasons but I couldn't make a different choice for my own gender even if I wanted to.

I would end up depressively renaming myself something like Rat Bastard McFuckwit

[–] underreacting@literature.cafe 2 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Or something like Snot Flickerman, am I right?

Unless that's your current name... In which case I've really put my foot in my mouth.

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[–] Witchfire@lemmy.world 2 points 19 hours ago

I'm not really sure how that works as a trans person lol

[–] Maestro@fedia.io 2 points 1 day ago

I know what my parents wanted to call me if I was a girl. It's a horrible tacky name so I'm glad I turned out a boy!

[–] dream_weasel@sh.itjust.works 2 points 20 hours ago

I'm gonna go with no.

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