connection between your name and yourself

[RMorgan]

I really like my name, Rafael. The problem is that usually, English speakers can´t pronounce it correctly, so it seems weird whenever I go abroad and someone calls me RRRAFAYELLL or RROFOWELL, or RRAAFEALL...So I usually ask people to call me Raf, or RAFA, and that´s ok.

Just in case, my name is pronounced HA-FAH-El (El pronounced like in Elvis).

[Tui Allen]

Renne - thanks for introducing me to a new word, "ungooglable". Love it.

[Arrowwind]

I changed my name early on in life but I didn't do it legally. I have a professional name that is requried in my signature for legal reasons and then I have my "real" name, which is Arrowwind.... Arrow for short. Been this way over 35 years now. It costs about 800 dollars to get your name changed is my understanding.

Ive lived in a number of ashrams and you know, the teacher or guru often givens the students new names.. not for me... so I have received it in other forms... like guru' arrow princess.... in other languages. Also my full medicine name which I will not state was was given to me in a sweat lodge by a medicine man. It is the name of my spriit animal that I found on my first spirit walk. I knew deep inside that this animal should also be part of my name. In the ceremony the medicine man said "I am to give a name to someone here and it is XXX
but I don't know who so you must claim it... it was in a dark sweat lodge and there were three others sweeting with us.. so I took my name without hesitancy... so I am of the opinion that we can name ourselves and most effectively and others can see it and respond in like.

[benevolentcrow]

I have never liked my middle name, went so far as to change it when I got married. Since then I have gone back to my original middle name out of respect for my mother who gave it to me. Still don't like it...

[Dawn]

When I was a child we had a pediatrician named Dr. Shot. And that is the one thing I ever remember him doing, giving us all shots followed by a lollipop. How we hated going to see Dr. Shot!

As far as my name goes... it fits. I was named for the beginning of a 'new age' .... Dawn. My last name didn't fit however and so, after a day silent retreat, the urge to have a new name came up. I sat awaiting the name and it suddenly came. My true last name is Beginning. So together I am Dawn Beginning. However this seems a strange name to tell to others, so I usually use it only in signature on non-business documents .... even then I change it to Dawn, always Beginning. It reminds me that every moment is 'new' and that it always will be.

[Sidney]

Wow, Who Knew?? Hate my legal given first name also. As soon as I was old enough to have any control over it, I started going by the shorter version of my "way too formal" given name. My mother yelled at us kids 24/7, and when I hear my given first name, all I hear is her yelling. A few people still call me by that, but I rarely see them.

I also do know 2 people that legally changed their names for similar reasons, (abusive people in their lives). Whatever works right??

Cool thread. : )

[Sunlite]

Nearing,

It is not difficult to change your name. It costs $25 and they set up an appointment within a week, you go before a judge alone and are asked if this is the name you want. She stamps the paper work, one sheet you fill out, and then says Good Luck ------ and you leave. Not a big deal at all to have a name that is really you. The Native Americans named their children at birth until they were old enough to name themselves with another name if they wanted to do so...that is freedom.

Sunlite

[Lefty Dave]

Cool thread
This has bothered me all my life
Had my parents went by tradition...I would have been Sanford Atilio Smith...but they chose to name me after step grandad and used my other grandad's nickname...so I ended up David Charles Smith...there are 8 David Smith's in my county alone....!!! Not very special...and on top of that...playing left handed guitar for fifty years drew me the nickname of Lefty...a name I couldn't shake...so I just accepted it...but to this day I'm uncomfortable with David Charles...and nobody ever believes you when you say Smith...!!! LOL

[Mathilde Lares]

I agree with you about it but also I think the same way with our birthday.

[truth4me]

I guess the late great american songwriter/singer Johnny Cash had it right all along.....A boy named Sue.