Thoughts on Changing my Name?

[stabn]

My mother changed her name because of similar problems in her 40s. This was helped by moving a couple hundred miles and meeting all new people. Everyone from where she used to live still calls her the older name but everyone she has met since then call her the newer name. Since these two groups never or almost never interact it hasn't been a problem.

I know she has been very happy with the name change and the easier time she has introducing herself / making reservations, etc.

[Jauerback]

I think you're making too big of deal of this. Don't change your name just because it's an inconvenience when you introduce yourself to someone new or have to make reservations. My God, there are bigger things to worry about in life. Find a way to turn this into an opportunity when you meet someone.

EDIT: What Duke said.

[Duke]

[ QUOTE ]
My mother changed her name because of similar problems in her 40s. This was helped by moving a couple hundred miles and meeting all new people. Everyone from where she used to live still calls her the older name but everyone she has met since then call her the newer name. Since these two groups never or almost never interact it hasn't been a problem.

I know she has been very happy with the name change and the easier time she has introducing herself / making reservations, etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

I changed my name when I was 12, but it had more to do with everyone calling me Duke than anything else. Having some other random name be my "real" name made no sense.

[Duke]

One other thing to consider is that you will always have "AKA ORIGINAL NAME" on any legal documents that you're a part of, making you seem like a criminal.

[shaniac]

Didn't read the post or the thread, but "Ariel" is a good Jewish name and you should keep it.

[sethypooh21]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What's your middle name? Any reason you couldn't just use that?

[/ QUOTE ]

My middle name is Podolsky. *cringe*

[/ QUOTE ]

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What's your middle name? Any reason you couldn't just use that?

[/ QUOTE ]

My middle name is Podolsky. *cringe*

[/ QUOTE ]
Poddy!?!

[sethypooh21]

[ QUOTE ]
Didn't read the post or the thread, but "Ariel" is a good Jewish name and you should keep it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Also, doesn't matter what your name is, it will get butchered. My HS basketball coach couldn't even spell my name, let alone pronounce it right...

[RJT]

IAN

[Slow Play Ray]

I think it's a pretty cool name man - keep it.

And a little story about changing your name...I am a Junior; that is, my father and I have the same name (Ray obv). So when I was born, to avoid confusion, my parents and family started calling me by my middle name, Andy. This was all well and good until I started school, at which point the teachers would call me during attendance and whatnot by my given name. I was too young/shy/stupid to correct them, so I just learned to deal with it and I became Ray at school and to all of my new friends; my family and everyone I knew through my family continued to call me Andy.

Fast-forward to sophomore year of high school...my parents were divorced, and I decided I wanted to move in with my dad in a new town (well I didn't really decide so much as get kicked out, but that's a story for another time). I figured new school, new start - I'm going to have people call me Andy. So for the first few weeks I told everyone my name was Andy, but of course the attendance sheet still said Ray, so most teachers just went with it. I grew tired of correcting and explaining to everyone. I said f it just call me Ray, and of course almost everyone did. I say almost everyone because at my previous high school, Freshman took Chemistry and Sophomores took Biology, but at the new school it was vice-versa. So I was in a Biology class with all Freshmen, and for some reason that whole class took to calling me Andy and stuck with it from then on. And my cousin was in that freshman class too, so most of them called me Andy because they knew me through her anyway.

So basically to this day, my family, most people I know through my family, and everyone from the class behind me in high school call me Andy - everyone else calls me Ray.

Moral of the story - don't bother changing your name - people are gonna keep calling you Ariel anyway, and there will just be more confusion when you try to explain to your new acquaintances why everyone calls you Ariel.