What does “normalize” mean to you? It’s not uncommon. I know several people who have done this at different ages, for different reasons. Are you saying people should talk about it more? Like “Hey, I’m Dave but my name used to be Jim”?
Usually people just send it the paperwork and then use their new name. It’s a normal thing that normal people do and it doesn’t really raise any eyebrows for normal people.
But like, you’d still name a name before that, at least for official documents and such. Normalizing renaming is fine, but I see that as somewhat separate from parents naming their children to begin with.
Sure, but when do you propose someone pick their own name? What are they referred to before that point? I know there have been cultures where what you are suggesting is exactly how they handle it, but in societies that have identification numbers and birth records, they need to be called something before they are able to choose their own name.
Like, the actual, physical logistics of what you propose doesn’t make sense to me. Normalizing changing your own name to something you choose later, though, does make sense.
Billie Eilish has several middle names. Eilish is in fact one of them. One of them, however, is “Pirate”. Because her parents allowed her big brother to choose one of them when she was born.
Why she doesn’t go by Pirate, I’ll never understand.
We need to normalize naming ourselves, why should we let someone who doesn’t know us yet decide what we should be called forever?
I get you’ve got to be called something but there’s no reason we can’t decide something else later.
I think you can change your name in most places
I’m not saying you can’t, just that it should be normalized for people to take agency like that.
What does “normalize” mean to you? It’s not uncommon. I know several people who have done this at different ages, for different reasons. Are you saying people should talk about it more? Like “Hey, I’m Dave but my name used to be Jim”?
Usually people just send it the paperwork and then use their new name. It’s a normal thing that normal people do and it doesn’t really raise any eyebrows for normal people.
Anytime someone has found out I changed my name I’m barraged by questions about it.
It’s not unheard of to change names but most people won’t accept “because I wanted to choose my name” as a valid reason.
But like, you’d still name a name before that, at least for official documents and such. Normalizing renaming is fine, but I see that as somewhat separate from parents naming their children to begin with.
I’m talking about normalizing picking your own name which is different than just being able to change your name.
Sure, but when do you propose someone pick their own name? What are they referred to before that point? I know there have been cultures where what you are suggesting is exactly how they handle it, but in societies that have identification numbers and birth records, they need to be called something before they are able to choose their own name.
Like, the actual, physical logistics of what you propose doesn’t make sense to me. Normalizing changing your own name to something you choose later, though, does make sense.
If we named ourselves, I guess our names would also serve as a lasting reminder of what our 5 year old selves thought was cool.
I mean, that’s not such a bad thing in the long run but it might get tough when you’re in your teens
Billie Eilish has several middle names. Eilish is in fact one of them. One of them, however, is “Pirate”. Because her parents allowed her big brother to choose one of them when she was born.
Why she doesn’t go by Pirate, I’ll never understand.
I was thinking more when you become an adult you pick your name, I did that and over a decade later I still feel like my name suits me.
It’s a normal name, nothing crazy or spelled weird.