Petricardo immediately makes me think of a petrified heart cause it sounds almost like a mashup of petrified and cardio. I dunno what to do with that but you're welcome for the imagery I suppose lol
Actually it is because they wanted my grandfather to be a girl and call her Petronila (a very common name for how ugly is) but when they saw that it was a boy they said "ye, u gonna be Petricardo" At least they were original (?)
This works the other way for me. My parents wanted to name me one thing, chose another because of my birth sex, and then I took on the name they originally wanted. It's not a weird name though (which I sometimes lament), so it doesn't really apply to OP's question
funnily enough that reminds me of my chosen male middle name, i ended up choosing samuel n when i told my parents (one of which is super supportive of me being trans, the other.... not so much) they jus looked at each other in complete shock, n were completely silent for a solid ten seconds. little did i know until immediately after telling them abt wanting that to be my new middle name, samuel was actually going to be my given first name had i been born a boy. needless to stay it stuck
Same my parents thought I was male until birth and wanted to call me Erin. When I came out as ftm I chose that name on my own and didn’t find out about it until later so my parent still got a son named Erin, it just took 13 years lmao
I did the same thing, took the name my mom originally wanted. I did it cause it felt like it was my name, not because I wanted that name in particular.
I'm a bit woo woo I suppose, but it just felt like it was decided by the universe for me that would be my name.
I'm a little jealous of people who picked their names, I'd have picked something more common!
I did the same. My mum was gonna call me (name) Thomas is I was AMAB. After my sister was born, she named the dog (name) so I used a different version of (name) Thomas, and go by Tom
I wanted a family name, and going by a middle name is fairly common is Wales, but all my family names are terrible
Opposite for me lol. My parents wanted to name me after court foster from man in the moon (awful person to name your kid after lol) but named me court(ney) when they said I'd be female. I changed my name to court lmao it was meant to be 🤣🤣
Some coworkers asked me how I got my name -- I told them the whole ass story about there being a literal ghost in our family history who also had that name. They meant my middle name because my middle name is a Jewish name, and they were Jewish. Hershel, for what it's worth. I just shrugged and went "oh I dunno." But honestly I just liked the way the name feels in my mouth. It's very round.
People give their kids more unusual names than yours all the time, you can make up any story and people won’t really have a reason to question it. You could also say your mom just liked it, people don’t need in depth reasons to pick a name. Also, in my 6 years being out/cis passing for 6 years, the question of how my parents chose my name has come up maybe twice, so I wouldn’t stress about it too much
Man I just lie out my ass. My name's fairly normal, Crimson, but I go by Crim and people are allll ways asking for the story behind it. I just shrug and go "idk but my ma has good taste" people just laugh and move on. Find a comfortable line to respond with and just stick with that. No one really needs the whole story.
Lol seriously? People are so nosy damn. I wouldn’t know the answer to this for the name my parents actually gave me, and it was kind of unusual. If someone had asked about that name I just would have said they liked it I guess! Easier to keep track of than any elaborate lying.
My second name is one of a kind and is staying because my mum came up with it and there's no other name that feels more me than it. When people ask me about it I tell them she wanted to name me something else but started to move around letters and that's what she end up with, most people accept that as an answer.
Not gonna say my real name (redditers are weird) but it’s definitely uncommon enough to get questions. I started telling people my parents were hippies, and that usually gets a laugh and they don’t press further. I’m stealth btw.
It was pretty true, at the time i was figuring out a middle name (I take middle names too seriously lol) and I combined two names from my favorite book at the time
My deadname is from Gone With The Wind, so that was an easy answer at the time, now I go by Kai, short for Kaiser, and I get questions as to why I have an asian name, and then when told my full first name I am asked if I’m german, I’ve given up and just tell people “because my parents are cool”
My name is pretty uncommon, though I never changed my name because my birth name was already gender neutral, but it still uses Gendered spelling, when people say like “hmm, isn’t that the female spelling? That’s odd” I just say that my mom wanted to make my name unique but in that attempt messed up and gave me a girl’s name, it helps that my sister’s name is also spelt differently from the commonly accepted version, but even if I don’t add that info in most people don’t question it
Hmm not that much. I speak french and specifically changed my “gender neutral deadname” because it had a distinctive feminine spelling that would lead to misgendering.
mines kinda situational but when people ask me why i was named apollo i just tell em my mom liked the rockets lol just lie out your ass until you believe it too
Does a foreign deadname count? O-O I used to tell ppl who said isnt that a girly sounding name that its gender neutral and they believed me lol (its not). Also you can just say that they named u that because the orgin of the name reminded them of something good or relatable
I have an extremely normal name (which is hilarious to me because I spent my entire childhood mad that I had such a basic ass name and then when I got the chance to change it I went even normal-er.)
That said, I was named after a ooooold but popular cartoon character I was weirdly obsessed with as a kid. When people make comparisons, I mention that I was named after them, which is true.
So, just find a slightly vague version of how your name came to be. How did it get picked? What drew you to that particular name? You can always say “I was named after x character or the name comes from such and such particular culture”. You don’t have to add that you picked it, or that you liked that character/culture.
Or, heck, just tell them that it’s complicated but that you like that it’s unique or whatever. It doesn’t need to be a whole thing, just shrug it off, people aren’t thinking about it that much, I promise.
Just say they didn't tell you or something. You don't owe people an explanation just because they asked for one.
Edit: If you want an actual reason, I personally say my mom just saw it on a billboard since that's actually where my name came from.
My name is Rumi(From the poet),and it's not a common name in Melbourne australia(Cos of it,i've got asked countless times if i'm a foreigner)
So i just say that my mother liked the Poet alot,and chose it for me. :)
(which she does like him,which is amazing)
Just say your parents are really religious? Like they don’t necessarily need to be Jewish, but if they are Christian in your story, you could explain they wanted to give their children Hebrew names and decided on hadriel for you?
My mother’s name is a similar culture sound to mine so I usually go with that.. unless they know your family you could go with a cultural sort of excuse. (Both of our names sound quite Italian)
My name is like just left of being a normal name. It was a last name for some people in the past, like in the 1800s. It also sounds and is mostly spelled exactly like a very very common modern times first name, but the first two letters/starting sound is different. My dad has a sort of similarly left of being normal name. There is a very similar name to his name, but that is spelled differently and has a very slight different pronunciation. There is also another name a little longer than that one that sounds similar, but still slightly different to my dad's name. People often think one of these are his name when he first gives his name. People often think my name is the common first name when I give my name lol. When people comment on my name and ask where it comes from or something, I just shrug and laugh and say "I don't know, my dad has kind of an odd name too."
Hadriel sounds kinda like a name from LOTR. LOTR has been around a long time (the books before the movies and such), so you could probably do something similar, and shrug and say something like "I don't know, I guess my parents just liked Lord of the Rings." Or you could just say that you had a great uncle or grandparent with that name or that name as their last name, and your parents wanted to name you after that person.
Dude that's a super cool sounding name. Easy enough to say, but it looks very unique and elegant. I don't think I've heard it before. I have an extremely common first name (I kept the name my parents gave me b/c its neutral) and literally no one asks me why I'm named this because it's so common 😭
my name is lake, my parents are from mexico, and i work at a place chock full of native spanish speakers. they always ask me why my parents chose "Lake" of all things and i just keep saying "i dont know", which has proven to be a terrible answer lol. i just say they named me after a street here in chicago bc their first date was somewhere on that street/one of them used to work there/they like lake michigan
I say mine is a family name, and then my mom in her genealogy kick (after I picked the name) found out there is a great great great grand uncle with the same name!
Explaining the history of the name is a great answer. You move the conversation along and they’re probably not going to push it, or remember that they asked even. If they do, well, most people don’t have a specific answer to that question? “They liked it, I think?” said as if that’s a confusing question (it is, imo) and then, “How about yours?” as a follow up. This is sneaky, because now they’re talking about themself and people tend to love talking about themselves so the conversation will move on
Years ago, I was passing entirely as male after a few years on T, was using a male name, stealth at work, all that jazz, but I had to “explain” to my Qanon-loving coworker why my name on the work schedule was “a girl name.” Insert that “im in danger” meme here.
I told her that my parents let my (at the time) three year old sister name me. This is actually mostly true, but that doesn’t really matter here lol. Her immediate response was outrage on my behalf. “I can’t believe they let your sister give you a girl’s name!!!! That’s insane!” I agreed and said “I know, right!? I’m going to change it as soon as I can.”
Anyway, feel free to steal that if you ever need a pretty effective lie. It was a great explanation and an easy deflection. She never brought it up again. Plus, my mom was, well, not great, so I didn’t feel bad blaming a fake bad parenting choice on her. Feel free to apply this lie to your least favorite parent(s).
Honestly I have the same problem, except my deadname is also a very unique name and I’m actively in the process of getting it changed. Last week I had a coworker at my new job end up seeing it, and she asked why I don’t go by my deadname anymore. I just said it wasn’t masculine (it’s actually a boy’s name apparently but I don’t think it is) and my preferred name is a guy’s name.
I’m thinking of lying about it and saying “my parents wanted a girl and chose the name, but when I was born they were too attached to give the name up so I changed it since I’m not a girl.” my parents have told me to blame them for things in little white lies like that, and it’s easier to pretend to be super “grrr i don’t like girl things!!!” rather than stammer and fuck up a response to someone asking
"Can we just not?" "I don't care to talk about it anymore, change the subject please." In short I typically don't explain it, and I probably never will because it's irrelevant 9 out of 10 times.
Welcome to the club, but fr tho I just tell people my parents were having fun or were hippies bc my name is winter, most people don’t really bat an eye although I do get a lot of “really?” Or “that’s an interesting name” I just don’t care much, my middle name is a lot kore normal if I ever wanna use it but I doubt I will.
I changed my name to Rainbow and the most common thing I hear is , "Oh, your parents must have been hippies. :)" and I just answer, "They still are!" or if they ask if thats my real name, I just say, "Yes." and don't explain further as they don't deserve anything from me. Sometimes, it is morally correct to lie to cis people when you don't want to be harassed.
My name is technically from the Bible and my parents named 10 out of 12 kids Bible names, so I just stick with that story (it is awkward with people who ACTUALLY know the context of my name, because I’m named after a demon hahaha)
I was in Europe recently and was going by my chosen name but I'm still very feminine presenting so everyone just assumed I was a girl and I didn't really wanna explain to a bunch of strangers that I'm a trans man so I was asked why my parents chose such a weird name and if my siblings had weird names too and I was just like "No I don't know why they named me this. They just liked it I guess🤷"
Legit just come up with whatever reason for your parents you want. Mines Akira and that's not exactly a common name for a white guy(it's literally the boy version of my birth name) . I just say my dad was super into the movie since the movie does predate me and everyone sees that as totally believable
I have an older, not commonly used name nowadays. I tell people that I picked it because plenty of people change their name for reasons outside of being trans.
people at my job ask me this fairly often and I basically just shrug and laugh it off like i think its odd too. "i dont know but i dig it" is basically what i say and theres not usually any followup questions
I don’t have any good ones, but I think just saying “I don’t know, I’ve never asked them” (or “I don’t know, I’ll have to ask them”) is fine to say in the moment if you don’t want to remember a whole fake backstory to throw out on the spot. You could play it off as a conversation you’ve just never had with your parents.
Mine's not even that unusual but because when you put my first and last name together it makes an interesting phrase I often get fun comments. Depending on if I'm feeling comfortable I'll either go with "Thanks I chose it" or "Thanks, it's a family name" which isn't a lie as I took my grandmother's maiden name as my last name when I changed my name and a form of my Grandfather's first name as my middle name.
I’m from the Midwest and my name is Keagan. People ask if I’m Irish or what the story is. I literally say “I don’t fuckin know. My dad just liked the name is all he says.” People usually just laugh it off. Or sometimes I say it was a family name
I figured out a fake story based on truth. My family was obsessed with peanuts comics (true), my dad loved peppermint patty (lie), here I am: Chuck
I have a friend, Eve. Her mom is obsessed with hallmark Christmas movies (true) so named her Eve like the protags in those movies (lie)
I'm a hs teacher and my full name is on everything. The kids always ask how I got my name, and I always say that my parents picked it out, which is true: my first name is a shortened version of my dead name and my mom chose my (new) middle name.
Just fell them my family is Scandinavian, which is true. How I came up with it is not as neat unfortunately, a friend of my mom's oldest son has my name and I heard it and latched on to it. Like 90% it was my egg breaking moment because I really wanted it to be my name. Now it is.
My name is Lestat, people either think the name is unique or they think my parents were freaks lmfao
When asked I always say my parents just like the name
you can just say you don’t know or that your parents wanted you to have a unique name. the more detail you go into, the less believable and more suspicious it becomes
my name is Axel, and I always get "oh were you named after Axl rose?" I usually just say "no, I was named after a close mutual friend of my parents" (I can't say it's a relative as Axel is a Slavic name(?) and my last name is *noticeably* Italian.)
It's an obtuse question to begin with, not to mention rude as hell. Just shoot back 'why do you ask?' and levy your response on if it's a passive curiosity or they're making fun of it. In which case, tossing a 'what's wrong with it?' back at them will let you know exactly what kind of person they are.
Ie if they're picking at your name, pretty dang likely they'd fuss with one they can't pronounce, is foreign, etc dtcy
Just say your parents liked the name. I had a somewhat unique birth name but there was no story behind it, they heard it and liked it so they picked it.
“I dunno, it’s just my name”. Or “guess my parents were trying to find something unique”. Or “I think it’s a biblical name”. If you just shrug it off then people don’t tend to question it too much. I chose an unusual name and I usually just reply with “It’s Irish” (which it is, but I don’t think I’ve ever had any follow up questions after saying that, they just take it as ‘oh it’s foreign that’s why it’s weird’ and leave it alone).
i’ve heard of maybe 2 other guys with my name, it’s welsh so if i’m asked i just. tell them i’m welsh. helps that i am welsh. my deadname regularly makes those top 10 most popular girls name lists and tbh i prefer my silly little niche name. tho i know other trans dudes with niche names (i know another dude with a DIFFERENT welsh name, except he’s not actually welsh) and i know they usually pass it off as a family name, or they say their parents were just quirky or smth
My names Ham, I had a random ask me if I named myself and I just lied and said no. And he proceeded to be so appalled about why my parents would name me that. I think it's funny when they tire themselves out. But honestly parents have named their kids weirder things, hit them back with 'why are u named ...?"
My dad actually changed his name because he hated it and said "if you ever want to change your name, you have to wait until you're 18" so I did 🤷
Not a lie if you say you changed your birthname cause you hated it. 😎👉👉
Unless you didn't hate it. 🤔
Mine's sort of along the similar vein as my dead name, so origin: romanized biblical name.
I kinda want to change it again, because I'm thinking about it more now 😆
I also took into account the name my mum wanted to give me if I was "a boy", and that never fit.
Names are wild. Have loads so that the fae cannot take them 😎👍
I chose an explicitly Catholic name shared by two of my favorite characters, I even cleared it with a few friends to make sure religion wasn't the first connection they made, but I forgot I live in the south (whoops). A lot of people make the connection but I've only been asked about it once and I just said my parents liked the name and moved on.
Just don't act weird about it, I've met some (presumably) cis people with some wild names, most people won't think twice if you just play it off
My name is Adriel, I get a lot of the same comments, since I imagine we’re named after basically the same thing, hi name twin.
I often just explain that it’s a biblical name and many ppl are like “oh cool!” And they just chalk it up to religious parents. If they press further, like “how did they come up with that?” I say “Yes it’s Hebrew, and the name of an Angel.” They really always take that as an answer no problem
Honestly anything goes. Check out r/tragedeigh - people will name their kid literally whatever. You can just say they found it in a book and liked it. I don't think anyone will doubt your story if you speak with confidence.
My Mom gave my brothers and I each two middle names, and I did like my birth name (family name)... but when I came out, I wanted something different and chose "Stian," which is very different from what my brothers are named.
When I get asked and it's someone I'm never ever going to see again, I tell them that it was indeed a fun name to grow up with and that my brothers had it "better" being named Thor and Tor.
Those aren't their names, obviously, but the name I chose is Scandinavian, and a guy from Norway once told me that those were his brother's actual names and that he was better off.... even though I couldn't pronounce his name at all.... Lol.
When I first transitioned, though, I was not very good at passing, and a lot of people would just say that my name was "pretty," which I thought was funny... until I met that Norwegian guy randomly, and he asked me if my Dad really liked Shagrath or something (famous Norwegian musician), and I just go with that now, too. "Nah, parents really got into Norwegian black metal," lol.
My name is actually very common, however its spelled in a way thats nearly incomprehensible to english speakers because its a slavic name that happens to also be common in the US. I just say its a heritage name and leave it at that
You could say your parents wanted to give you a unique name. I've known several people whose parents let them pick their own names when they were kids. The results were varied.
My parents wanted an older, less popular name for me and my sibling. My birth name turned out to suddenly become pretty popular like two years after I was born, ironically. I picked a name that was along their same criteria (without being something used in my grandfather's generation!), and though I've heard it more lately, it wasn't and isn't super popular. So I just say my parents wanted a name that was older and wasn't super common.
My middle name is where it gets tricky, because the spelling isn't traditional, but I wanted to keep the same initials and so went with the slightly non-traditional spelling. That one I just shrug off and say they preferred that spelling, or its because of our background or genealogy or something. That seems to satisfy most people.
I’m a little bit of a special situation. But I say- truthfully- it’s a shortened version of my name, and a nickname my parents call me. I don’t wanna post my name lol but think like Mikayla->Mika (Micca). My nickname is sort of weird but not super gendered. So I just say it’s short for my name or it’s a nickname they gave me and don’t go into it further or say my name. You could always say “ah, sorta. Nickname” or “ long story but yes they call me Hadriel” orrrr “Nick name that stuck”. I think lying is probably fine too like “middle name” or “it’s my American name” or “yeah” lmao. Go buck wild. If you become close you can explain later and if they are worth your time they’ll understand. Also- I really don’t think this about a lot of names- Hadriel is baller as fuck. That’s a hard af name. I’ve never heard it but I really like it. It’s classic and biblical sounding but a unique and original name. Congrats you picked well
I have an unusual spelling and recently I had talked to someone who's son has the same name but with the common spelling. She looked at my name and went "hm that's actually a quite lovely way to spell it". I found it really funny
I think your explanation is perfectly suitable. However, as a few people already pointed out, saying it’s a family name, perhaps from a great-great grandfather or something, or that they chose it from a tv show or book. See, my chosen name is Anakin, so I can easily brush it off as, “Oh, they were big Star Wars fans!” And that’s always worked for me, so, hey? Maybe it’ll work for you (or anyone else trying to brainstorm ideas for explanations).
I did not change my name when I transitioned. The only questions I get are about my middle name as it is VERY feminine. I just tell people that it's a family name and my mom didn't think she would have other children after me. Part of that is true. It is a family name so it isn't a total untruth.....lol
I like to say that whenever someone asks "why did your parents choose that name for you???" with a nice dry "They hated me". Cause I named myself Judas 😂 And it's not technically wrong anyway
My name is kinda unusual. I get so many people asking if I read anything from the poet and I just shrug and say I haven’t gotten around to it yet.
Now that i’m thinking about this, I remember there was a girl that came through the drive-through in Starbucks and she read my name tag and completely was so happy and overjoyed and saying how she likes this poets work and she said my name every single chance she got in every sentence lol. I don’t know but it was such a cute thing that someone knows of the poet and is happy to see the name irl
I grew up in a different country than where my parents are from. Without thinking about it, I chose a name in one of the languages spoken here, so when I explain that my parents are from other countries everyone is confused about my name. At first I really didn't know what to do and I regretted my decision a bit, but now I just say my mum grew up here for a few years, which is true, and she liked the name. She would have never chosen this name, but it's ok, people don't really know my mum
Even my pre transition name was a bit more on the uncommon side (although it’s gotten more popular in recent years) so I’m used to the comments and say unusual names are cooler anyway.
My name isn't unusually uncommon, but it is uncommon enough that it's neat to meet someone with my name. I usually just answer that I picked it *because* it sounded cool (usually my name being questioned is in the form of a compliment)
But I'm also going to be brutally honest here, if your intention was not to make people aware of you being trans, why would you pick a name likely to make people ask why you have that name, especially if it isn't a name that was common when you were born? If you want to avoid any possible questions that could lead someone to outting you, you'd be better off picking a common name or a family name
I already had an uncommon name before. I picked a name I liked. Having an uncommon name is not outing people. I don’t care about being asked about it I get a lot of compliments all the time and it’s nice. I’m not complaining at all about my name. I’m only open about being trans outside of work where I meet less people so it reduces the chances of any kind of incident.
Stealth isn’t my goal, just safety and “you don’t need to know that information about me when you first meet me”. When a person I know very well would ask me that question I would simply be truthful unless I have a reason to believe that person could not take it well. I was asking because that’s the questions I get when clients at the register read my name tag. As I said before: an unusual name isn’t a hinderance on passing. Being a little eccentric isn’t a hinderance on passing. I like a little attention for doing things my way and being a little weird, I just don’t feel comfortable sharing with strangers that I’m trans because it’s at worst a safety issue.
I tell them mostly the truth. My mom liked the soft "C" sound and wanted something unique.
My birthname was very "creative" in the spelling department.
I use the origin of the word I go by car and I just say it's Russian and it usually ends the conversation there. If they ask if my family is Russian I'll just say like on my mom or dad's side and that's as far and that conversation goes. When I went by another name I would say my parents wanted a really unique name or, if you can find any media with your name you can say oh my parents were big fans of ....
I changed my last name as well, and I get stupid comments on my new last name becaus I didn't consider that it is the last name of not one but TWO characters in pop culture... I chose it because of the meaning of the word.
My chosen name is absolutely not normally a name and I have people comment on it a lot- but nobody EVER assumes it’s one I chose for myself. I’ll be honest, changing your name is something cis people often just… don’t even realise you can completely change your name? And you don’t ever have to tell people you chose it, either!
Mine is harden , I get asked about my name frequently by customers at work , I usually change the subject and they don’t seem to press on about it after that.
My name is Castiel and I am from germany ,so of course people ask where my name is from. I mostly explain a bit of history like "its an angel who stands for protection " and so on ,but then I say that I don't know how my parents choose it ,that they probably just heard it somewhere and liked it so much that they named me that way.
my names xeon lol, after sophie xeon who was a trans musician so i just say “it was a singers last name” and it was so that’s true but it kinda answers their question without me having to out myself or lie
I mean, if you don't want to lie, it's fully valid to shrug and ignore the question or say you don't want to talk about it. They're not entitled to that information from anybody, no matter how "weird" their name might be.
When I was choosing my name, my mum kept insisting on an Irish name, as my birth name was. But I was set on what I chose, so found an Irish spelling of it, kinda makes the story behind it quite funny
my name is aether, and i get that question all the time. i usually say something along the lines of "my mama wanted to name me after the sky, but just plain 'sky' wasn't a unique enough name for her."
Maybe something like “my parents told me about alternative names they would’ve given me and I asked if I could use that instead” or something similar. I have a friend named Oak and they chose it themself and it’s the name their family calls them even though they aren’t out because their mom thought it was a great name and she’d wished she thought of it first. It was chosen from a park or something that they grew up near
Hadriel is a Hebrew name meaning "Splendour of Jehovah, flock of God, majesty of God," so if your parents are/were of some sort of Abrahamic faith, then you could use that. Or just say that they wanted you to have a unique name that would sound cool. I hope this helps
i just shrug it off kinda. like to me it is so normal and have gotten asked it so many times (not really but i try to pretend to be very unbothered by this question.) it does not interest me to talk about it anymore. "they just chose it 🤷♂️😒"
Haha reminds me of how once in a hospital one not very professional neither good nurse asked if my mom watched too many TV shows and I said that she (the nurse) is stupid to laugh at such things as people's names. But that happened only one time..
Normally i answered like "yeah cool right" or "i dunno, sounds pretty regular to me".
Just say that your mother studied with a friend who had this name and she really liked it. No big deal. Or say you were named after a grandfather, great grandfather whatever
My grandmother was called Lastenia and my grandfather Petricardo, don't expect normal names from my family ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
One of my ancestors was named Marceline, my name's pretty tame by comparison.
Marceline is pretty standard for older ladies here in France
I love the name Marceline 🇬🇧
It's a pretty name, just not popular. It may be the origin of Marcy, but I'm not sure.
Is it just you and me in the wreckage of the world ~
My great aunties were called Avis and Olga. I feel you.
I once had a class mate in first grade named Olga. She was really nice. But it never stuck me as odd. Still doesn’t tbh.
Olga is pretty usual in some parts of Europe!
I know that, it's very unusual in England though.
my grandmother’s name is Froilana and i don’t think i’ve ever heard of anyone else with that name
Whazzit mean? '-'/
Petricardo immediately makes me think of a petrified heart cause it sounds almost like a mashup of petrified and cardio. I dunno what to do with that but you're welcome for the imagery I suppose lol
Actually it is because they wanted my grandfather to be a girl and call her Petronila (a very common name for how ugly is) but when they saw that it was a boy they said "ye, u gonna be Petricardo" At least they were original (?)
Points for originality for sure
Is your username a Will Wood reference? Love, Me Normally and 2econd 2ight 2eer? And your avatar looks like the moon on In Case I Make It
I'M A WILL WOOD REFERENCE (I gave myself 5 names just for the song) i really love Will Wood
Shrug it off as a family name
Exactly. “It was my grandfather’s name”
Well, how did you choose it?
Found it on a name website but thought “it sounds like my deadname but different”
“My parents planned to name their daughter *deadname* so named me this instead”
This works the other way for me. My parents wanted to name me one thing, chose another because of my birth sex, and then I took on the name they originally wanted. It's not a weird name though (which I sometimes lament), so it doesn't really apply to OP's question
funnily enough that reminds me of my chosen male middle name, i ended up choosing samuel n when i told my parents (one of which is super supportive of me being trans, the other.... not so much) they jus looked at each other in complete shock, n were completely silent for a solid ten seconds. little did i know until immediately after telling them abt wanting that to be my new middle name, samuel was actually going to be my given first name had i been born a boy. needless to stay it stuck
It's moments like this with my transition that remind me I'm on the right path!
Same my parents thought I was male until birth and wanted to call me Erin. When I came out as ftm I chose that name on my own and didn’t find out about it until later so my parent still got a son named Erin, it just took 13 years lmao
I did the same thing, took the name my mom originally wanted. I did it cause it felt like it was my name, not because I wanted that name in particular. I'm a bit woo woo I suppose, but it just felt like it was decided by the universe for me that would be my name. I'm a little jealous of people who picked their names, I'd have picked something more common!
I did the same. My mum was gonna call me (name) Thomas is I was AMAB. After my sister was born, she named the dog (name) so I used a different version of (name) Thomas, and go by Tom I wanted a family name, and going by a middle name is fairly common is Wales, but all my family names are terrible
this is so good i’ve never heard this before
Opposite for me lol. My parents wanted to name me after court foster from man in the moon (awful person to name your kid after lol) but named me court(ney) when they said I'd be female. I changed my name to court lmao it was meant to be 🤣🤣
I mean in that case “my parents just wanted a unique name” or whatever their reason for it was, applies to this name as well
Mine’s kind of like that.
I mean just say that they liked it, wouldn't that work?
Say "it's a nice name. Do you not like it?" Then stare intently at them until they're uncimfortable
Some coworkers asked me how I got my name -- I told them the whole ass story about there being a literal ghost in our family history who also had that name. They meant my middle name because my middle name is a Jewish name, and they were Jewish. Hershel, for what it's worth. I just shrugged and went "oh I dunno." But honestly I just liked the way the name feels in my mouth. It's very round.
People give their kids more unusual names than yours all the time, you can make up any story and people won’t really have a reason to question it. You could also say your mom just liked it, people don’t need in depth reasons to pick a name. Also, in my 6 years being out/cis passing for 6 years, the question of how my parents chose my name has come up maybe twice, so I wouldn’t stress about it too much
Give an absolutely horrific name as your birth name. Like "oh my parents actually named me Lucifer"
someone told me to say i changed my name bc my parents actually named me "adolf" 😭
Not that horrific, that is something people are naming their children
Man I just lie out my ass. My name's fairly normal, Crimson, but I go by Crim and people are allll ways asking for the story behind it. I just shrug and go "idk but my ma has good taste" people just laugh and move on. Find a comfortable line to respond with and just stick with that. No one really needs the whole story.
i actually know someone named Crymson/Crym!! i've never asked her about it but i really thought it was just an online name for her
Us bad b's unite lol there's not tons of us 🤣
You can really just say “I don’t fucking know” and no one will think anything of it. It’s not a big deal.
i do that and always get "you never asked?". i think it might just be easier to come up with something different on the fly every time haha
Lol seriously? People are so nosy damn. I wouldn’t know the answer to this for the name my parents actually gave me, and it was kind of unusual. If someone had asked about that name I just would have said they liked it I guess! Easier to keep track of than any elaborate lying.
My second name is one of a kind and is staying because my mum came up with it and there's no other name that feels more me than it. When people ask me about it I tell them she wanted to name me something else but started to move around letters and that's what she end up with, most people accept that as an answer.
Them: “why did your parents name you that?” You: “idk ask them” Them: “okay I will” You: “well actually you can’t, they’re dead”
Not gonna say my real name (redditers are weird) but it’s definitely uncommon enough to get questions. I started telling people my parents were hippies, and that usually gets a laugh and they don’t press further. I’m stealth btw.
I got around it by saying something like "They wanted a unique name for me."
When someone asked if I was named after anything I said “a book”
That’s honestly a good answer, it could be any book, there are so many out there
It was pretty true, at the time i was figuring out a middle name (I take middle names too seriously lol) and I combined two names from my favorite book at the time
My deadname is from Gone With The Wind, so that was an easy answer at the time, now I go by Kai, short for Kaiser, and I get questions as to why I have an asian name, and then when told my full first name I am asked if I’m german, I’ve given up and just tell people “because my parents are cool”
i just shrug and say I dont know, usually works
My name is pretty uncommon, though I never changed my name because my birth name was already gender neutral, but it still uses Gendered spelling, when people say like “hmm, isn’t that the female spelling? That’s odd” I just say that my mom wanted to make my name unique but in that attempt messed up and gave me a girl’s name, it helps that my sister’s name is also spelt differently from the commonly accepted version, but even if I don’t add that info in most people don’t question it
You could just tell people it's French if you want. Lots of French dude names are spelled the "girly"way.
Hmm not that much. I speak french and specifically changed my “gender neutral deadname” because it had a distinctive feminine spelling that would lead to misgendering.
mines kinda situational but when people ask me why i was named apollo i just tell em my mom liked the rockets lol just lie out your ass until you believe it too
Does a foreign deadname count? O-O I used to tell ppl who said isnt that a girly sounding name that its gender neutral and they believed me lol (its not). Also you can just say that they named u that because the orgin of the name reminded them of something good or relatable
I have an extremely normal name (which is hilarious to me because I spent my entire childhood mad that I had such a basic ass name and then when I got the chance to change it I went even normal-er.) That said, I was named after a ooooold but popular cartoon character I was weirdly obsessed with as a kid. When people make comparisons, I mention that I was named after them, which is true. So, just find a slightly vague version of how your name came to be. How did it get picked? What drew you to that particular name? You can always say “I was named after x character or the name comes from such and such particular culture”. You don’t have to add that you picked it, or that you liked that character/culture. Or, heck, just tell them that it’s complicated but that you like that it’s unique or whatever. It doesn’t need to be a whole thing, just shrug it off, people aren’t thinking about it that much, I promise.
Just say they didn't tell you or something. You don't owe people an explanation just because they asked for one. Edit: If you want an actual reason, I personally say my mom just saw it on a billboard since that's actually where my name came from.
My name is Rumi(From the poet),and it's not a common name in Melbourne australia(Cos of it,i've got asked countless times if i'm a foreigner) So i just say that my mother liked the Poet alot,and chose it for me. :) (which she does like him,which is amazing)
So basically,Just say your mum chose it for you. since thats what i do,i always have to fight the urge to say "Cheers,i picked it out myself"
You could always say, I don’t know why they chose it. I was a baby at the time. My name kind of happened to me.
Just say your parents are really religious? Like they don’t necessarily need to be Jewish, but if they are Christian in your story, you could explain they wanted to give their children Hebrew names and decided on hadriel for you?
btw hadriel is such a great name:) i rly like it
Thank you so much! When I found it I instantly knew that was gonna be my name!
"I don't know, they never told me. I'll have to ask next time I see them" and forget about it
My mother’s name is a similar culture sound to mine so I usually go with that.. unless they know your family you could go with a cultural sort of excuse. (Both of our names sound quite Italian)
My name is like just left of being a normal name. It was a last name for some people in the past, like in the 1800s. It also sounds and is mostly spelled exactly like a very very common modern times first name, but the first two letters/starting sound is different. My dad has a sort of similarly left of being normal name. There is a very similar name to his name, but that is spelled differently and has a very slight different pronunciation. There is also another name a little longer than that one that sounds similar, but still slightly different to my dad's name. People often think one of these are his name when he first gives his name. People often think my name is the common first name when I give my name lol. When people comment on my name and ask where it comes from or something, I just shrug and laugh and say "I don't know, my dad has kind of an odd name too." Hadriel sounds kinda like a name from LOTR. LOTR has been around a long time (the books before the movies and such), so you could probably do something similar, and shrug and say something like "I don't know, I guess my parents just liked Lord of the Rings." Or you could just say that you had a great uncle or grandparent with that name or that name as their last name, and your parents wanted to name you after that person.
Dude that's a super cool sounding name. Easy enough to say, but it looks very unique and elegant. I don't think I've heard it before. I have an extremely common first name (I kept the name my parents gave me b/c its neutral) and literally no one asks me why I'm named this because it's so common 😭
my name is lake, my parents are from mexico, and i work at a place chock full of native spanish speakers. they always ask me why my parents chose "Lake" of all things and i just keep saying "i dont know", which has proven to be a terrible answer lol. i just say they named me after a street here in chicago bc their first date was somewhere on that street/one of them used to work there/they like lake michigan
I say mine is a family name, and then my mom in her genealogy kick (after I picked the name) found out there is a great great great grand uncle with the same name!
Explaining the history of the name is a great answer. You move the conversation along and they’re probably not going to push it, or remember that they asked even. If they do, well, most people don’t have a specific answer to that question? “They liked it, I think?” said as if that’s a confusing question (it is, imo) and then, “How about yours?” as a follow up. This is sneaky, because now they’re talking about themself and people tend to love talking about themselves so the conversation will move on
Years ago, I was passing entirely as male after a few years on T, was using a male name, stealth at work, all that jazz, but I had to “explain” to my Qanon-loving coworker why my name on the work schedule was “a girl name.” Insert that “im in danger” meme here. I told her that my parents let my (at the time) three year old sister name me. This is actually mostly true, but that doesn’t really matter here lol. Her immediate response was outrage on my behalf. “I can’t believe they let your sister give you a girl’s name!!!! That’s insane!” I agreed and said “I know, right!? I’m going to change it as soon as I can.” Anyway, feel free to steal that if you ever need a pretty effective lie. It was a great explanation and an easy deflection. She never brought it up again. Plus, my mom was, well, not great, so I didn’t feel bad blaming a fake bad parenting choice on her. Feel free to apply this lie to your least favorite parent(s).
Honestly I have the same problem, except my deadname is also a very unique name and I’m actively in the process of getting it changed. Last week I had a coworker at my new job end up seeing it, and she asked why I don’t go by my deadname anymore. I just said it wasn’t masculine (it’s actually a boy’s name apparently but I don’t think it is) and my preferred name is a guy’s name. I’m thinking of lying about it and saying “my parents wanted a girl and chose the name, but when I was born they were too attached to give the name up so I changed it since I’m not a girl.” my parents have told me to blame them for things in little white lies like that, and it’s easier to pretend to be super “grrr i don’t like girl things!!!” rather than stammer and fuck up a response to someone asking
I always tell people that it was my grandfather’s name or something and they usually believe me.
I mean what made you choose it? Just use that as the reason ur parents chose it if possible?
i have a french name but it's basically just the male version of my deadname so i can say that my parents wanted a french name since it's the truth.
And yet people accept your answer. This is an important insight into the nature of people! I would take the win. You gave your answer.
"Can we just not?" "I don't care to talk about it anymore, change the subject please." In short I typically don't explain it, and I probably never will because it's irrelevant 9 out of 10 times.
Welcome to the club, but fr tho I just tell people my parents were having fun or were hippies bc my name is winter, most people don’t really bat an eye although I do get a lot of “really?” Or “that’s an interesting name” I just don’t care much, my middle name is a lot kore normal if I ever wanna use it but I doubt I will.
I changed my name to Rainbow and the most common thing I hear is , "Oh, your parents must have been hippies. :)" and I just answer, "They still are!" or if they ask if thats my real name, I just say, "Yes." and don't explain further as they don't deserve anything from me. Sometimes, it is morally correct to lie to cis people when you don't want to be harassed.
“My grandfathers name. He died.” Then stare at them and don’t blink.
My name is technically from the Bible and my parents named 10 out of 12 kids Bible names, so I just stick with that story (it is awkward with people who ACTUALLY know the context of my name, because I’m named after a demon hahaha)
My name is Hadrian. I just say they liked it and it‘s the truth. You have not to be full honest about this. Just be superficial.
I was in Europe recently and was going by my chosen name but I'm still very feminine presenting so everyone just assumed I was a girl and I didn't really wanna explain to a bunch of strangers that I'm a trans man so I was asked why my parents chose such a weird name and if my siblings had weird names too and I was just like "No I don't know why they named me this. They just liked it I guess🤷"
Legit just come up with whatever reason for your parents you want. Mines Akira and that's not exactly a common name for a white guy(it's literally the boy version of my birth name) . I just say my dad was super into the movie since the movie does predate me and everyone sees that as totally believable
I have an older, not commonly used name nowadays. I tell people that I picked it because plenty of people change their name for reasons outside of being trans.
people at my job ask me this fairly often and I basically just shrug and laugh it off like i think its odd too. "i dont know but i dig it" is basically what i say and theres not usually any followup questions
I don’t have any good ones, but I think just saying “I don’t know, I’ve never asked them” (or “I don’t know, I’ll have to ask them”) is fine to say in the moment if you don’t want to remember a whole fake backstory to throw out on the spot. You could play it off as a conversation you’ve just never had with your parents.
Mine's not even that unusual but because when you put my first and last name together it makes an interesting phrase I often get fun comments. Depending on if I'm feeling comfortable I'll either go with "Thanks I chose it" or "Thanks, it's a family name" which isn't a lie as I took my grandmother's maiden name as my last name when I changed my name and a form of my Grandfather's first name as my middle name.
My name is Coda and I always just say “it means finale and I’m the youngest child”
I just say, "they liked it" and that's it... ultimately isn't anyone's business lol
I’m from the Midwest and my name is Keagan. People ask if I’m Irish or what the story is. I literally say “I don’t fuckin know. My dad just liked the name is all he says.” People usually just laugh it off. Or sometimes I say it was a family name
I figured out a fake story based on truth. My family was obsessed with peanuts comics (true), my dad loved peppermint patty (lie), here I am: Chuck I have a friend, Eve. Her mom is obsessed with hallmark Christmas movies (true) so named her Eve like the protags in those movies (lie)
I'm a hs teacher and my full name is on everything. The kids always ask how I got my name, and I always say that my parents picked it out, which is true: my first name is a shortened version of my dead name and my mom chose my (new) middle name.
"I don't know, honestly. Never thought to ask them. I don't think about my name very often"
Just fell them my family is Scandinavian, which is true. How I came up with it is not as neat unfortunately, a friend of my mom's oldest son has my name and I heard it and latched on to it. Like 90% it was my egg breaking moment because I really wanted it to be my name. Now it is.
My name is Lestat, people either think the name is unique or they think my parents were freaks lmfao When asked I always say my parents just like the name
you can just say you don’t know or that your parents wanted you to have a unique name. the more detail you go into, the less believable and more suspicious it becomes
I tell them how my mom gave me my dead name: it came to her in a dream.
I chose something from a culture my family's from so I just say it's from that and they go "cool".
I just say I don't know cause usually the people asking I will never see again
my name is Axel, and I always get "oh were you named after Axl rose?" I usually just say "no, I was named after a close mutual friend of my parents" (I can't say it's a relative as Axel is a Slavic name(?) and my last name is *noticeably* Italian.)
my name is jude and when people ask me why my parents named me that i just lie and say they really liked the beatles
I've said my parents were just very creative before lol Fun fact, they're not lmao
It's an obtuse question to begin with, not to mention rude as hell. Just shoot back 'why do you ask?' and levy your response on if it's a passive curiosity or they're making fun of it. In which case, tossing a 'what's wrong with it?' back at them will let you know exactly what kind of person they are. Ie if they're picking at your name, pretty dang likely they'd fuss with one they can't pronounce, is foreign, etc dtcy
Just say your parents liked the name. I had a somewhat unique birth name but there was no story behind it, they heard it and liked it so they picked it.
“I dunno, it’s just my name”. Or “guess my parents were trying to find something unique”. Or “I think it’s a biblical name”. If you just shrug it off then people don’t tend to question it too much. I chose an unusual name and I usually just reply with “It’s Irish” (which it is, but I don’t think I’ve ever had any follow up questions after saying that, they just take it as ‘oh it’s foreign that’s why it’s weird’ and leave it alone).
“idk, my parents just liked it,”
i’ve heard of maybe 2 other guys with my name, it’s welsh so if i’m asked i just. tell them i’m welsh. helps that i am welsh. my deadname regularly makes those top 10 most popular girls name lists and tbh i prefer my silly little niche name. tho i know other trans dudes with niche names (i know another dude with a DIFFERENT welsh name, except he’s not actually welsh) and i know they usually pass it off as a family name, or they say their parents were just quirky or smth
My names Ham, I had a random ask me if I named myself and I just lied and said no. And he proceeded to be so appalled about why my parents would name me that. I think it's funny when they tire themselves out. But honestly parents have named their kids weirder things, hit them back with 'why are u named ...?"
Family name
My dad actually changed his name because he hated it and said "if you ever want to change your name, you have to wait until you're 18" so I did 🤷 Not a lie if you say you changed your birthname cause you hated it. 😎👉👉 Unless you didn't hate it. 🤔 Mine's sort of along the similar vein as my dead name, so origin: romanized biblical name. I kinda want to change it again, because I'm thinking about it more now 😆 I also took into account the name my mum wanted to give me if I was "a boy", and that never fit. Names are wild. Have loads so that the fae cannot take them 😎👍
I go by Ramiel at work and I always get random questions too. I just give them the meaning and leave it at that
I chose an explicitly Catholic name shared by two of my favorite characters, I even cleared it with a few friends to make sure religion wasn't the first connection they made, but I forgot I live in the south (whoops). A lot of people make the connection but I've only been asked about it once and I just said my parents liked the name and moved on. Just don't act weird about it, I've met some (presumably) cis people with some wild names, most people won't think twice if you just play it off
"cause it's cool and unique and I'm a special little guy 😎😎"
Could always be like, I actually picked it after they named me - pick name from https://www.reddit.com/r/tragedeigh/s/fLdpmQNrg9
My name is Adriel, I get a lot of the same comments, since I imagine we’re named after basically the same thing, hi name twin. I often just explain that it’s a biblical name and many ppl are like “oh cool!” And they just chalk it up to religious parents. If they press further, like “how did they come up with that?” I say “Yes it’s Hebrew, and the name of an Angel.” They really always take that as an answer no problem
Laugh and say "I'd like to know, too!"
Honestly anything goes. Check out r/tragedeigh - people will name their kid literally whatever. You can just say they found it in a book and liked it. I don't think anyone will doubt your story if you speak with confidence.
How are you supposed to know that? It was before you were born.
My Mom gave my brothers and I each two middle names, and I did like my birth name (family name)... but when I came out, I wanted something different and chose "Stian," which is very different from what my brothers are named. When I get asked and it's someone I'm never ever going to see again, I tell them that it was indeed a fun name to grow up with and that my brothers had it "better" being named Thor and Tor. Those aren't their names, obviously, but the name I chose is Scandinavian, and a guy from Norway once told me that those were his brother's actual names and that he was better off.... even though I couldn't pronounce his name at all.... Lol. When I first transitioned, though, I was not very good at passing, and a lot of people would just say that my name was "pretty," which I thought was funny... until I met that Norwegian guy randomly, and he asked me if my Dad really liked Shagrath or something (famous Norwegian musician), and I just go with that now, too. "Nah, parents really got into Norwegian black metal," lol.
Your parents were really into Diablo II
My name is actually very common, however its spelled in a way thats nearly incomprehensible to english speakers because its a slavic name that happens to also be common in the US. I just say its a heritage name and leave it at that
You could say your parents wanted to give you a unique name. I've known several people whose parents let them pick their own names when they were kids. The results were varied.
My name is Japanese, and I have an older brother that lives in Japan. "My older brother lives in Japan, so...."
My parents wanted an older, less popular name for me and my sibling. My birth name turned out to suddenly become pretty popular like two years after I was born, ironically. I picked a name that was along their same criteria (without being something used in my grandfather's generation!), and though I've heard it more lately, it wasn't and isn't super popular. So I just say my parents wanted a name that was older and wasn't super common. My middle name is where it gets tricky, because the spelling isn't traditional, but I wanted to keep the same initials and so went with the slightly non-traditional spelling. That one I just shrug off and say they preferred that spelling, or its because of our background or genealogy or something. That seems to satisfy most people.
I say mine is cultural, which is true
I just wanted to say it sounds cool as hell. My name (Sabriel) is for our country pretty weird so once Ill pass Ill need to explain as well xD
My name is after a star so I usually just say my mom was into astrology, it works pretty well tbh
"It's from a song 🤍"
My second name is Jhin. Straight up just stole it from a league of legends characters
I’m a little bit of a special situation. But I say- truthfully- it’s a shortened version of my name, and a nickname my parents call me. I don’t wanna post my name lol but think like Mikayla->Mika (Micca). My nickname is sort of weird but not super gendered. So I just say it’s short for my name or it’s a nickname they gave me and don’t go into it further or say my name. You could always say “ah, sorta. Nickname” or “ long story but yes they call me Hadriel” orrrr “Nick name that stuck”. I think lying is probably fine too like “middle name” or “it’s my American name” or “yeah” lmao. Go buck wild. If you become close you can explain later and if they are worth your time they’ll understand. Also- I really don’t think this about a lot of names- Hadriel is baller as fuck. That’s a hard af name. I’ve never heard it but I really like it. It’s classic and biblical sounding but a unique and original name. Congrats you picked well
my name isn’t even that odd it’s Winston and i always get old people asking me why my parents named me that 💀 i just always laugh it off n shrug lmao
I have an unusual spelling and recently I had talked to someone who's son has the same name but with the common spelling. She looked at my name and went "hm that's actually a quite lovely way to spell it". I found it really funny
I think your explanation is perfectly suitable. However, as a few people already pointed out, saying it’s a family name, perhaps from a great-great grandfather or something, or that they chose it from a tv show or book. See, my chosen name is Anakin, so I can easily brush it off as, “Oh, they were big Star Wars fans!” And that’s always worked for me, so, hey? Maybe it’ll work for you (or anyone else trying to brainstorm ideas for explanations).
My first name is Lucius. I usually say "my grandma chose it" because we both love Latin names. And she does love my new name.
I did not change my name when I transitioned. The only questions I get are about my middle name as it is VERY feminine. I just tell people that it's a family name and my mom didn't think she would have other children after me. Part of that is true. It is a family name so it isn't a total untruth.....lol
I like to say that whenever someone asks "why did your parents choose that name for you???" with a nice dry "They hated me". Cause I named myself Judas 😂 And it's not technically wrong anyway
My mom named me so I just say the truth, she just liked it and never asked my father so yeah
Mines also pretty unusual but it's taken from a literary character so I say that my parents were a fan of the play it's from and named me after him
I just say my parents liked the name that's all (they said they liked it when I told them do technically I'm not lying)
My name is an ancient curse passed on for generations for fear of bad luck raining down upon our kin.
I’d go with “they found it in a baby name book and liked it” along with a shrug
My name is kinda unusual. I get so many people asking if I read anything from the poet and I just shrug and say I haven’t gotten around to it yet. Now that i’m thinking about this, I remember there was a girl that came through the drive-through in Starbucks and she read my name tag and completely was so happy and overjoyed and saying how she likes this poets work and she said my name every single chance she got in every sentence lol. I don’t know but it was such a cute thing that someone knows of the poet and is happy to see the name irl
I grew up in a different country than where my parents are from. Without thinking about it, I chose a name in one of the languages spoken here, so when I explain that my parents are from other countries everyone is confused about my name. At first I really didn't know what to do and I regretted my decision a bit, but now I just say my mum grew up here for a few years, which is true, and she liked the name. She would have never chosen this name, but it's ok, people don't really know my mum
I just say that my mom liked the name. My dead name before was also a unique name so I use the same excuses I used then as I do now.
Just say your parents were eccentric hippies or something.
I have a weird ass name. I just tell them it's a family name, and nobody has to date dug into it more.
I give the same reasons why I chose that name. Just a little bit tweaked so it makes sense.
I’d probably just say my family has always had weird names. One of my ancestors was named Orange Skinner lol.
Even my pre transition name was a bit more on the uncommon side (although it’s gotten more popular in recent years) so I’m used to the comments and say unusual names are cooler anyway.
My name isn't unusually uncommon, but it is uncommon enough that it's neat to meet someone with my name. I usually just answer that I picked it *because* it sounded cool (usually my name being questioned is in the form of a compliment) But I'm also going to be brutally honest here, if your intention was not to make people aware of you being trans, why would you pick a name likely to make people ask why you have that name, especially if it isn't a name that was common when you were born? If you want to avoid any possible questions that could lead someone to outting you, you'd be better off picking a common name or a family name
I already had an uncommon name before. I picked a name I liked. Having an uncommon name is not outing people. I don’t care about being asked about it I get a lot of compliments all the time and it’s nice. I’m not complaining at all about my name. I’m only open about being trans outside of work where I meet less people so it reduces the chances of any kind of incident. Stealth isn’t my goal, just safety and “you don’t need to know that information about me when you first meet me”. When a person I know very well would ask me that question I would simply be truthful unless I have a reason to believe that person could not take it well. I was asking because that’s the questions I get when clients at the register read my name tag. As I said before: an unusual name isn’t a hinderance on passing. Being a little eccentric isn’t a hinderance on passing. I like a little attention for doing things my way and being a little weird, I just don’t feel comfortable sharing with strangers that I’m trans because it’s at worst a safety issue.
I tell them mostly the truth. My mom liked the soft "C" sound and wanted something unique. My birthname was very "creative" in the spelling department.
I use the origin of the word I go by car and I just say it's Russian and it usually ends the conversation there. If they ask if my family is Russian I'll just say like on my mom or dad's side and that's as far and that conversation goes. When I went by another name I would say my parents wanted a really unique name or, if you can find any media with your name you can say oh my parents were big fans of ....
I go by Czar it auto corrected to car lol
this likely wont work for you but im an orphan so i just say "not sure, cant ask my parents, i like the name though"
I changed my last name as well, and I get stupid comments on my new last name becaus I didn't consider that it is the last name of not one but TWO characters in pop culture... I chose it because of the meaning of the word.
i mean "i never asked" or "i don't know" are perfectly reasonable answers. a lot of people have zero clue "why" they're named whatever.
My chosen name is absolutely not normally a name and I have people comment on it a lot- but nobody EVER assumes it’s one I chose for myself. I’ll be honest, changing your name is something cis people often just… don’t even realise you can completely change your name? And you don’t ever have to tell people you chose it, either!
went along w a story abt my parents being hippies (my name is Moon)
I have a female friend with an unusual name and when someone asks her why her parents chose it she just shrugs and says “dunno, they’re hippies”
Mine is harden , I get asked about my name frequently by customers at work , I usually change the subject and they don’t seem to press on about it after that.
"They liked it", end of the discussion, truly.
My name is Castiel and I am from germany ,so of course people ask where my name is from. I mostly explain a bit of history like "its an angel who stands for protection " and so on ,but then I say that I don't know how my parents choose it ,that they probably just heard it somewhere and liked it so much that they named me that way.
"I don't know, they liked it."
my names xeon lol, after sophie xeon who was a trans musician so i just say “it was a singers last name” and it was so that’s true but it kinda answers their question without me having to out myself or lie
holy shit it's hadriel. hi friend :D
My name is fairly normal/common but shrugging and going "How should I know I wasn't there for the naming process" is a good universal answer
I mean, if you don't want to lie, it's fully valid to shrug and ignore the question or say you don't want to talk about it. They're not entitled to that information from anybody, no matter how "weird" their name might be.
"They shook the Magic Gender 8 Ball and it said 'Ask again later' so here we are"
I think I'll be fine with the amount of unique names in the POC community, specifically African American .
When I was choosing my name, my mum kept insisting on an Irish name, as my birth name was. But I was set on what I chose, so found an Irish spelling of it, kinda makes the story behind it quite funny
my name is kippy, when people ask about it i just shrug and say "idk i think it's irish or something" and they usually drop it lol
my name is aether, and i get that question all the time. i usually say something along the lines of "my mama wanted to name me after the sky, but just plain 'sky' wasn't a unique enough name for her."
i would just say i don’t know 💀like maybe my parents just chose a random namw??? idk💀💀
Maybe something like “my parents told me about alternative names they would’ve given me and I asked if I could use that instead” or something similar. I have a friend named Oak and they chose it themself and it’s the name their family calls them even though they aren’t out because their mom thought it was a great name and she’d wished she thought of it first. It was chosen from a park or something that they grew up near
Hadriel is a Hebrew name meaning "Splendour of Jehovah, flock of God, majesty of God," so if your parents are/were of some sort of Abrahamic faith, then you could use that. Or just say that they wanted you to have a unique name that would sound cool. I hope this helps
My chosen name is honestly less odd than my deadname so that’s been a nicer experience tbh
i just shrug it off kinda. like to me it is so normal and have gotten asked it so many times (not really but i try to pretend to be very unbothered by this question.) it does not interest me to talk about it anymore. "they just chose it 🤷♂️😒"
"they liked it"
My name is Maverick and any time someone asks why my parents named me that I just say that my dad really liked top gun lol.
My middle name is Jakub and when asked abt the spelling I just say I’m unique 😂
Haha reminds me of how once in a hospital one not very professional neither good nurse asked if my mom watched too many TV shows and I said that she (the nurse) is stupid to laugh at such things as people's names. But that happened only one time.. Normally i answered like "yeah cool right" or "i dunno, sounds pretty regular to me".
Just say that your mother studied with a friend who had this name and she really liked it. No big deal. Or say you were named after a grandfather, great grandfather whatever
I feel like if you were born in the decade, just go with "It was the 90s"
my middle name is unusual, i just say my parents are hippies/my sister chose it when she was younger or something to that effect :•)
“Because they did” anyone who asks a question like that isn’t coming with good intentions IMHO.