A Further Discourse on the Matter of Naming

First: My psychiatrist appointment has been rescheduled for December 4th. Expect a blog about that for that weekend, not this one.

Right, so, on to the topic of this entry: my name.

I've been having a heck of a time deciding on my new name. Most transsexuals choose to change their name, either legally or de facto, and I'm no exception. The problem I'm having is what I'm going to change it to.

My birth name is Alexander. That presents a lot of obvious choices: Alexis, Alexandra, Alexandria, Lexie, et cetera. Of these, I prefer Alexandria. I don't think that I want to use one of these, though. For sixteen years, I have been Alex, a son of my parents. I'm not a son anymore. I'm a daughter. Still being called "Alex" makes me feel like I haven't moved beyond my birth gender.

So, now the entire realm of naming is open to me. I can call myself anything I want. That's a lot harder than it sounds--trying to choose one name that defines who I am as a person is very difficult. It's easier to name a baby--you don't have to worry about their personality ("oh, you don't seem like a Delilah, you seem like a Rebecca!"), you don't have to worry about people they know with the same name ("You can't be Crystal, that's too close to Krista!), that sort of thing.

Here's the top of my list right now:

* Rose
* Liana/Lianna
* Alexandria (Allie) (This is here mostly to appease my parents)

I've crossed out:

* Marina
* Allison
* Autumn
* Miranda (Mira)

I've been asking all sorts of people (only those who I'm out to, of course) for suggestions, and everyone has an opinion. The Internet has been searched for many an hour, looking for the perfect name. I think I want it to start with an "L," which is a beautiful feminine letter.

There's so much to consider! How will it be shortened? What are jokes that could be made about the name? How do you spell it? Is it feminine enough? Do I know anyone who has the same name? Is it a good name? What does it mean? What language is it from? How common is it? Will people take me seriously?

So much to think about!

Life is good.