# I hate my first name. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 21, 2005, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-first-name/322760 "2005-09-21T19:38:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mojave66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@mojave66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mojave66)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-first-name/322760/1 "2005-09-21T19:38:53Z")
I have a truly stupid first-world problem. I hate my given name. It isn’t weird, unusual or inappropriate, it’s just boring. The common definition of my first name is “diminutive for Elizabeth” but the true meaning is “generic name for an American woman born in the 60s.” Even Liza Minelli rejected it. Unfortunately, I don’t have a nickname to fall back on. My college friends used my last name, which was fine, and my closest cyberpals use my handle offline. However, I am loathe to ask my other friends to use any of these since it seems that the common wisdom is that it’s rather pretentious to give oneself a nickname. My partner is rather bemused by the whole idea, so she won’t help without some prodding, and I’m back to square one. Given that the Straight Dope has always been a font of wisdom for me, what think the Dopers? ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-first-name/322760/2 "2005-09-21T19:46:15Z")
I, too, hate my first name. Wanna swap? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-first-name/322760/3 "2005-09-21T19:47:42Z")
I think Mo is a fine name. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-first-name/322760/4 "2005-09-21T19:48:37Z")
Tell everybody you must from now on be referred to only as “El Conquestador”. ---
**Author:** ![JerH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@JerH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerH)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-first-name/322760/5 "2005-09-21T19:51:06Z")
Start going by your initials. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-first-name/322760/6 "2005-09-21T19:52:40Z")
I’m not fond of my first name. For me it conjures up images of “ditzy blond cheerleader,” which I most decidedly am not. I always said that if I picked up and moved myself to an entirely different place, I would introduce myself to all my new friends by my first and second initials. That never happened, though, so here I am, stuck. Mr. S doesn’t like his name because it’s unusual, but I like it on him because HE’S unusual. He doesn’t strike me as a Tom or a Joe. I have a friend named Elizabeth who went by that until junior high school, when a teacher confronted with three Elizabeths in one class **assigned** them nicknames, and my friend got stuck with “Liz,” which she hated. Sometime during this past year (at this point I should tell you that we’re pushing 40), she e-mailed all of her friends to say that she was giving in, and we were free to address her as either Elizabeth or Liz. She’s even started signing herself as Liz. I don’t know that it’s pretentious to ask to be called what you want to be called (excepting “Calvin . . . Boy of DESTINY!!!” and the like). Is there some other form of Elizabeth that you’d like to go by? It’s no different than legally changing your name – just let people that you’d like to be called Beth, or whatever. Be forewarned, though, that it’s hard for people who’ve known you for a long time to change. My aunt decided years ago that she’d like to be called Monique, and all of her current friends call her that, but I’ve known her from childhood as Aunt Monica, so that’s what I call her. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-first-name/322760/7 "2005-09-21T19:54:44Z")
My grandmother was legally named Ethel May, but she never let anyone call her anything other than Tina. You can make the change if you really want to. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-first-name/322760/8 "2005-09-21T19:57:39Z")
> [@mojave66](#): > > Even Liza Minelli rejected it. I think her given name is Liza. > [@](#): > > However, I am loathe to ask my other friends to use any of these since it seems that the common wisdom is that it’s rather pretentious to give oneself a nickname. It’s pretentious to give yourself a nickname like “Woman of Steel.” (The only exception I know of it Shaquille O’Neal, who got away with calling himself “The Big Aristotle” because it was funny.) Going by Liz or Lizzy or Lizzarella or whatever really isn’t pretentious. It might feel weird at first, but if you don’t like it, why not go for it? ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-first-name/322760/9 "2005-09-21T19:59:31Z")
I love mine, and my prof reminded me of why. This morning, he was passing back papers. He has to contend with multiple Sarahs and Amandas, but only one Robin. 🙂 It’s nice to be unique in that respect. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-first-name/322760/10 "2005-09-21T20:00:53Z")
> [@cher3](#): > > My grandmother was legally named Ethel May, but she never let anyone call her anything other than Tina. You can make the change if you really want to. Huh. Another of my aunts was named Eunice Mae, but she goes almost exclusively by Teri. (Can’t say as I blame her . . .) ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-first-name/322760/11 "2005-09-21T20:06:39Z")
Does the OP have a middle name? Is that an option? I don’t like my first name and have always gone by my middle (to the extent that most people don’t realize that I have any other name but that one). ---
**Author:** ![mojave66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@mojave66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mojave66)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-first-name/322760/12 "2005-09-21T20:07:14Z")
> [@](#): > > I think her given name is Liza. "I’m Liza with a Z, not… " Lucky bitch. ---
**Author:** ![mojave66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@mojave66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mojave66)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-first-name/322760/13 "2005-09-21T20:12:29Z")
My middle name is a bit better, but I have way too many variations of “Kathy” in my life as it is. And hey, my sister’s name is Robin, and it works great for her. One of her most prized possessions is a red t-shirt with the Robin logo from the 60’s TV series. And my apologies, but when I read “Ethel May” my first reaction was “hm, I wonder if her grandfather was named Fred…” ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-first-name/322760/14 "2005-09-21T20:15:27Z")
Call yourself whatever you please! I’ve had sveral name changes in my life. Most of them weren’t engineered by me, so when I went to college, I picked a dimunitive of my legal name to stick with, and none of my childhood names. If anyone wants more details on why my name was changed so often, I’ll provide, but I don’t want to hijack the thread. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-first-name/322760/15 "2005-09-21T20:17:44Z")
Nope, his name was Pete. They named their only son Jack, though. Not James or Jonothan or John–just Jack. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-first-name/322760/16 "2005-09-21T20:25:18Z")
Elizabeth Taylor hates the name Liz…and anybody who knows her or works for/with her will soon learn the fact. I like my full first name, but hate the shortened version of it. It is especially annoying when you meet someone for the first time, you give your full first name, and they think they are being friendly by calling you the short version of the name. It does get tricky to change your version of your name with people who have known you since you wore diapers. Not impossible, but tricky. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-first-name/322760/17 "2005-09-21T20:29:01Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Tell everybody you must from now on be referred to only as “El Conquestador”. You mean Conquistador? What is a Conquestador? Someone who conquers various cheeses? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-first-name/322760/18 "2005-09-21T20:29:57Z")
I guess it’s to each their own. My wife’s first name is the same as the OP (I know what the diminutive for Elizabeth is) and she’s perfectly happy with it. If you’re that unhappy with your name, why don’t you just have it changed? Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-first-name/322760/19 "2005-09-21T20:30:07Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > You mean Conquistador? > > What is a Conquestador? Someone who conquers various cheeses? > > 🙂 _snort_ Ok, come clean up my keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![mojave66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@mojave66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mojave66)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-first-name/322760/20 "2005-09-21T20:36:12Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > If anyone wants more details on why my name was changed so often, I’ll provide, but I don’t want to hijack the thread. I’d love to hear 'em and I started the dang thread. FWIW, I don’t want to change my name out of respect for my parents, I just want a nickname. “El Conquestador-- the cheese conqueror.” Unfortunately, that fits all TOO well. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-first-name/322760.md?page=2)