# Thinking about changing my name. Whaddya think? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 28, 2007, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-about-changing-my-name-whaddya-think/393996 "2007-02-28T06:42:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-about-changing-my-name-whaddya-think/393996/1 "2007-02-28T06:42:50Z")
I chose my Doper name many moons ago based on a random memory of a nickname that floated through my head for no discernible reason. I’ve had reason to regret my choice, since some Dopers seem to think that I really am an ogre, when I’m really a total pussycat. Another thing that bugs me is that the name is really not that creative. What do you guys think? Am I an ogre? Has the name outlived its (limited) usefulness? Should I morph into the **Exquisite Floppily Doppily**? OK, probably not that. But something with some soul. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-about-changing-my-name-whaddya-think/393996/2 "2007-02-28T07:11:50Z")
Hmmm, my instinct it to want you to keep your name. It’s very distinctive. Like a big scar stretching from brow to jaw. You’re _that_ guy. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-about-changing-my-name-whaddya-think/393996/3 "2007-02-28T07:16:19Z")
**SomethingWithMoreSoul** is too long, methinks. Dunnow, I like Ogre. You’re 55 posts away from your 5K, we already know you’re an ogre about as much as **Mangetout** hates eating. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-about-changing-my-name-whaddya-think/393996/4 "2007-02-28T07:17:52Z")
Username changes are vain and passé. Go for it! ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-about-changing-my-name-whaddya-think/393996/5 "2007-02-28T08:33:28Z")
**Ogry** There are three words … ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-about-changing-my-name-whaddya-think/393996/6 "2007-02-28T08:51:08Z")
I think you should change it to a creature befitting the SDMB mythos. For example, **Troll** or **Sock Puppet**. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-about-changing-my-name-whaddya-think/393996/7 "2007-02-28T12:04:17Z")
[QUOTE=Fern Forest] **Ogry** There are three words … [/QUOTE] I _like_ it! Don’t change your name – I never remember before-and-afters. (Except, of course, that of **Fern Forest** , but that’s because he’s one of my “a” thread buds.) ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-about-changing-my-name-whaddya-think/393996/8 "2007-02-28T12:18:01Z")
Nooooooooooo! I like **Ogre**. I like it a lot. In the Doperland in my head, you’re [Sweetums](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweetums) with a guitar and cave crawling. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-about-changing-my-name-whaddya-think/393996/9 "2007-02-28T14:37:25Z")
Might I suggest something like **Townie** , **PitchforkBoy** , **DefinitelyNotAWolf** or **Lynchbait**? Or you could go the other route - **BadWolf07** , **Lupin** , **Garou** or **Howler** might all work. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-about-changing-my-name-whaddya-think/393996/10 "2007-02-28T14:50:39Z")
A lesson I learned is to not pick a very specific location reference in your name. I should have realized that at my age I was going to move around a bit, not staying in North Charleston for the rest of my Doper tenure. Now, I am stuck. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2007, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-about-changing-my-name-whaddya-think/393996/11 "2007-02-28T14:51:28Z")
How about **Now with 50% More Kittens!** ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-about-changing-my-name-whaddya-think/393996/12 "2007-02-28T15:37:18Z")
Count me in the “But I _like_ **Ogre** ” category. Also in the “and I hate username changes, because then I can’t remember who the poster was” ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-about-changing-my-name-whaddya-think/393996/13 "2007-02-28T15:45:26Z")
If you pick a new name, ensure it is one that will register with the search engine well. Avoid common words like Who, What or Exit. 😉 If you make the change please show the change info in your Sig or location for a while. Have you thought about **BamaGuy**? Jim ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-about-changing-my-name-whaddya-think/393996/14 "2007-02-28T16:29:16Z")
**What Exit?** said what I was going to say, about the search engine. [QUOTE=sturmhauke] For example, **Troll** or **Sock Puppet**. [/QUOTE] For example, these would be funny, but they would make vanity searches impossible. You want something that isn’t going to come up in any other context. You also want a username that others won’t misspell. (I have found some variety in the representation of my own, for instance.) The tough quality of **Ogre** would be a shame to miss; something softer would invite people’s disrespect and derision. Perhaps combine a term of similar strength with a tempering modifier. Okay. Putting all of the above criteria into the Algorithmic Name Generator, and… _bip boop beep bip bip boop beep whirrrrrr click_ **Cuddlefuck.** …Um, okay, maybe not. But you get the general gist, yes? ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-about-changing-my-name-whaddya-think/393996/15 "2007-02-28T16:32:29Z")
Keep your name. I always find name changes difficult to remember. StG ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-about-changing-my-name-whaddya-think/393996/16 "2007-02-28T17:24:50Z")
[QUOTE=Cervaise] For example, these would be funny, but they would make vanity searches impossible. [/QUOTE] Not to mention that we wouldn’t be allowed to call him by name outside the Pit. That might lead to an awkward moment or two. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-about-changing-my-name-whaddya-think/393996/17 "2007-02-28T17:44:30Z")
I’m still trying to get someone to take **The Incredible Thread Stealer**. (I think Ogre is good, honestly.) ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-about-changing-my-name-whaddya-think/393996/18 "2007-02-28T17:48:55Z")
[QUOTE=MrDibble] Might I suggest something like **Townie** , **PitchforkBoy** , **DefinitelyNotAWolf** or **Lynchbait**? Or you could go the other route - **BadWolf07** , **Lupin** , **Garou** or **Howler** might all work. [/QUOTE] Indeed. Please, **Ogre** , choose from this list. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-about-changing-my-name-whaddya-think/393996/19 "2007-02-28T19:32:03Z")
Having a username like **Ogre** is like having a single-digit number as a baseball player. Why would you want to give it up? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-about-changing-my-name-whaddya-think/393996/20 "2007-02-28T20:25:45Z")
Usually, I go into threads like this with suggestions. Not this time. Stick with **Ogre**. It’s compact, it’s clear, and it’s right to the point. If you give it up, you’ll have half a dozen people pleading to take it over. It’s against the rules to take over a used username, and it would be a shame to throw such a cool name in the dustbin forever. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-about-changing-my-name-whaddya-think/393996.md?page=2)