What's In A Name?

[suzyscottdotcom]

So, now that I've been swapped from one side to the other, I've had a few requests to explain what I get asked quite a bit - why the choice of name? As a willing, friendly person, I'm currently happy to explain this... although in x years, things may be different! (Then again, I might be happy that things are still all... you know...)

The name elements were all from good people, funny people, whom I knew before. Scott was actually the surname of the headteacher at the primary school I was at, once I got out into a 'real' school from the religious one I'd been at. (That's the one that is perhaps best known of them all!) Rebecca - becky - whatever, and Susanna - Suzy - Sue - Susan - Suzanne - whatever - were all from a number of sources. All people who knew how to have a good time, but to be responsible with it.

I know that I'd defiantly been drawn to Sue/Susan/Suzy at least six years before I actually transitioned, as I remember writing out the name to see how it looked, with another surname that didn't make it. In fact, there were more people who I could have had inspiration from since with this name, but this gives you the kind of idea that the idea had been in my head. Knowing that, one day, it would be mine – just not quite sure when, or how, at that point.

Susanna it was, to give me two long-spoken (three syllables or so) names, and a short surname.

I wanted to abbreviate it to something short, but Susie or Susy just didn't quite look how I wanted it to. Looked too much like Slushie to me. So, I thought I could pick & mix - so I did. Susanna, but abbreviated to Suzy. Many people abbreviate what their parents gave them (I never did, as I was only too eager to get rid of it, when the time came).

The change of surname may have been the most 'controversial' of them all. Well, if you had to spell my previous surname every day for 25 year's, you'd want to change it as well...

... oh, and the choice of initials - SRS - Susanna Rebecca Scott or Sexual Reassignment Surgery... ok, I admit, that was a slight oversight, but it's a bit of a giggle, even to this day. So, if you wonder why I refer to it as Gender Reassignment Surgery, it's not to sound American or anything, it's just how these things go – it avoids confusing you poor readers!

Oh, and this isn’t intended to be disrespectful to anyone else – just my feelings on the inspiration I used for a name.

Comments

[thebustocrookes.livejournal.com]

Thanks :-)

Makes me wonder what I'd choose if I ever went down that route (as there's not a straight female equivalent of Douglas). Hmm...

[lips-of-tragedy.livejournal.com]

Interesting thought! I know if I had been born a boy that my mum wanted to call me Colin, so I think I had a lucky escape! (No offence to anyone called Colin reading this...)

[thebustocrookes.livejournal.com]

When I was about ten, I found out that my dad's choice for my name was Keith (my mum won that argument!). It made me consider my name properly for the first time, wonder whether I'd have been a different person.

Out of interest Suzy, do many people who go through GRS (or SRS!) chose a name similar to their "old" name? Or make a clean break?

[jessie-c.livejournal.com]

Mine is a little similar to my old name, mainly because I wanted to keep my initials. I didn't choose it though, it chose me.

[lips-of-tragedy.livejournal.com]

Thanks for sharing, it's very informative. I did think the names must have had some significance for you along the way!

[angharads-house.livejournal.com]

My nom de plume, by which most of my editors have known me, is Angharad Lewis. My actual passport name is quite different, but of similar unspellable Cymric ethnicity: having an unpronouncable name is massively useful when fielding telephone calls and the like. I put a lot of thought into those names, and was in fact almost talked out of one of them on the grounds that it was too obscure. "Bosh and feathers!" say I, thinking back to Richard Llewellyn's classic fantasy of pit-village life: How Green Was My Valley. The sequels are well worth the reading, too.

So thus and so: "calleth thou me Angharad and I shall answer thee" -- many years of water 'neath yon bridge, now.

[lips-of-tragedy.livejournal.com]

I adore the name Angharad, one of my friend's daughter's is called that. I always wanted to be called Myfanwy!

[nicollegurrl.livejournal.com]

The SRS bit is hilarious! :D

IS not possible in Dutch, because then it would
be GAO

:-)

[carly-kai.livejournal.com]

Carly Kai was my first choice but as I work in a male dominated industry I need a power name, so I searched for names that could be shortened...

In the end Charlotte Katherine sort of attached itself to me and I love it. Carly ended up being a pet name or nickname - it's my day to day name but believe me, when I'm in hot water it's Charlotte Katherine!

Carly just yells out "rascal" to me...

[cmmathieson.livejournal.com]

The name Carly to me immediately reminds me of Carly Fiorina the ex head of Hewlett Packard and the one who caused HP to buy DEC.

Caroline.

[cmmathieson.livejournal.com]

I never saw any reason to change my surname. My full name is

Caroline Moira Mathieson

When I asked my mum what she would have called me if I had been born a girl, she immediately said Myra. Now I always associate that name with Myra Hyndley the murderess so I don't want to be called that. My ex, Antje, loves all things Scottish and wants to call her first daughter Moira and I have a cousin and sister in law called Moira and I like the name Moira so that why that's there.

I didn't really choose Caroline, it kinda chose me. I was thinking of what name I could choose which would look similar to my old name and start the same and be the same number of letters and somehow Caroline just popped into my head. I had been reading Caroline Cossey's book not long before hand but that was not why I choose it. I also love the band "The Corrs" and although I think Sharon is the most attractive of the sisters, I find Caroline the drummer and percussionist the most intreaging. Like me she is present but at the back but does a very necessary job without which the rest of the band would be useless.

My name gets shortened to Cazie by some of my friends.

Caroline x