Renaming Me: Assessing the Influence of Gender Identity on Name Selection

Our identity is our name connected with a specific face and body. Yet, our name, a critical aspect of the "names-body-identity" nexus is rarely self-selected. The naming of a newborn is often the purview of family and the name selected is often linked to the sex assigned to the child. Assi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Names 2019-10, Vol.67 (4), p.199-211
Main Authors: Obasi, Sharon N., Mocarski, Richard, Holt, Natalie, Hope, Debra A., Woodruff, Nathan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
courtroom
family
Gender identity
identity
legal
LGBTQ people
name
namesaking
Naming
narratives
Onomastics
opening address
Personal names
renaming
Self concept
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Summary:Our identity is our name connected with a specific face and body. Yet, our name, a critical aspect of the "names-body-identity" nexus is rarely self-selected. The naming of a newborn is often the purview of family and the name selected is often linked to the sex assigned to the child. Assigned sex, however, may differ from gender identity. Renaming, the process of selecting and using a new name, can be instrumental in expressing an authentic gender identity. Thus, gender identity and renaming were examined among transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) adults using an online survey. Participants indicated that the recognition of their gender identity often involved the renaming of self or the use of a new name reflective of that gender identity. Several factors influenced name selection including input from familial sources. This exploratory study offers insight into the connection between gender and naming strategies in an adult TGNC population.
ISSN:0027-7738
1756-2279
DOI:10.1080/00277738.2018.1536188