Post by Lily on Feb 21, 2022 19:49:32 GMT
Rather than tack this on at the end of that other thread, I thought this deserved a new one.
I've decided to give Lily a proper go. So this isn't a tryout, I'm not dipping my toe in the water, just seeing what it looks like on the screen for a day. If I don't properly go with this then I'll never know if it's the right one or not.
This has been a process of elimination. Other possible names have fallen by the wayside for various reasons. Those all detailed on that other thread. I think I may have gone with Eleanor or Daisy, and never thought of Lily, had those names not had other associations for me and close loved ones.
I'm not sure where Lily came from exactly. Rather than seeing it amongst the long lists of names it just popped into my head. I think it was because I was already considering a similar sounding name, Millie, and at one point started thinking of names beginning with L - Laurel, Laura, Lucy, Louise. None of those names went very far, but Lily came out amongst all those and stuck around. As I said other more preferred options came off the list. I thought Annabelle might be the one, but for reasons I've given elsewhere, that didn't qute work.
In the end it was between Lily and Phoebe. I tried Phoebe out yesterday, and though I like how it sounds, its spelling is a problem. As a result I knew in my heart of hearts that I couldn't go with that name. Though my heart wasn't absolutely set on it, it is disappointing to reject the name for the reason that I have.
This all might make it seem that I'm begrudgingly calling myself Lily. This is not the case, it wouldn't have been on the list if I didn't love it.
>>> I like the sound of it - it in no way sounds like a masculine name.
>>> It is unambiguously spelt and pronounced - the overwhelming majority of people will assume it's spelt the same as the flower. This importantly avoids any awkwardness of having to correct how others have said it or spelt it.
>>> It matches my culture and my heritage - no-one will be surprised that it belongs to a white Englishwoman
>>> I like that it's the name of a flower. I have liked the idea of having a nature-based name. There is something very feminine about having the same name as something beautiful that people admire.
>>> It is cute enough for me, but not obviously cute. I can still be the fairy Lily flying about with my butterfly wings, or adorable Princess Lily.
>>> It feels like a fairly ageless name. It works for babies, little girls, young women, middle-aged mums and aunts, and old grandmas too. It does feel like it fits me now at my age, and also when I am an old lady. I can also retroactively fit it to my younger self and it feel like it would've suited me back then too
>>> Very importantly I've received very positive feedback from Jessica for this name. This has made me feel that I am making the right choice.
Once Phoebe was rejected, it became the situation that if I didn't go with Lily then I wouldn't go with anything. The only thing holding me back in the last 24 hours being that a large part of me thinks that no girls' name fits me because I don't have the body or voice to match. I've been completing this process immediately after coming out of a depressive episode, and so have not been feeling as womanly as I know I can. This isn't because I've been feeling male, but rather that my femininity has been feeling muted. However I expect that this will grow louder again soon, it has done before.
I have emailed my caseworker at SupportU asking that she call me Lily starting with our call tomorrow. That is a very important part of trying it out, it feels like I've committed to it significantly more now.
It is just Lily and only Lily. I'm not considering middle names at the moment because I don't need one right now. That's something that can wait for the time being. I want to settle with my everyday name first.
Thanks for all the feedback on this, especially to Jessica. It has created a very nice memory for me, and so I hope that the name sticks.
xox,
Lily
I've decided to give Lily a proper go. So this isn't a tryout, I'm not dipping my toe in the water, just seeing what it looks like on the screen for a day. If I don't properly go with this then I'll never know if it's the right one or not.
This has been a process of elimination. Other possible names have fallen by the wayside for various reasons. Those all detailed on that other thread. I think I may have gone with Eleanor or Daisy, and never thought of Lily, had those names not had other associations for me and close loved ones.
I'm not sure where Lily came from exactly. Rather than seeing it amongst the long lists of names it just popped into my head. I think it was because I was already considering a similar sounding name, Millie, and at one point started thinking of names beginning with L - Laurel, Laura, Lucy, Louise. None of those names went very far, but Lily came out amongst all those and stuck around. As I said other more preferred options came off the list. I thought Annabelle might be the one, but for reasons I've given elsewhere, that didn't qute work.
In the end it was between Lily and Phoebe. I tried Phoebe out yesterday, and though I like how it sounds, its spelling is a problem. As a result I knew in my heart of hearts that I couldn't go with that name. Though my heart wasn't absolutely set on it, it is disappointing to reject the name for the reason that I have.
This all might make it seem that I'm begrudgingly calling myself Lily. This is not the case, it wouldn't have been on the list if I didn't love it.
>>> I like the sound of it - it in no way sounds like a masculine name.
>>> It is unambiguously spelt and pronounced - the overwhelming majority of people will assume it's spelt the same as the flower. This importantly avoids any awkwardness of having to correct how others have said it or spelt it.
>>> It matches my culture and my heritage - no-one will be surprised that it belongs to a white Englishwoman
>>> I like that it's the name of a flower. I have liked the idea of having a nature-based name. There is something very feminine about having the same name as something beautiful that people admire.
>>> It is cute enough for me, but not obviously cute. I can still be the fairy Lily flying about with my butterfly wings, or adorable Princess Lily.
>>> It feels like a fairly ageless name. It works for babies, little girls, young women, middle-aged mums and aunts, and old grandmas too. It does feel like it fits me now at my age, and also when I am an old lady. I can also retroactively fit it to my younger self and it feel like it would've suited me back then too
>>> Very importantly I've received very positive feedback from Jessica for this name. This has made me feel that I am making the right choice.
Once Phoebe was rejected, it became the situation that if I didn't go with Lily then I wouldn't go with anything. The only thing holding me back in the last 24 hours being that a large part of me thinks that no girls' name fits me because I don't have the body or voice to match. I've been completing this process immediately after coming out of a depressive episode, and so have not been feeling as womanly as I know I can. This isn't because I've been feeling male, but rather that my femininity has been feeling muted. However I expect that this will grow louder again soon, it has done before.
I have emailed my caseworker at SupportU asking that she call me Lily starting with our call tomorrow. That is a very important part of trying it out, it feels like I've committed to it significantly more now.
It is just Lily and only Lily. I'm not considering middle names at the moment because I don't need one right now. That's something that can wait for the time being. I want to settle with my everyday name first.
Thanks for all the feedback on this, especially to Jessica. It has created a very nice memory for me, and so I hope that the name sticks.
xox,
Lily