My given name is Katie. I assure that that is my full name. You can look at my birth certificate (although, let's be honest, if you were going to fake a form of Canadian legal identification this would be the one - it looks so easy!). In fact, people sometimes have such a hard time believing that Katie is not short for anything that I have to whip out the blue-proof-of-my-existence just to shut them up. So, to clarify, my name isn't Catherine/Katherine, Caitlyn (or any variant thereof), Kathleen or Frederick. Just Katie.
It is a pretty solid name and I have no complaints but I do sometimes wish I had a longer, more sophisticated (read: grown up) name to fall back on. With this in mind I had the epiphany that I could be whomever I chose when I moved to Red Deer so I set out to be Kate. Just to test the waters. To get a feel for the name. When in social settings and at work I introduce myself as "Kate" and it is starting to feel less weird. I even answer to it most of the time. The plan hasn't been foolproof because my resume had said Katie and so my coworkers were expecting someone by that name. Some have made the transition and others haven't but I don't correct anyone. It is my name after all and I don't really notice. And - woops - my name tag at work says Katie so it is about 50/50 what I will get called. What feels the strangest to the point that I just can't really say it with a serious face is my full name with Kate instead of Katie (ie with my last name). It just has a different flow and doesn't have the same ring that one feels after 26 years of using the same name. So if you come to Red Deer you can still call me Katie but you might hear me introduce myself as Kate. Who knows how long this will last. What I have learned so far is that I like using Kate at work when introducing myself to clients but that there really isn't anything wrong with Katie and I think I like my name even more now.
Anyone else ever try to transition to a new name (or variant of your given name)? Whether moving to a new place or not.
It is a pretty solid name and I have no complaints but I do sometimes wish I had a longer, more sophisticated (read: grown up) name to fall back on. With this in mind I had the epiphany that I could be whomever I chose when I moved to Red Deer so I set out to be Kate. Just to test the waters. To get a feel for the name. When in social settings and at work I introduce myself as "Kate" and it is starting to feel less weird. I even answer to it most of the time. The plan hasn't been foolproof because my resume had said Katie and so my coworkers were expecting someone by that name. Some have made the transition and others haven't but I don't correct anyone. It is my name after all and I don't really notice. And - woops - my name tag at work says Katie so it is about 50/50 what I will get called. What feels the strangest to the point that I just can't really say it with a serious face is my full name with Kate instead of Katie (ie with my last name). It just has a different flow and doesn't have the same ring that one feels after 26 years of using the same name. So if you come to Red Deer you can still call me Katie but you might hear me introduce myself as Kate. Who knows how long this will last. What I have learned so far is that I like using Kate at work when introducing myself to clients but that there really isn't anything wrong with Katie and I think I like my name even more now.
Anyone else ever try to transition to a new name (or variant of your given name)? Whether moving to a new place or not.
4 comments:
Yes! I totally have that problem! Since my name on my facebook is Tee, everyone since Jess has been calling me that but my name is Tiffany so I have others, especially family and older friends, calling me Tiff or Tiffany.
Now when someone asks my name, I hesitate, because I don't know what to tell them!
You know, I almost asked you about this when we hung out (whether you'd started going by Kate)... Crazy.
Um, I can see you as either a Kate or a Katie.
And for me, I more-or-less dropped the "Anne" from my name in high school. It wasn't really intentional and I kind of wish I had it back. Other times, I do think of becoming Elizabeth. If I moved, I might try either one of those options.
@Tee - Tee, now that you've outed yours self as a follower (of the blog) ;) I have only known you as Tee but I guess your parents probably didn't call you that as a 5 year old. Do you ever still introduce yourself as Tiffany?
@Beth - I love your name. And Elizabeth has so many possibilities. Although I think I could picture you as a Beth more than the others. But just for fun I'm going to try: Betsy, Betty, Liz, Lizzie, Eliza, Ebeth, Bette. Any of these appeal?
Ha ha. Kate. No, I'm only joking. I suppose I could see you as a Kate. But I'll never call you that. It's just too weird.
I don't know if you remember, but in Grade 4, I was so sick of being "just another Sarah" that I tried to go by "Anne". That didn't stick. Though I suppose prefacing the change by moving to a new place probably would have made it less awkward.
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