Abstract
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.
Highlights
Our name is integral to our identity
One strategy, namesaking, or naming a child after a specific family member, may be considered a unique form of parental investment advertising the connection between newborns and specific family members or kinfolk (Obasi, 2016)
What processes take place when we are able to self-select our names or rename ourselves? This paper explores this question by examining the process of renaming and the name selection strategies used by persons who identify as transgender or gender nonconforming (TGNC)
Summary
Our name is integral to our identity. Forenames and surnames may reveal diverse aspects about us including our racial and ethnic heritage, gender, age, socioeconomic class, place of birth, and/or place of residence (Pilcher, 2016). The one attribute that is imbued with the most information about us is not always self-selected. Selecting a name for a newborn is often the purview of parents, family members, and other nonfamilial sources including friends, strangers, books, websites, blogs, and other means of information. Several strategies may be employed in the process of name selection. One strategy, namesaking, or naming a child after a specific family member, may be considered a unique form of parental investment advertising the connection between newborns and specific family members or kinfolk (Obasi, 2016). What processes take place when we are able to self-select our names or rename ourselves? This paper explores this question by examining the process of renaming and the name selection strategies used by persons who identify as transgender or gender nonconforming (TGNC) What processes take place when we are able to self-select our names or rename ourselves? This paper explores this question by examining the process of renaming and the name selection strategies used by persons who identify as transgender or gender nonconforming (TGNC)
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