So is it too late?

[Evil Genius]

I recently have been thinking of having people call me by my middle name. Now don't get me wrong, I like my first name, it just that people have a hard time remembering it and they will call me anything that kind of sounds like it. So at the age of 47 is it too late to ask people to call me by my middle name?

 

[powellrj]

I recently have been thinking of having people call me by my middle name. Now don't get me wrong, I like my first name, it just that people have a hard time remembering it and they will call me anything that kind of sounds like it. So at the age of 47 is it too late to ask people to call me by my middle name?

Let me know how that works out for you!!! I HATE my name and I have thought of instead using the two word name I have, just drop the capital J and make it one word. I use it sometimes in cyperspace and when I am just too lazy to use two words.

I am also 47 and would love to hear if this works out for you!!!

 

[NMAmy]

I have a friend who always used her middle name growing up but when she was in her 30's, she started a new job and decide to use her first name there. Now it's confusing--her old friends, her family and her husband all call her by her middle name. Her work friends call her by her first name. It always takes me a minute to figure out who they're talking about.

BTW, she never asked the rest of us to use her first name--she just considers her middle name a little too hippy-ish to use professionally.

 

[sweetspicy]

I don't think it's too late, but I think that some of your friends and family members will still probably refer to you by the name they "know" you by. Two of my cousins did this--they went by their middle names growing up, then when they got to be teens they wanted to go by their first names. But I still can't help but refer to them by their middle names.

I think it would work best like NMAmy said, if you had a new job or something like that, where people could start off "knowing" you by your middle name.

 

[lg3]

Go for it. You said you were 47 now. Don't you think you will regret you didn't when you reach 57, 67, 77? It's never too late for that. You just need to let people know in a polite way.

My SIL legally changed her middle name to her first name (and changed the spelling of it) when she was 38. She never liked her first name. It took a little longer and you have to pay court costs (and indicate you are not changing your name for nefarious reasons), but she is so glad she did. In your case, you are simply asking people to call you by your middle. If it pleases you and doesn't hurt anyone, I say do it.

 

[KristinBelle]

Sure give it a try. Maybe try it with people you don't know first as a test run?

 

[LoriKay]

I've never liked my given first name. When I was in my 30's I started a job where someone else had the same first name so it seemed like a good time to start using a shortened version of it that I do like. Family and friends eventually got used to it and today only my parents continue to refer to me by my given name. I'm glad I did it.

 

[DisneyBlonde]

I would think that would work out most easily if you were starting a new job. And like someone said, family most likely won't be able to break old habits. Good luck, whatever you decide.

 

[Evil Genius]

I'm being laid off on the 15th of December so I will be starting a new job sometime after that. I figured it would be a good jumping off point. Thank you for not telling me I'm nuts for wanting to do this. I guess I should start getting used to a new name!!

 

[apirateslifeforme]

I've tried. I HATE my first name with a passion, but love my middle name. And when I got married, my new last name went horribly with my first name nickname. So I started going by my middle name (and its nickname). So...now all of my family and friends call me Liz, and my coworkers know me as Cate. It's so confusing that I've been introducing myself to new friends as Liz again.

If you can get it to work, more power to you. It just didn't work for me.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

My husband always hated his given first name, so always used a nickname. His first post-college job required meeting new people all the time, and people had trouble remembering his nickname (which is very common.) So he started using his given name (which is very uncommon), and suddenly everyone remembered it! He has used it in every job since, but family and friends still call him by his nickname.

I say go for it!