Should I Change My Name Legally???

Poll: Ya'all know me as Autumnforest, but when I used to model, my name was Sharon Day. At that time, I went to the courthouse and got the paperwork and was going to change my name to Autumn Forest Day but my mom had a huge fit because her and dad named the 5 kids all with "s's;" Stanley, Stena, Sue, Scott, and Sharon. So, I've been thinking about it and I've never identified myself with my real name, so why not go with the name I actually answer to? The question is...do I become Autumn Forest Day? I'd love to get feedback. I feel like it's who I'm supposed to be, but it will definitely piss off immediate family and confuse friends for a time to get used to calling me Autumn.

(*the next post will be 6 am EST tomorrow about how to deal with folks when you confess you hunt ghosts)

Comments

  1. You seem more of an Evening than a Day :P

    The change is relatively harmless and sounds like it would be very positive for you. In that sense, I would advocate for the change if you are ready to do it. It's not like you would be changing your name to $%*&^%$.

    You've acquiesced once already and it certainly isn't a spur of the moment thought. I suppose you have to weigh how much of a fuss people are really going to have.

    It won't bother me :)

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  2. After meeting you, you seem more like an Autum Forest than a Sharon. I can get used to the change. I like it.

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  3. Pangs;
    You are always the voice of reason. Do folks in your life often say that to you? Yeah, I'm not going to pull a "Prince" name change--that was hilarious! Holy shit! What do you call someone who's name is a symbol? I guess you call him androgyneous symbol man... wasn't it like a combo of a male and female symbol or some kind of crap? The name thing to me is a no-brainer. To friends and relatives it's like a sex change operation--seriously. It could offend some folks, but hell, I don't like 75% of my relatives anyways. I can be honest about that. I think if I come to a place where I see myself getting published or something else where my name will be out there, Autumnforest is already a kind of brand name, so why not? I hate to confuse people with two names. It's like I'm a freaking Clark Kent/Superman or something.

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  4. I support the change! Maybe I should change mine too. Never liked it. I wanted twin girls at one point they were going to be Autumn and Summer.

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  5. Becca;
    I remember when I was pregnant. Since I had cancer at 17 and it was amazing I had a baby, I hoped I'd have twins so I could have a family cause I knew the high risk and wasn't going to do it again. I thought I'd name the boy Alex Jason (Alex for Alex VanHalen and Jason for July, August, September, October, November--the first five months of my pregnancy when I lived in California) but the girl I wanted to name Anna Melissa and call her by both names, but darn if everyone I told didn't say "animal issa?" Haha

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  6. Or, you could change to Helen Back.....

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  7. Change is always good.
    I've been thinking about changing my name as well to "Booger" The Nose Goblin.

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  8. Surely only during the allergy season, right?

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  9. Aren't you worried people might confuse you with the chick from The Partridge Family? :D
    You wouldn't have to legally change your name, you could just do a "DBA" or use it as a nom de plume.
    Look at the mess I'm in, if I ever become a famous blogger/monster hunter/writer, I'm sure to get in some kind of legal battle with Stampede Productions ("Tremors") since they "own" Burt Gummer!
    But, if I legally change my name, there's nothing they coud do about it, though.
    And I came real close to being named "George Gordon", the same as G. Gordon Liddy! (long story...)

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  10. autumnforest, go with the change! that name is SO more right for you than sharon...i've always thought it was weird to pick out your baby's name before it was born. what if you named it something that absolutely did not fit? i didnt name tiffany leigh until she was a couple days old...well, as soon as i held her, i knew she wa a tiffany, but...

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  11. When someone kicks around oline handles, nicknames, or aliases I always think about the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes." Sometimes an alias is a good thing to keep.

    Remember "Twanda, the Avenger" or better yet "The Bee Charmer".

    Barry

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  12. B.G.;
    Honestly, you're too handsome to be a Burt Gummer (that's a dull name) Yeah, you are using a character's name. I knew a Charlie Brown once and a Candy Cane--they both got shit for all the time. I thought about a nom de plume, but honestly even I get confused who knows me as what name...

    Libby;
    I was actually originally named Sydney--my parents had run out of "s" names, but my dad came in and tore up the paper. He didn't want a girl named Syd. We had some Jewish family that we were extremely close to and my mother settled on Sharon--I guess it's a Jewish name? I went by Sherry my whole childhood and then Suni in high school. I avoided Sharon. I did have a sweet niece who gave me a book called the story of the rose of Sharon and it was about a rose that grew in spite of a harsh environment and I think that actually does describe me. I came from a lot of trauma and drama and managed to thrive in spite of it, so I am a tough cuss. But, I definitely look like an Autumn...

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  13. Barry;
    Probably if I were cloaked in mystery it'd be a good thing to keep, but hell, ya'all know me way too well--even my tushie! Nothing circumspect about me.

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  14. If it's who YOU feel like...then change it!

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  15. I obvioulsy don't know you personally, but you should change it if that is what YOU want. Don't worry about who it will make mad, you are still the same person and it shouldn't change their feelings for you. If changing your name will make you happy and you want to do it, then just do it!!

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  16. You guys really have put it into perspective. This is my life road trip. I need to travel in the vehicle that suits me (preferably something without fossil fuel) hee hee

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  17. Sharon is very John Steinbeck but yes it is a location in Israel.

    Pumpkins in the cornfields
    Gold among the brown
    Leaves of rust and scarlet
    Trembling slowly down
    Birds that travel southward
    Lovely time to play
    Nothing is as pleasant
    As an autumn day!


    You will always be more precious than any name.

    Barry

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  18. Barry, baby, write me notes like that and I'll let you call me "Shithead." I'm weighing it. I adore my Jewish relatives and do feel an affinity with the rose of Sharon story, although my biz name is definitely Autumn. We'll see. Depends on how much of my life I'm changing at the same time, may be symbolic--like when I got the tatt. Autumn is the best time of year :-)

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  19. OK, well...since YOU asked.
    I was very surprised that your name was Sharon. I don't want to be disrespectful of your parents but how can you run out of "S" names? There's still Sophia, Simone, Skyler, Stella, Sicily, Scarlett or Savannah...I don't know you REALLY but...to ME it doesn't fit.
    Did you know that Cary Grant's real name was Archie Leach? or get this one- John Wayne was MARION Morrison. Hey, a name is sometimes just a name. But sometimes it's a persona. An image, and if you want or need to project a certain image...Autumn Forest the Ghost Hunter has a much better ring to it then Sharon.
    Or do as Gummerfan said, use it as DBA or a pen-name (by the way Gummer the Partridge Family girl is Susan Dey, LOL!)
    As you know, I've been thinking of starting a second blog and I thought I'd use my full name but when I Googled it, the first thing that pops up is all these websites for a Playboy Playmate of 1968 and when I used my nickname a novelist came up! AAARRGGHHH!!! When I Googled Autumn Forest first beautiful fall photos came up and then...YOU and as one word? YOU again. Yeah! That's your name.

    I even think that maybe you should drop the "Day" unless your husband or son would be hurt.
    (But I do kinda like that Helen Back idea! tee hee!)

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  20. Cindi;
    My son gave me the thumbs up and told me to do whatever makes me happy. My hubby is not in anyway part of the equation. So, it's really my decision. You know, the name "Day" means nothing to me. When my dad came to America he was "Sten Thorvaldsen" and his father wanted an American name so took the judge's name "Day" and then my dad entered the military and they assumed his name was Stan so put Stanley on his paperwork and so he became Stanley Day which was a total alias. Perhaps Autumn Forest is just better on its own... Hmmm. You gave me something to think about. That's why I tossed this out there to see what sticks. I feel like when the time is right, it will probably all make sense.

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  21. I think having the name "Autumn Forest" would be absolutely beautiful! I don't know you personally, but, from our conversations we had, I think it fits you perfectly ;)

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  22. Jessica and Gabriel;
    Thanks. Jeez, I know I've presented myself on the blog as AutumnForest cause that's how I've always seen me, but it's apparent people have come to associate me with that name and there's a reason. I am a romantic at heart and if I had to put my soul into a name--that's the one... My two favorite things in the world; autumn and the forest and when combined--they're awesome.

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  23. Hey Sis - I support you in whatever you do and I think Autumn Forest is a stikingly beautiful and evocative name!!!!!!!!!!!!
    sorry havent been around much lately- just as depression was getting ever so slightly better- i get sick - ugggh - not bad sick but lazier than hell sick!!
    love you!!

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  24. ps - I also do not think "Sharon" really fits you- course I never woulda said it and maybe it is just because I knew an "evil" Sharon in the early 90s
    all the best to you always!!

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  25. ps - your dirty chocolate chip cookies would be just the ticket!!!! my mouth is watering now!!!!
    love you much!!!! you and Julie are always in my thoughts and prayers (hey commie-socialists can pray too:-) even if I am not online and in the "ozone"
    love ya!!!!

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  26. Bror;
    I am a liberal/socialist/pagan, so I can totally get you, baby. Expect me to send you a batch of my naughty cookies. Re-send me your address, baby brother.

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  27. Well like Gummer said, you could always just use it as a nom de plume. You could always just tell people your name is Autumn. Whenever you feel out paperwork for something that requires you put down your legal name (like bank account or whatever), the person accepting the paperwork might call you by your real name after looking at it, but it's not like they are necessarily someone you are going to become friends with and speak to regularly (and if you did become friend's you could always just tell them to start calling you Autumn). People that go by their middle name instead of their first name sometimes find themselves in situations like that where someone calls them by their first name even though that is not what they go by. So, like what many others here said, I guess what it really boils down too is just how important it is you for your name to legally be Autumn Forest. If you still feel affinity to the Rose of Sharon story, you could always just add Autumn Forest to your name and just have a longer name. Maybe you can be Autumn Forest de Sharon.

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  28. Jeff, you are always wonderfully diplomatic!

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  29. It's your name. Why should it matter if your parents names all the kids with and S. Not very imaginative of them. Were they afraid they'd forget otherwise? lol Tell you parents they can still call you Sharon if they want to, but to the rest of the world you can be whoever you want to be.

    On a side note, my mother wanted to name my sister Sherry Lee and my father said she'd sound like a hooker, so... name yourself however you like. lol

    At least you don't want to be Doris Day or Christine Daye (Phantom of the Opera- I always thought she was a terrible gold-digger).

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  30. Candace;
    Thanks. My parents have passed on and most of my family members, so there's few to care. I wonder if when I'd be legally Autumn, I would ever miss hearing the name "Sharon"? Perhaps I will compromise and use Autumnforest as a professional name and Sharon as a real name. I don't know. Either way, I really am still the same person...

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