Confirmation names

[Krasnaya_Kometa]

Little bit of a rant here, but I have a question at the end of it, so bear with me.

When I was Confirmed, a friend of mine asked if I wanted her to call me my old name or John. At the time, I said either way was fine with me. Later on I decided that I wanted to go by John, but I didn’t really say anything. A while later I kind of brought it up that I’d perfer to be called John and she started bickering at me about why I should go by my old name (I’ve never heard of anyone going by their Confirmation names, your old name is better, etc). I hate to talk behind her back, but she is rather stubborn. -_-;;

So, my question is:

Do you go by your Confirmation name?
Do you know anyone who does?
Have you heard of people going by their Confirmation name?
Do you think it is a good idea?
Or, do you think it is absurd?

 

[BasBleu]

I have a confirmation name (Dorothy), but I do not go by it. My parents (Mom’s lapsed, Dad’s not Catholic) originally planned to name me this (after a grandmother and great aunt), and because of my love of *The Wizard of Oz, *they often say I should offically change my name or go by Dorothy.

On an OT sidenote: there was a period when I was 4, 5, or 6 (looong before I was confirmed at 21) when I would **only **answer to Dorothy! Maybe I **should **start using it! (I should note that I did not choose Dorothy because of Oz, but because it’s my maternal grandmother’s name, who I never met. A very devout, lovely lady from what I’ve heard!)

I don’t know anyone who really uses their confirmation name, but I think it’s a great idea if you can get people to make the change! Really, once you think about it, it’s not much different than changing your name when married. (Still getting used to that! )

 

[WanderAimlessly]

My confirmation name is Matthew. I do not use it as my name, but some of my eMail addresses have it as part of the initials.

PF

 

[puzzleannie]

choosing a confirmation name (if different from your birth name or baptismal name) does not change either, if you want to go by your new name you will have to petition the court for a legal name change. best friend from school started going by her confirmation name when she went to college because nobody there knew her, and she thought her given name was too boring. Then they didn’t want to give her the degree because of her name, she had to have the old name, which really annoyed her.

 

[Thomas_More_1]

I don’t go by my confirmation name (Thomas More; I think it would really hurt my family too, since they are of non-Christian background, even though they have no reason to be hurt).

I actually don’t go by my baptismal name either (Joseph). I just go by my legal name, it works.

My pastor where I used to live called me Joseph after I received baptism, and I rather liked it. But it would be too much to ask everyone to start doing that.

But a comment to the original poster: it is totally weird that your friend would respond to your request like that. You should be called exactly what you want to be called, especially if it’s a good saint’s name.

 

[Gwyn]

Mine is Trisha - but I have never used it.

 

[Krasnaya_Kometa]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone!

And puzzleannie - good call on the legal issue. Thanks

I found it weird that she won’t call me that, too… but what can I say…

 

[DJJG]

Notice that my screen name is “DJJG.”

My first name is, Daniel, my middle name is, James, and my confirmation name is, Joseph, and “G” is the initial of my last name.

My dirvers license has both middle initials on it as does my registration and most legal stuff. The only things that don’t have “JJ” or “James Joseph” are stuff that won’t let you put in two middle names or initials.

A lot of people ask why I have two middle names, and I gladly tell them.

 

[Helen_HansenPye]

I would love to use my confirmation name, not as the name I go by but as part of my full name. But I already have 3 first names Helen Mary Te Atawhai, and having Katharine just makes y name toooooo loooooong!

 

[wisdom_3_5]

DJJG:

A lot of people ask why I have two middle names, and I gladly tell them.

Great way to start a conversation about your faith!

 

[threej_lc]

A lot of people call me Joshny, a combination of my name and my confirmation name. Other’s just call me by my confirmation name as a nickname, and its how I sign all my hand-written letters.

 

[cheddarsox]

I know some people who chose a confirmation name because they liked the name and preferred it to their given name, and then began to use it as their name.

I don’t know how the church feels about this. The people I know did it more for vanity than because they took on the Saint as a patron. I would think that if you used your confirmation name out of devotion to the patron Saint that it would be considered a valid and appropriate reason. But using the sacrament of Confirmation as a means to use a name you prefer doesn’t seem “kosher” to me.

cheddar

 

[Krasnaya_Kometa]

cheddarsox:

I don’t know how the church feels about this. The people I know did it more for vanity than because they took on the Saint as a patron. I would think that if you used your confirmation name out of devotion to the patron Saint that it would be considered a valid and appropriate reason. But using the sacrament of Confirmation as a means to use a name you prefer doesn’t seem “kosher” to me.

That’s partially the reason. I won’t kid you, I hate my old name, because of emotional baggage partially. But a lot of the reason is because I’d rather honor the disciple at Jesus’s right hand, than the person who is the reason the world is what it is today. I know there was a Saint Adam, but usualy when people think of Adam, they think of the first man. I don’t mind the name for other people, though, just not myself. I think I just relate better to St. John.

Interestingly, long after I had decided on the name, I found out that he is the patron Saint of writers. Seeing as how I’m kind of a writer myself, that’s pretty cool.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

Mine is Anne. It is short, sweet and to the point- and that was more of a reason to pick it than my devotion to the Blessed Mother or her mother. I thought it was good logic, considering I was 11, and felt at the time my name was too long.

My husband’s is Paul- but more because he was confirmed in the 1960s, and well, a certain Beatle had that name- although he does enjoy the patronage of a certain apostle as well.

 

[Forest-Pine]

A guy at my church converted from Islam. His name was a traditional Islamic name. He went through a lot of problems to convert–death threats, family trying to kidnap his children, his Islamic marriage annuled so he no longer has certain rights (like parenthood), etc. When he was baptised he took the Christian name Paul (as in Saul’s conversion). Many still call him the old name, many call him the new. I asked him what he wanted and he said Paul, so that’s what we call him.

Part of the appeal to him was having a Catholic/Christian identity and presence to every person he meets.

Other cultures change names whenever anything important or life changing happens. A name has a strong connection, and when you feel one doesn’t fit any more, you can try a new one on for size. Emotional baggage is valid reason to not care for one’s name any longer.

You can also start using a Confirmation/Baptismal name legally. As previously posted, some people might give you a hard time, but it is still a legal alias. Often if you can get one source to put it on there, the rest will follow suit. For example (as someone else mentioned) your driver’s license. If you renew it to say Krasnaya John Kometa, then start signing things as John, you won’t have any problems. I haven’t had the DMV ask me for proof of a middle name before. (That’s who gives out drivers licenses…)

So I say USE IT!!