Changing my name..

To put it simply, I really want to change my name and go with my middle name, both professionally and personally. I have a name which is quite unusual in general and also more typically a woman’s name, which isn’t really ideal as I’m a guy. Throughout my life I’ve had mixed feelings with the name, with times where I like the name a lot and other times where I am almost ashamed to be named that name. I’ve been teased about it in the past or had ex’s make comments about it, which hasn’t helped.

I didn’t mind it too much until I started working after I graduated uni.. and I just feel like now it’s always on my mind and every single time I see my name I cringe up. I work a sales role, so every time I speak with someone on the phone.. I am almost always met with some sort of joke about the name or a genuine surprise that I’m a male.

Having this name is really causing a lot of distress for me mentally.. and it seems to be getting worse. I always feel defensive about my name and I feel like people don’t take me seriously because of it. Whether that’s true or not is another thing.. but for sure I know it’s not healthy to feel this defensive a key the name or paranoid about it.

I’ve mentioned this to my mum, who has been very supportive about it, despite not understanding initially. However I feel deep anxiety around how this will come across at work and amongst my social groups. I’m 26 years old and I feel like people will think it’s weird and not understand.. which I worry will cause me more mental distress. I’ve contemplated leaving my job in the past for this reason, but I don’t want to as I really need this job. I was just looking for any tips to deal with this? I’m quite set on changing the name so I guess it’s only a matter of when. But I worry about how I’m going to manage this at work. Any tips would be great as this causes me a lot of stress and I just want to be happy.