Name

[Oni]

Name,   
What does a Name mean to you? What is your name? Is it your given name? Is a name something that should be honored, and treasured, or just a temporary identifaction marker?
Well I suppose since I started this topic I will post my views on it.
“Birth Name”       Kermit         Onineko Kitsune
Those are the three names of my life. All were given to me. Each have a different meaning to me.
Birth Name. Is my given name. Very few people (only direct family) call me that. Not even Fox calls me that. My parents and my sister are about the only people now. When they us it I acknowledge. It is the name given to me by my father (real dad). A name and a family line that I have made the choice to end with me. Oh my Uncle can still carry on the family name, but I refuse to. It has to many ties and memories to my Father (real Dad). It is not a name that I choose to use or even recognize. When I hear it from any one else from my family it causes a direct feeling of anger and puts my mindset into a direct offensive mood. Trained into me by the conditions that I heard it a lot, and the history of the name. No I will never directly give out my real name. There are times when it is nessary. Like people at work now it, and it is on legal docs. So that is about the only time you will hear it. I ask that no one ever use it if they find out what it is.
Kermit. Was a name given to me in High School. Well it was a name I gave myself. You see my voice cracked and forever sounded/s like a frog. So in High school they wanted to call me Frog Boy. … well that was just a horrable sounding name. I said that if they were to call me a frog they could call me Kermit. After much debate with my friends it worked. Kermit became adapted into my personality. Well the name not the frog. Though I did collect frog things. I even went by Kermit at work. But when I went through my Crucible. That all changed.
cru•ci•ble             a severe, searching test or trial.
I went through a change when I went through my Crucible. I came out something I was. Not who I wasn’t. As a effect of that. Of Me becoming myself. A name was adapted mostly by accident through character I played in an online game, and my online screen name at the time. But it stuck and was fitting so I accepted the new name. OniNeko was my name. When I meet Fox and became his companion I took on a part of him, and in a way of sibolizing that I took on Kitsune’ to my name. Neko was eventuatly droped. Though I am a “Demon Cat” and Oni Kitsune’ stuck. So for those that know me I am a cat, and those that know my name they may think I am a fox. But I am a cat. *purrs* Just bound to a Fox.
Oni Kitsune’ is my name, and the name I wish to be called. It is part of who I am.
Through that name I created House Kitsune’. Made up with me as Head of House. Fox, Kritter, and my son D’mitri.
So that is the brief history of my names, and name. Now to go into and answer the other questions.
What does a Name mean to you? – Well for me personally my name is who I am. A Demon Cat with a Fox companion. My name is very personal. It was Fox’s Idea original for me to take on his name be cause he jokes that I am the female side of the relationship and per tradition should take on his name. And well I did. As far as other peoples names. Most of the time if they have a nick name I call them that if they like, because I find it a bit more personal. Though if they prefer to be called by there birth name then I call them that. I try to call people what they ask to be called.
I think a name is how people relate to not only them selfs but others. For me it is an extention of my personality. And a Marking of a new life for me. There are a lot of things that revolve around my name that are important to me. And so I keep it. I have formed a house with it. And a very honorable house I feel. A House I hope to hand down to my son. There is Honor in a name. Some people feel that I disrespect my father (real dad) and myself by abandading his name. Well I do disrespect my father, and that was part of the reason for leaving the Birth Name behind. But not the main reason for Oni Kitsune’. My Name Now is something better than I once was. My Father is in my past, and my past I leave there. For many reasons I leave it there. I am open to talk about it, but tend to leave a lot of it out even when asked directly. My name now and my family now and my house. All share Honor. I feel that my honor now should not be judged on my past but on who I am now and what I do now.
I do hope that helps some and came out how I ment it to.
If you have questions about what I have said please feel free to ask
Oh on a side note. I did not give my son either my name or his mothers last name. He chose his first name, Jaime and I choose his middle names, and I gave him the name of my Dad (my stepdad) D’mitri –Name he choose for him self    Glen – My grandfathers name    Alfonso – Jaime’s real dads name    Pine – My Dad’s family name.  I tried to pick wisly for my son.

[Goman Fox]

I have a few different names I'll respond to.  Some are reserved for specific people or situations, mostly because they just don't sound right coming from certain people.

First off, my real name.  My full first name is Benjamin.  The only time I can really handle this name being used is in something like a class, where instructors are given my full name.  I don't like being called by my full name, so please don't use it in normal conversation.   I don't even really like being called Ben, but for most people it's the best name for them to use, so I don't mind too much.  Variations of my name I don't like though, like Benji, Benny, or anything like that.  I would respond, uh, very unpleasantly to anyone using them, or just ignore it (or not even hear it).  One person can call me "Benny-boy" and that's a friend of mine that I haven't seen in a long time.  Oh, and some of my family calls me "Ben-jammin'" for whatever reason, they have ever since I was little.  Kinda funny, but I don't wanna hear people using that either.

For certain friends though, the names Fox or Foxie are preferred.  Mostly because of the furry side (have Oni explain it if you don't know what it is, he's better at it than I am).  There's also the name Goman which goes along with that.  Only two or three people have ever really used that name, but it's cool when they do.

There's also the name "Mr. Fox" which Oni uses to refer to me when talking to his son, D'mitri.  Don't like it too much, but I can tolerate it.   Oh, and the name "Puppy" which is a special nickname that only Oni can really use.  It's like a show of affection for him to call me that, so other people using it is just weird.

But yeah, those are most of the names I can think of that I go by, and how I feel about them.

[yukonron]

i believe a person's name can have enormous importance to them- it is the one thing they have every day for all of their life. Even their body renews and replaces itself on a regular basis, but their name is always there.
That said, I feel that most people adapt their given name to their personality as they evolve over time. In grade school I was Ronald, but self-awareness and maturity led to rounding it off to Ron. Some folks never feel comfortable in the name they're given, and should feel right in adopting a nickname. My high school buddies came to call me Jed, because they thought it fit my tall lanky appearance and rural preference. But that name has different connotations to some people who live in cities, so "Ron" has returned.
Similarly, my middle name Charles come from my beloved grandfather. He would not allow himself to be called "Chuck", and I don't like that abbreviation either. For some Charles', Chuck fits perfectly!

[chuckhart]

Names are very important.  You should feel comfortable with what you're called and move on when you've become uncomfortable with a name you've been using.  Your self esteem may depend on it.  Sometimes a nickname can be just for fun, I enjoy a couple of those.  My tennis instructor in college named me "The Homerun King."  I loved the self-depricating humor of it.
I am the seventh Charles in my family.  My dad, his uncle, and someone in each of the four generations before that were named Charles.  As a child I was "Chucky" which was fine until fourth grade when I wanted to just be Chuck like my dad.  No one could stop at just Chuck they always had to make it Chucky.  In exasperation I stopped hearing Chucky and would only respond to Charles.  I began to get teased about Charles in Junior high at the same time as the physical and verbal abuse began about everyone's perception that I was gay.  I didn't know what gay was but I went to Chuck and this time it took.  I am still Charles with my family because dad is Chuck and Charlie.  My son, Charles, goes by Chaz.
Choosing names for my children was difficult taking months, but I was able to persuade my wife to agree to my choices.  (Sometimes I kind of made her think they were her idea.)
In Japanese my name translates as Tea Phrase.

[Oni]

Do you think it would be disrespectful for people to insist on calling you a different name other than the one you choose?
Like if people called me "insert real name here" instead of Oni.

[chuckhart]

I think that would depend on their intentions.  I had a boss that frequently called me Carlos, the Spanish form of Charles.  Her first husband, who had been her friend since grade school was Carlos.  He was killed by General Franco's police as my boss and her husband tried to leave Spain.  For some reason I reminded her of him, maybe it was just my name, Charles, but she would slip and call me Carlos.  I never took offence, I just acknowleged her as if she'd called me Charles.

When I tried at the age of nine to change my name from Chuckie to Chuck and no one would go along I finally refused to hear them, and then asked them to call me Charles.  My grandmother was never able to get beyond Chuckie,  I knew she meant no disrespect and let her "get away with it" until she finally started calling me Charles in my teens.

[Oni]

How should on treat those who knowingly do not use the name of your choice? Who call you a different name to show disrespect?

[Rev. Johnathan Jones]

I think names are very important. My family always called me Johnno and my nan still does.
I went by Johnathan at school, but then changed it to John when I went to high school, people used to make fun of me and call me John-o-gay. I hated that so I changed it to John.
When I came out, at 22, I went back to Johnathan, it was now a way of me accepting all of who I am.
Now, I think of myself as Rev. Johnathan, because it really describes who I am.

Names are important. There is one person who continually calls me "jon", it really bugs me. But, there are things in life one just puts up with. Its not that important in the big scheme of things to correct someone.

yeah

[Oni]

I am so adimit about my name that I will make a deal when it is used wrong. Because I have fought to remove that part of my past.

[London_Fox]

Troy by birth, every year from 2nd till my 2nd year of college did I have to learn about the Trojan War, and railed with jokes.  I can't stand it.  London, not only is it a cooler town, but has been burned down, suffered the plague, attacked by Nazis and terrorist alike, shag town, and the people there talk funny.  At work, I have many names.  To my patients, I am Hernando De Las Manos Curativas  (of the healing hands).  To my teammates I'm the General or General ACE (Acetaminophen).  To my mother I'm simply TJ.  To society I'm Stefan-son even though its Stephenson-Stevenson.  I'm sorry that my ancestors were Scottish or something and couldn't spell or read.  Though I assure you that I rarely go by my surname as that side of the family irritates me.  You can pretty much call me what ever and I will respond. 

What ever you want to be called, I shall call you.  Even if its Fluffy Pink Spiffy Toes.

[Oni]

Fluffy Pink Spiffy Toes.

GEEEE! I want a Fluffy Pink Spiffy Toes...what is it?

[Rosa D.]

I love my name, but it's not the name for me. It's a pretty name, but it really doesn't fit me. Oh yeah, my full name is Rosalinda, I just go by Rosa because it's shorter. Anyways, I love it because my mom and dad thought that I was a beautiful baby, it's also important to me because it comes from two relatives of mine. My aunt Rosa and my grandmother Linda. I was told that my aunt Rosa died when she was very young, so it's kind of strange being named after someone I have not met. Anyways, I think that names a wonderful gifts. Even if it's not that name that you like or that fits you. Of course that doesn't mean that you can't go by another name.

[Rachael]

Oh, Ben...would you rather I call you Foxie from now on?  I might slip up at first, but I can get used to it.

I absolutely love my name.  I love it so much that even my online name is "Rachael."  Or more often "Little Rachael," since "Rachael" is usually already taken.

I don't mind my middle name, which is Amanda, or my last name, which I don't like to post on the Internet (most of you know it anyhow), but my first name is my favorite.  It gets me in trouble, too, because I always sympathize with someone named "Rachael," but it has to be spelled the same.  That's why I think Rachael Ray is so awesome and beautiful.  Oh, and I get ticked off when I read a story in which a character named Rachael goes through all these horrible experiences, or is portrayed a bizatch.

Anyway, I make a big deal if people spell my name wrong, because my name is unique.  It's not super unique, but I still love the spelling.  I love the lucky seven numbers, and the "ael" ending.  I think "a" and "e" look so pretty together.  The "ae" is something that is not seen much in English.  "Rachael" looks sturdier than "Rachel," and "Racheal" looks like it's pronounced "ray-cheel."

[Oni]

A Rachael by any other name would not be Rachael

[aksnowgirl98]

Well my bio-father was names james, that's  about it, altough we left him a few weeks after i was born, dont know why my   mom kept the name. Up untill 7th grade i was allways called jamie, never felt comformable with james. Then my grandparents suggested that james was more approbiate for an adult.