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In case you were wondering, my name really IS piKe. Sure, I also have a given name – given before anyone knew who I would turn out to be. I have another name that was passed down by men in my family. These names *sometimes* appear in Arthur, leading some to believe that piKe is a pen name. But really, it’s not. So, if you see me around, just call me piKe – it’s what I have chosen to be called. And there’s nothing like choosing who you want to be.
Yes, awkward name sufferers, pick your own John Henry. Beware of the rhyming implications of your new handle, however. I learned that lesson when adopting piKe. Naming yourself is stating who you are and your relation to the world. This is probably what your parents were aiming for, too – but maybe you have moved away from that ideal and are living your own.
Adopting pen names, or pseudonyms, has long been authorial practice. Although many writers have their different reasons for it, generally they want to conceal something from the wider public. A good example is S.E. Hinton, author of The Outsiders (1967), who published with her initials because she found it impossible to convince reviewers that a woman could write this controversial teen book. The names of her characters are quite unusual as well, and she states that this is “part of establishing an identity other than the one your parents have for you.”
Some writers conceal their identities for fear of public reprisal or persecution. Outside the writing world, people change their names to avoid persecution, others for a new faith, and others for fame and fortune.
So the history of name-changers is wrapped up with concealing something about yourself. I get asked all the time: what’s your REAL name? People are often suspicious of your reasons, and sometimes are unwilling to call you something new. They are very attached to the way they know you (or think they know you).
Changing names can be synonymous with deception, especially since your original legal birth name is your link to your bureaucratic status as a human being, your personal past, and your criminal history, especially at the video store. Transgendered people often change their names. These folks, whose current gender identity is often different than the one arbitrarily assigned to them at birth, are usually changing their names to more closely approximate their evolving gender identity. Transfolk are often portrayed as being out to “trick people”- movies such as Some Like it Hot, Mrs. Doubtfire, and The Birdcage all assume that these genderbenders are desperate for something and willing to deceive to get it.
There are many reasons why a transgender person may want to change their name. From a practical standpoint, a name or appearance inconsistent with what appears on ID may cause practical problems, including difficulties in travel or employment. It also may cause embarrassment or even harassment – as portrayed in the film Boys Don’t Cry.
In North America, the most common name change of all comes through heterosexual marriage – imagine, as a woman, a woman's identity supposedly changes because of her legal relationship to a man. And his name stays the same?
I am trying to establish here that the power to name is significant. So naturally, taking this power for yourself will be viewed with suspicion. This involves a shift in thinking: some folks change their names to reveal something about themselves. This is not so much running away, but running towards…
Some testimonials I have gathered: one friend changed her name because her old name was only referring to one part of herself - she wanted everyone to know all parts of her through her name. Another friend wanted to use a name from her mother to make real her relationship to her. Another friend changed his name to reflect his desire to be known as a transgendered man, since every time people would say his new name, they would be sure to rethink the woman box they once put him in. Another friend uses a name given to them in a cultural naming ceremony (naming is an important ceremony in many cultures).
Your name means something about you. Use it with love and respect.
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piKe
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