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Namesake

@namesake.fyi

199 followers 44 following 46 posts

Name change guides for trans people in the U.S. namesake.fyi Donate to support our work: namesake.fyi/donate

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Namesake @namesake.fyi · 31/08/2026

We have an exciting announcement: Students from the Kappa Alpha Pi pre-law fraternity will be working with us during their fall semester to create guides for several new states! We’re excited to share more of what comes out of this partnership. Stay tuned! 💜

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Namesake @namesake.fyi · 09/07/2026

Times are tough right now, which makes the fact that we nearly met our Pride Month fundraising goal even more special! 💜 A massive thanks to our friends, community and loved ones for their support. We can’t wait to deliver more updates soon. Feel free to join us in the meantime: namesake.fyi/chat

Graphic that says "Thanks so much to our community for raising $1,640 during our Pride Month Fundraiser!" with a small image of a snail on a flower in the bottom-right corner.

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Namesake @namesake.fyi · 25/06/2026

Now with search 🔍

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Namesake @namesake.fyi · 23/06/2026

Thanks to one of our contributors, Namesake forms now include address autocomplete! 📍 This feature should help prevent typos and answer the common question, "what county am I in?" We hope it makes filling out forms a little easier 💜

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Namesake @namesake.fyi · 15/06/2026

Did you hear? Namesake now supports Rhode Island! ⚓ We have just released guides on filing court orders, updating your ID or driver’s license, and amending your birth certificate in America’s smallest (but no less mighty) State. Get started here: namesake.fyi/blog/support... Happy Pride Month! 💜

A graphic depicting a hand with magnifying glass magnifying the state of Rhode Island on a map of the Eastern half of the United States with the text 'small but mighty!' and ' Namesake now supports Rhode Island!'

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Namesake @namesake.fyi · 11/06/2026

Happy Pride Month from us at Namesake 💜 We’re living in dangerous and uncertain times, but our team is committed to helping empower trans people through our tools and resources.

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Namesake @namesake.fyi · 11/06/2026

A road sign that says "SLOW DOWN PLAY AREA". In the middle there is a sticker that reads, "slow progress is powerful."

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Namesake @namesake.fyi · 29/05/2026

Forms are now easier to access! We’ve embedded them right inside of the guides that explain the steps for a name change. No more switching back and forth between tabs.

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Namesake @namesake.fyi · 14/05/2026

We want to hear about your usernames for a project we’re working on! Our team has been online the majority of our lives, and we all have our own stories of usernames, past and present, and how they shaped our own journeys in self-identity. Do you have a story behind yours? forms.gle/H5Z3eUhzDjRw...

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Namesake @namesake.fyi · 17/04/2026

Our old font had some overly-similar letterforms (capital I and lower-case l 😵‍💫). Typographic clarity is absolutely essential when filling out documents related to name change, so we hope this new one is the best mix of style and accessibility! 💜

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Namesake @namesake.fyi · 09/04/2026

Passing along an opportunity: @thehouseofdenise.bsky.social is looking for anonymous accounts of “the who, what, when & how of finding new names” in hopes of making a workbook to aide trans, nb and genderfluid people’s journeys in “trans self-exploration & determination.” forms.gle/dCBE8Yaj43e2...

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Namesake @namesake.fyi · 01/02/2026

We’ve also redesigned our forms to ask one question per page, making it easier to focus and reducing the chance of error.

Webpage on the Namesake website with large text saying “What is the reason you’re changing your name?”

There is a text box with the label “Reason for name change” and a banner that says:

What do I write? Provide a basic reason —no need to go into detail. Examples:
• "I want a name which aligns with my gender identity."
• "This is the name everyone knows me by."
• "This is my preferred name and I wish to obtain proper documentation."
• "I am transgender."

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Namesake @namesake.fyi · 11/11/2025

"When I asked other trans journalists about how they’d transition in this political moment, most of the advice boiled down to: Do whatever makes you feel safe and happy."

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Namesake @namesake.fyi · 11/11/2025

"When you have access to updating your name and affirming your gender to your name, you feel better during the course of the day. If you don't feel safe, it's going to be difficult to do your job."

Trans perspectives and stories have never been more important. And trans reporters need a safe perch from which to write these stories. Not every trans person changes their name. Some trans people simply like their birth name. Sometimes changing your byline is not possible, either because of the risk of abuse from newsroom colleagues or because an outlet has a policy that prohibits such changes or lacks a clear policy or procedure for how to do so. In some countries, being transgender is criminalized (even to the point of sometimes being punishable by death), which obviously complicates a journalist’s ability to live openly.

But if a trans journalist can and wants to change their byline, it can be a welcome boost to their mental health and safety. “When you have access to updating your name and affirming your gender to your name, you feel better during the course of the day,” says Bellamy-Walker. “If you don’t feel safe, it’s going to be difficult to do your job.”

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