So, I have started using the name Malcolm as much as possible. I have wanted to make this change for a long time, and you can read a bit more about that on a blog post from over two years ago entitled Name Change Thoughts.
With the support of my wife and some recent examples from other people I know, I’ve decided to make the leap. I am not doing the government/legal change as of yet, but I am considering it.
I have never really felt all that attached to “David” as a name, but changing it always seemed hard because my name was part of my “employment brand” in startups, but thanks to working at growing PressTitan, I am not required to limit myself to my old name.
I am not going to be changing my last name, as that would be too much of a pain for myself and for my wife, but that’s a compromise I’m willing to make.
As for “why that name”? I really can’t tell you the exact reason why. It has been a name I’ve wanted ever since I was a young teenager. It brings to mind someone strong, intelligent and confident, traits I’d like to embody more.
So while I know it will take years for people to adjust, and many people might shake their heads at a thirty-five-year-old changing their name, I am much happier being Malcolm and I hope you’ll try to be understanding and supportive.
Malcolm's Ramblings 
5 responses to “Malcolm vs David”
Glad you’ve found a name you’re comfortable with Malcolm! 🙂
Thanks. I still have a bit of impostor syndrome about the whole thing, but I am much happier thinking of myself as Malcolm. What a weird world we live in and what a weird brain I carry around.
When I was 17 I legally changed my first name. Since I was still a minor at the time, my mother made the application for me, but ultimately it was my decision. The process with the government was painless (the process with friends and extended family members less so), though I now have to carry notarized copies of my name change certificate in case I have to produce my birth certificate, because my ID and my birth certificate don’t match anymore.
Identity is important, so if you are uncertain about making this change legally I’d encourage you to do it, to make it truly official. There’s an adjustment period of course, and even now (twenty years later) I, on rare occasions, still start to sign my old name or have a moment of confusion when I don’t know who I am. Still, it was totally worth it to have a first name I actually feel comfortable with.
Good on you for pursuing this!
Thanks for the info. I really appreciate it. I will probably talk to my cousin and others that I know in Ontario that have gone through the process and learn more about what it requires. I am so bad with paperwork, but this is a change I really want. 🙂
[…] using Malcolm when we would go to restaurants, I began calling him Malcolm around the house, and a month ago he changed his name on social media and at work to Malcolm Alexander Peralty (I told him I […]