About my name…
My chosen name is Naia Shiro Ōkami. This is my legal name via court-ordered name change, and as such, it appears on all my identity documents, my birth certificate, and any relevant records involving me. I have been using this name exclusively for many years, although, I obtained my court order and certification of my name change fairly recently, in the year of 2019.
The meaning of it all…
Naia
The meaning of Naia is “nymph”.
naia /NY-a/
a mythological spirit of nature imagined as a beautiful maiden inhabiting rivers, woods, or other locations.
Shiro
The meaning of Shiro is “white”.
shiro (白) /shee-roh/
Shiro is the noun version of the adjective shiroi, which means “white”, but can be used to describe something that is white. For example, shiroi ookami is “white wolf”.
Ōkami
The meaning of Ōkami is “wolf”.
Ōkami (狼) /OH-KAH-mee/
a wild carnivorous mammal of the dog family, living and hunting in packs. It is native to both Eurasia and North America, but has been widely exterminated.
A short disclaimer
I will often hear from people online, particularly on social media, that I should not have chosen a Japanese name as I am not of Asian ethnicity. This argument is incredibly valid, and I apologize to anybody I have offended for using the name that I chose. However, I would like to point out the following:
- I was called “mini-Shiro” in High School by a close friend of mine, as a reference to an anime character she was fond of. This nickname eventually was shortened to just “Shiro” and stuck with me for the remainder of my life.
- I wanted a name change that was both feminine (I’m transgender) and related to my spiritual identity (I am a wolf therian). If I were to simply change my name to “Naia, White Wolf” or something similar, it would not be in a proper name form. Name changes can be and have been rejected by judges if they “could cause considerable confusion”. The idea was to have my name sound like an actual name.
- I was was not aware, through my own ignorance, that choosing this name would offend others. I chose it because it was a perfect reflection of my identity, meeting the criteria I mentioned, and I liked the sound of it.
- … Given that I have had two legal name changes, and I like this name, I do not intend to undergo a third.
Proof of Identity
Yes, yes, this is my ACTUAL LEGAL NAME!
