Why I changed my name at 45 years old.

My name was changed when I was seven. So I changed it back.

Author

Chris Valdheims
June 24, 2023

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I didn’t have anything against my old name. I just felt like I couldn’t do what I needed to do under that name.

Because the name never fit me perfectly.

The name I went by for most of my adult life - Jonathan Tobin - always felt like an assumed name, not mine. The first name came from a social worker I had when I was seven, and the last name came from my adoptive family.

So I’m surprised it took me until I was 45 years old to change back to the name I had when I was born: Christopher Valdheims.

But that's what I did late last year; I began changing my name back to my birth name, which I felt suited me better. It also has more meaning and connects me to my ancestral heritage.

When I changed my name, I felt new creative energy open up.

That has to do with aligning my identity on the outside with what I felt like on the inside. Internally, my name had always stayed the same: Christopher Valdheims.

Something about not being true to one’s self-perception seems to hinder creativity.

So this episode of the podcast talks about my name-change experience and the lessons I learned from going through (and still going through) the process.

There’s a lot that I learned here that I want to share with you. ⨹

Even if you’re not changing your name, the ideas here hold true for any identity shift you may be contemplating, no matter how small it seems.

PS - I would love to get some ratings and reviews on the podcast platforms if you can. It really helps the podcast to spread. So if you think my actions would help more people, I would love that support. No pressure, though. đź–¤

PS - if you like 1970s Nigerian music (you should), William Onyeabor’s “Good Name” video seems relevant to what we’re talking about here.