Not comfortable using my last name :/

[Caitlin Rose]

Thank you for all the responses so far, I really do appreciate the input! I am not so concerned about safety as I am about mixing my personal/professional life with YT. (Of course personal safety is important to me.) I am just in a bad situation where my given name is already used by a popular youtuber. Would you suggest I go with it anyway or focus on creating a unique username?

I don't think there's really any benefit to using your real name, so if you're not comfortable using it then there's no harm in changing it. The only problem is thinking of a cool name

Exactly, but this is the struggle!

My actual name is the same as a well known Satanist. Plus I troll a lot and don't need people turning up at my door step.

I had to laugh at this, "well known satanist" sounds like an oxymoron to me.

I've always been completely open with using my name as I know I'm not producing anything (at least right now) that could spark serious controversy or become something I'm ashamed of.

Exactly. I'm never going to hide my name, like you said, the names of popular youtubers with screen names are always known. I would also not post something I am not proud of or I wouldn't put my name on. The stalking story you mentioned is terrifying though.

 

[RichGuitarGamer]

Are you a blogger?

This totally depends on the category of videos you make - for instance, I feel that Bloggers and Hair & Make up Queens are more suited to using their real names

 

[GamersName]

I completely disagree, I know men who have been stalked so much that they have had to move houses, take Pewdiepie, or Alfie Deyes for example. It's not just females who are most vulnerable on Youtube

Yes, that's what you get when you go public with real names and without thinking about hiding some private information - consequences.

 

[Becky Keegan]

Yes, that's what you get when you go public with real names and without thinking about hiding some private information - consequences.

They only reveal their names, they don't reveal their home addresses or phone numbers, the fans figure that out themselves

 

[TheBatteryChicken]

They only reveal their names, they don't reveal their home addresses or phone numbers, the fans figure that out themselves

To be fair, with a real name, a lot of that other stuff is public information unless they have gone through the right channels to make it private. You can find it all in phone books etc. I'm sure they have learnt that by now though.

 

[Becky Keegan]

To be fair, with a real name, a lot of that other stuff is public information unless they have gone through the right channels to make it private. You can find it all in phone books etc. I'm sure they have learnt that by now though.

True, I just think that when a lot of people say that they brought it on themselves cause of the fame and revealing their name, that they are wrong, they never set out to be famous in the first place, and never expected these people invading their private lives.

 

[NothingToDoCrew]

I'm not really comfortable using my last name on YT (which is what I've been doing.) I rather use my given name (Caitlin Rose) but there is already a popular youtuber with that name, so it's a bit of a conundrum. I am trying to think of a username but have trouble coming up with something that I think describes me without sounding corny, or that isn't taken on social media already. I like the idea of adding a noun or adjective after my first name (an example of someone who does this - Chrissa Sparkles) but don't have a good idea at the moment.

If anyone has any advice or ideas, please share. Thank you!

If i was a good lookin girl on yt i would NEVER use my last name. I don't ever use my last name because i film a lot of cool stuff at my place and i don't want to draw any attention to where i live (specially because i have built ziplines/foam-pit, and other stuff in the woods behind my house that is not technically my property and whoever owns it could sue me).
Anyways, when I film with my friends i use their first names only.
My name is pretty common (nick), so i use my old yt handle Olas87

 

[TheBatteryChicken]

Thank you for all the responses so far, I really do appreciate the input! I am not so concerned about safety as I am about mixing my personal/professional life with YT. (Of course personal safety is important to me.) I am just in a bad situation where my given name is already used by a popular youtuber. Would you suggest I go with it anyway or focus on creating a unique username?




Exactly, but this is the struggle!



I had to laugh at this, "well known satanist" sounds like an oxymoron to me.



Exactly. I'm never going to hide my name, like you said, the names of popular youtubers with screen names are always known. I would also not post something I am not proud of or I wouldn't put my name on. The stalking story you mentioned is terrifying though.

Some people know my last name and they constantly link it to supernatural because they decided to use the same name as its been used in the past as the name of the devil etc etc. It gets a bit tiring.

 

[StacyPancakes]

I wouldn't use your last name just for privacy sake. I don't want anyone I don't know just being able to find where I live and everything. I go by StacyPancakes since that was my nickname for awhile as a teenager. But only downfall of that is some people think I have a cooking channel instead of comedy, so that sucks. Just go with something you like or a nickname or like you said and incorporate first name in it. But I wouldn't use the last name at all.

 

[darkstarmedia]

Yes, that's what you get when you go public with real names and without thinking about hiding some private information - consequences.

In all fairness, they're building a brand and people will end up needing to know their full names for legal reasons. But saying what your real name is doesn't excuse the actions of some severely obsessed fans with obvious boundary issues. We should be teaching people that stalking is not okay and not blame the victims.