Real name is the name you use and by whom others know you. You can have many, for different contexts. For example, a name within your immediate family, an another among each friend group.

Legal name is the name your government knows you by. Most governments only allow one.

Do not confuse these. Do not say "real" when you mean "legal".

#rant #names

@liw SO MUCH THIS. Thank you.
@liw Also, it's a fallacy to think that only trans people, and people who have something to hide or are in some sort of danger, use a name different from their legal name. I'd be just as safe under my legal name (except possibly if my school bullies found me) but nobody would know it was me, because I haven't been using it except in official situations for decades. I do wish it was easy (and preferably also cheap, but difficulty is a greater concern than cost atm) to change one's name in NL.