Re-naming dolls?

I would have to have some kind of previous relationship with the past doll owner and their doll in order to consider keeping the name. I would probably only do it if they gave me their doll or I bought it and wanted to keep that character "living on". Say for instance our dolls were in love and we couldn't bare to keep them apart :P I think getting a second hand doll in general, for me anyway, means a clean slate. New home, new face, new clothes...new name!

 

If buying a doll second hand I would definitely rename it. It wouldn't seem right to keep the same name?

I feel a bit guiltier about renaming dolls that I own, but I've done it before and might do it again. I do like to change up my doll's faceups/wigs/eyes etc frequently and sometimes the new look doesn't suit the name XD

 

Interestingly, I kept the name of one of the dolls I bought 2nd hand, and when I sold him, his new owner kept it as well, just because it suited him so well. It doesn't seem to be a common occurrence though. But other than that, I've renamed all the others I got second hand.

Sometimes I rename dolls that I already named, just because I found a name that suited them better (very seldom), or because I changed their gender (this happens fairly often in my case). Usually all my boy dolls get turned into girls at some point. >.<

 

I would rename the doll as the character I chose for this doll to be, It's not the owner's doll anymore, I will be the doll's owner

 

I've kept one name, as it suited her so well, and I fell in love with her character and was lucky enough to be able to buy her!

 

I would only keep the name if I really liked it or if it suited the doll really well.

 

Well, a doll isn't a person! It wouldn't even cross my mind to keep the previous owner's name for a doll I bought second-hand. One of my second-hand dolls wears the wig, eyes and face-up her previous owner gave her - but I bought her because all of these fit one of my characters so perfectly. So the doll basically kept her old look (she was offered for sale like that, so it's not like I "stole" the look) - but she certainly did get a new name, namely that of the character I saw in her.

I think it's different if the doll happens to have a name that you like and you really feel like keeping it. But I can't see any obligation to stick to an old name, just like there is no particular reason to stick to a sculpt name if you prefer another one.

 

I don't even know the previous name of most of the dolls I got secondhand, actually! In my opinion, it's completely fine to change the name. It's your doll now.

 

I do re-name my doll sometimes even though I'm the first owner. If I feel that old name is out or don't fit their character anymore.
Even in real life, some people do change their name if they feel uncomfortable with the name they've got from their parent since they were born.

 

She's yours now! Name her what you like! If you feel she doesn't want to be a Raven anymore, it's cool. ^.^

 

The way I see it: You've paid for the doll, so it's your choice to decide what you call them, how you're going to dress them up and what you're going to do with them.

Sculptors also give names to their molds, but we don't ask them if it's okay to keep the mold's name, don't we? It's no different from buying second hand.

 

I bought a doll off a girl last year. She was suppose to purchase him back this year as I was doing her a favor. However, hadn't heard from her. I've since renamed him Dean.

 

As Reane said, the only time it would cross my mind to keep alive a doll's character from a previous owner is if there were extraneous circumstances (buying a doll because your doll & that one interacted would be a good one). Now those people using this idea about living beings? Not so much. Sorry, dogs especially should keep their names when adopted. Cats, they don't care (I'm sure cats have their own names & just let their slaves - that's us - call them whatever).

 

I would have little trouble renaming a doll.
I'd consider keeping the old name but since she'd be starting a new life it would only be fair to let her pick a new name too.

 

I have learned that in the end a name fits... or it does not... no matter where it comes from. My centaur is more a symbol for me (my star-sign) and no name has come to me so he keeps Chiron. My Marauder is partially named, he won't cough up a 'first/middle' name for me lol. And 'marauder' is what he is and he embodies a 'type' of character... so I use Marauder like his nickname. Both my EID's don't take to the names I want for them and only will use Luna and Dexter at least lets me call him 'Dex' for short. My JID ... she took the name I gave her like she was born with it (Jessica Reylene Kayle). I came up with it, it fit and it stuck. My little Enyu was named by his former owner and it was as Enyu as I met him and Enyu he has stayed... I can't imagine any other name fitting.

It works on all levels really. Sometimes the doll comes with the right name from the company, sometimes the "doll" just doesn't seem to take names you give and others accept your names immediately. And some names for a rehomed doll just seem right from the previous owner and stay....

You will only know for sure when the doll arrives ^^ These little buggers are rather independent for being an inanimate object lol

 

I changed the name of my K-Delf Cherry, Because it didnt suit her, and she was abused, no way would I let her abuser get to keep a name.

 

If an owner puts a doll up for sale, they either didn't bond or have moved on/changed the character/reshelled. I don't see any obligation to keep the former name. When you see a doll and you /know/ it's ______ (fill in your name for it here) that's who it becomes.

 

I'm alright with renaming a second-hand doll. Naming a doll is one of my favorite parts of owning a second-hand doll, actually! I love the thought of taking a well-loved, though neglected doll and breathing it with new life and a new beginning.

As far as reusing the name from the previous owner, I think that, if it was a name that I really loved, that suited the doll, I would be alright with re-using it. I would probably mention my intentions to the original owner, though, especially if we were friends. They may have reservations that I'd want to respect, like if they named the doll after someone they knew in IRL to honor them. Otherwise, I'd only mention it to the previous owner out of respect, and then go with it.

 

If the name the previous owner gave the doll was unique or highly associated with the previous owner I think it's only fair to ask first. They sold you a doll, they didn't sell you the character as well. Sometimes this works out to everyone's satisfaction - The-Happiest Princess' doll & character Ibi was sold to a new owner (Milkywaysugar) who wanted to keep the doll as Ibi with Ibi's distinctive look and that was fine because she asked and The-Happiest Princess said it was okay, but it might not be okay for everyone, so it's far better to check than to create bad feeling. In that case, the first owner was not going to continue with the character in another doll form, and it's actually nice to still see Ibi around, but if the previous owner still intends to keep their character and just use another doll, you could be interfering with their plans if you keep the doll's name.

The names I've given to some of my dolls are unique. If I sold my Kun, I wouldn't want someone to continue calling her Tommeliesl, because Tommeliesl is a name I invented purely for my character. That name didn't exist before I invented it. It's nice if other people like it, but the name was created for a specific character and I wouldn't be selling the character along with the doll.

I don't know any of the previous names given to dolls that I own now and I prefer it that way. They're blank slates when they arrive at my home, ready for one of my characters to inhabit them, and I think knowing the previous owner's name for them and any story they might have had could interfere a bit with the story I want for them.

I don't tend to rename my own dolls once I've given them a name. It usually sticks straight away or I work out a nickname to fit.

 

My view is that when an owner sells you a doll, they are giving up all rights to that doll, so once money and doll have changed hands, the doll is yours to do with as you please, including giving him or her a new name. The only time I think a discussion is necessary is if for some reason you want / intend to keep the doll in it's current character, rather than mould it into your own character. The doll is an object you just purchased. It's character however is not. It still belongs to the person who created it, regardless of whether or not they are retiring that character, so should never be taken without prior agreement from the seller.