What's in a Name?

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Like many people out there, when I created my username for minecraft.net, I didn't realize it would become the name my character had in the game. But there it was, floating above my head for the past 4+ years. 

Coincidentally, I think I grew attached to it. I mean, it became a staple of my character. I am Barkeben, the minecrafter all my friends know. I was Bark for short in some servers, and I helped on some massive projects in some of the first reddit servers. Including the first reddit survival server. So isn't my name now my name? No matter how much I was disappointed the first day I created it, I now find it to be a part of me.

The same goes for my skin. Although I have changed to different skins here and there along the road, I always default back to Boba Fett. I made my own Boba Fett skin at the very beginning of my career. I've udated it as changes were allowed, and eventaully I find myself identifying as "Barkeben with Boba Fett skin." It's a part of me.

I presume that many new mincrafters were not given the full open floor of name choices that those of us who were alpha pioneers were given. My sister has a minecraft now, and she hates the name she chose, but the one she wanted wasn't available. She also hasn't had a lot of time to grow accustomed to her minecraft name. So it goes without question that her desire to change her name is founded in reason, and probably a good choice.

But I am torn. Yes, my name represents my minecraft character now. And although I haven't "made a name for myself" with minecraft, I still feel some invariable reputation attached to the Barkeben handle. Yet, I don't like the name as a character. Why couldn't I have chosen something more name-like. 

Since the option of being able to change your name came up last month, I found myself wondering what name I would change to. Would I want to be drastic and change my name to Vurambla! or some fantasy name that I come up with? Or would I rather just modify my name so that it doesn't have "Ben" in it? What would a name like that even look like? Barke... what? Maybe a name based on the prefix Bark? Barkster... Barkman... Barkender... Barkbark... Barkley... Barbarak?

Perhaps I am the only one to feel so attached to a name I once despised. 

Perhaps I will stick with my minecraft name until the bitter end.

Perhaps one day people will know me as Barkeben.