A changed name can ask familiar people to practice a new kind of respect.

A name change asks something of the people who knew the old one. Their mouths learned a shape years ago, and habit will keep producing it for a while after the decision has been made. What matters is not whether the slip happens but what follows it: a quick correction and a return to the conversation, or a discussion about how hard this is for you. Respect here is mostly practice rather than sentiment.

If someone near you has changed their name, use the new one out loud, including when they are not present. When you get it wrong, correct yourself briefly and carry on rather than apologising at length.