Then the queen began lamenting and crying so much that the little man took pity on her and said, "I will give you three days' time. If by then you know my name, then you shall keep your child." - Rumpelstilzchen, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Gold.
It's hardly a mystery how he ended up with that name. Naming conventions in the Enchanted Forest were strangely literal (and prophetic) enough, yet the Curse had elevated them to another level: Moe French from the French fairytale, Archie Hopper the cricket, Sidney Glass the mirror, Dr Whale...well, admittedly Regina's still trying to figure out Dr Whale, but all the same. Her own mother (dear Cora, herself La Reine des Coeurs) had given her a name almost brazen in its ambition, but it was the Curse that ensured she would always be the humble Mills.
Regina hadn't chosen it. The Dark Curse had never truly been hers to control, even at the point of casting: Rumplestiltskin had been the one to craft it, carefully assembling and spinning the details as finely as strands of his golden thread.
Of course he was Gold. And she was Mills. No longer a Queen, just a small town Mayor and the miller's granddaughter.
It's less than she deserves and she despises him for it.
"Have you decided on a name yet?" Gold asks her one day when she goes to check on adoption proceedings.
"As a matter of fact, I have," Regina replies, gathering the folder he's handed her over the shop counter and smiling to herself as she sees the official stamp 'approved' on the cover. Her son may be burdened with her accursed surname, but for a first name she can at least give him something worthier.
"Would you care to share?"
"You'll find out in due course."
A disgruntled expression flits briefly over his face, before it's quickly hidden again behind a mask of politeness. "After all I've done to procure the child, do I not get advance notice?"
She scoffs. "Why? Were you expecting me to name him after you?"
"As sweet a gesture as that would be, I had rather expected you would name him after your father."
Regina bristles. Even when he doesn't know her, it seems he knows her too well. "What do you know about my father?"
"Only what's common knowledge: that he died shortly before your first term. I suspect his death was a major factor in the success of your campaign."
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
He smiles, far too smooth in his faux civility. "Only that I'm sure the sympathy vote helped swing things in your favor. In any case, I'm certain he's a worthy namesake."
"Yes. Well." Regina clutches the file of documents to her chest, scowling. "Grateful as I am for your help, don't be expecting me to name my child Goldie Junior. What even is your first name, anyway?"
"I'm sure you'll find out, dearie" he says, smirking. "In due course."
Regina rolls her eyes, making a noise of disgust as she storms out. She hopes it's a name so ugly he's embarrassed to say it out loud.
With a real name like 'Rumplestiltskin', it only seems fitting.