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ArchivesName Change: Surname
My mother asked me recently if I had ever wanted to change my last name, and to be honest I have long thought about changing my surname. I feel absolutely no connection to it, I received it from someone who has not been a part of my life. Even so; I cannot and would not revert to my mother's surname for multiple reasons. So the search is on for my sister and I for a new last name. She's been saying for a long time she wants to change it and since her 18th birthday is approaching we decided to pick one together. The problem is we can't seem to agree. We want something that means something to us without using a family name, but since we are two different people that is hard. What we have at the moment:
Hawthorn (no "e", it would be for the flower not the author)
Anthony (this one means more to me than her though, it's my second MN)
Yvonne (Her confirmation name, to first namey?)
Oceane (pronounced the French way, but potential problems with pronunciation)
The other problem we have is since her FN is blatantly Irish (Brogan), a lot of last names from other backgrounds sound odd with it. Any suggestions (Seriously, anything to get the ball rolling). We would like to honor the ocean, or lilies (or any other may flower), or New England, or France, or dance.
Thanks.
Hawthorn (no "e", it would be for the flower not the author)
Anthony (this one means more to me than her though, it's my second MN)
Yvonne (Her confirmation name, to first namey?)
Oceane (pronounced the French way, but potential problems with pronunciation)
The other problem we have is since her FN is blatantly Irish (Brogan), a lot of last names from other backgrounds sound odd with it. Any suggestions (Seriously, anything to get the ball rolling). We would like to honor the ocean, or lilies (or any other may flower), or New England, or France, or dance.
Thanks.
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Replies
I can identify with the desire to change your last name. My son, too, would like to change his name. He is like you in that he has no connection to his father anymore. He is currently wanting to change his name to my last name (Young) because my husband has been more of a father to him than his own. I am reluctant to allow him to do that, however, because I feel that your last name of birth has alot to do with your own self-identification. On the other hand, being at a point in your life that you can choose one for yourself would probably be quite liberating especially if that name you are "stuck with" is one that only brings painful memories with it.
I say all of that to say that you should choose one that defines who you are and who your sister is; perhaps a hyphenated name would work better than just one. That way it is a blend of the things that are unique to both of you. By looking at your own suggestions, it seems as though you are looking for something unique, so I don't think Smith or Jones would be in the running. My own last name is rather bland--Young. You are welcome to use it though. Some other suggestions from my own family tree are Holifield, Daniels, Lee, Cuevas, Bond, Lott, Hickman, and Gardner. I wish you well in your search. May the Lord bless whatever name you decide upon.
I say all of that to say that you should choose one that defines who you are and who your sister is; perhaps a hyphenated name would work better than just one. That way it is a blend of the things that are unique to both of you. By looking at your own suggestions, it seems as though you are looking for something unique, so I don't think Smith or Jones would be in the running. My own last name is rather bland--Young. You are welcome to use it though. Some other suggestions from my own family tree are Holifield, Daniels, Lee, Cuevas, Bond, Lott, Hickman, and Gardner. I wish you well in your search. May the Lord bless whatever name you decide upon.
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