Help me choose my own surname

[Providora]

I'm preparing to divorce, I stupidly changed my name on marriage because my father was an awful person and I didn't want to carry his name anymore.

Of course, now I don't want XH's name either and none of the names in my maternal line of ancestry really appeal. I've decided to create my own name that just mine, not attached to anyone else.

Can you help me with ideas? My rough criteria are:

• Shortish, easy to spell and pronounce, familiar but not super common.
• Flows nicely from a short first name ending with a vowel sound.
• Consistent with my English heritage.
• This is hard to articulate! - but something elegant, with a bit of gravitas, not extravagant or pompous.

Thank you!

I thought about changing mine to Strong OP or something meaning strong. I'm still stuck with my exH's name which I really don't like, but don't want to go back to my maiden name. I can't change mine I don't think as I'm pretty well established career wise with the name I have.

I like Lake. I had a break from the thread and someone else go there first!
Unless you have a one syllable first name, I think it should sound great.

Blake
Spicer
Starling
Harper
Jenkins
Abbott
Lark

Applegate
England
Darlington
Meadows
Campion
Cambridge
Everly
Yearwood

@Providora How about Easter? New beginnings and perfect timing :-)

Kingsley is my favourite surname.

Baldwin

Berry
Hart
Page
Woods
Yates

I have two friends who too older maternal surnames from their family trees.

I used to have a friend with the surname Kingdom