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I want a new surname (suggestions)

232 replies

HoHoHoliday · 17/10/2023 21:47

A bit random perhaps to some people, but I really want to change my surname!
What are the nicest surnames that you know? Any suggestions?

Background -
My surname from birth, I've always thought it was plain and boring, and it's very common.
I always imagined I would change it when I married, but I never got married, and I'm now late 40s and don't plan to marry even if I eventually meet "the one".
I don't have children, my dad is gone now, my mother has the same surname only through marriage to my dad, my siblings have different surnames through marriage, and I don't feel any particular attachment to extended family so I've no need to "honour" their name.
So I thought I'd treat myself to a new name! I want a name that when I introduce myself, people might think "that's a nice name". Something not overly common, but not so unusual that I have to spell it out repeatedly either. I am English, but I spent five years total living in different parts of Scandinavia so perhaps would be nice to choose a link to that part of my life, but doesn't need to be.

OP posts:
DustyLee123 · 17/10/2023 21:49

What was your mum’s maiden name ? Any nice names in the family from years ago ?

hexsnidgett · 17/10/2023 21:51

I always loved Challis
But a family name could be better...

Dotcheck · 17/10/2023 21:54

What a brilliant idea!

What would you like the name to convey?
Some of my favourite surnames:
Lovejoy
St John
Flowers
Kingfisher

Wish I had been brave enough to change my name

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Valstarino · 17/10/2023 21:55

Penrose

DustyLee123 · 17/10/2023 21:55

I’d like to be Mrs Darcy 😉

IDidntKnowMyOwnStrength · 17/10/2023 21:56

Hathaway

MadamVastra · 17/10/2023 21:56

Cavendish

MissPettigrewIsWFH · 17/10/2023 21:56

I remember seeing a gravestone fir a family called Flowerbuttons- always thought that was lovely

hashbrownsandwich · 17/10/2023 21:56

Just go all out and go for Lothbrook. Or Ironside.

BathshebaKnickerStickers · 17/10/2023 21:57

Snowball

Riverlee · 17/10/2023 21:58

Sullivan
Montgomery
Anders
Bergen

Don’t they often add Son into the fathers name, so could you be ‘fathers name ’ - son. Eg Erickson

Anotherdayanotherdollar · 17/10/2023 21:58

Mayberry

Spacie · 17/10/2023 21:59

Armitage

BathshebaKnickerStickers · 17/10/2023 21:59

You will always need to spell. I used Bell as a surname for years (friend’s surname) but my address was brown avenue, and I had to spell Brown every time

Redlarge · 17/10/2023 21:59

Hathaway

EasterMummie · 17/10/2023 22:00

Marple

Valstarino · 17/10/2023 22:00

How about Britton? ('from Britain')

AFieldGuideToTrees · 17/10/2023 22:00

Good for you OP. I changed my name when I got married because I hated my surname. Then when I got divorced I spent a huge amount of time trying to think of a name that I could live with long-term but failed, so ended up going back to my pre marriage name, which I still hate.

Now I'm thinking of having another go at finding something else, so am watching the thread closely!

Luckynumbereight · 17/10/2023 22:01

Miss Applegate

Wolfen · 17/10/2023 22:03

Starling

Valstarino · 17/10/2023 22:03

Nightingale.

FoxtrotOscarFoxtrotOscar · 17/10/2023 22:05

I've always liked the surname du Plessis for some reason.
The Icelandic suffix "dottir" is appealing - HoHoHolidaydottir.

Mojodojocasahaus · 17/10/2023 22:07

Love
Christmas
Le Bon
Campbell-Black

SatsumaPatata · 17/10/2023 22:08

Bytheway
Proudfoot
Micklethwaite

SecondUsername4me · 17/10/2023 22:08

MadamVastra · 17/10/2023 21:56

Cavendish

I was going to post this exact name!