Picking a new surname

[CindereIIa]

A very good friend of mine is exiting a marriage, doesn't want her married surname any more, and doesn't wish to go back to her maidenname (toxic birth family), so we are talking about her choosing a nice new surname.

What would you pick, if you could pick a new surname for yourself? Ideas welcome, thanks!

Ooh, these are lovely! I want to change my name too now!

I’d go for something that means “Determined” or Brave or Creative or Persistent etc .
as a daily reminder that I am.

ie from a list like this: https://www.momjunction.com/baby-names/meaning-determined/
I might also consider heritage that I have or resonates with me.

I did this. I chose my great Grandmother's surname.
But I'm not going to tell you what it is!

Shakespeare

This is a wonderful idea and a great list. She is going to muck around with other word-meanings on that site, such as strong/brave/new etc.

Just pick a nice sounding classic name, Beaumont is good, Falconer, Miller, Day.

Snowdon
Holly
Stone
Swan
Ray
Hawke

Chocolate?

Quinn, Delaney and Power are all Irish names. Not that it means they're off limits but best to know any associations

A friend did this via the phone book when they were still around and came up with Bradley.
I've always preferred my mother's maiden name, Harrison, to others I've had.
I also like Harrington.
Bloom is lovely but definitely wouldn't sound right with my first name so I'd have to pass on that.

I knew someone whose surname was Coolbear. I love it!

I’ve always liked the name Pennington. I don’t know why though.

Winter, Spring, Summer?

Austen, Morrison, Woolf, Christie, Alcott, Atwood, Lee, Montague, Sheridan, Macaulay, Monckton, or any other female writers, poets, etc?

Gardener, Ryder, Baker...

Wood, Forest, Copse, Weald, Grove, Coppice...

River, Brook, Lake, Rill, Bourn, Flood, Beck, Burn..

Field, Meadow, Lea, Acker...

Is there a place she loves? A city, town, village, or street?
A certain river or lake?

That is epic!!!