☎️ Baby Name Hotline: A Fresh Start

Help us respond to an unconventional name conundrum

Welcome back to the Baby Name Hotline!

Here, we let you in on the conversation as we discuss one reader’s burning baby name question – and then we throw open the floor to our wonderful community of paid subscribers to have their say 🤗

If you want to be able to weigh in on future naming dilemmas – as well as ask us and our newsletter community a question of your own – subscribe today!

Perhaps we should have done a temporary rebrand, because today’s naming conundrum doesn’t actually relate to baby names. This was an especially interesting and unconventional challenge for the team to consider!

Curiosity piqued? Read on to find out more 👀

LeeAnn writes…

I recently went through a difficult divorce and I’ve been thinking about starting afresh with a new surname. I’m currently going by my maiden name (Lynch) but there’s quite a bit of baggage there too, plus I’ve never really liked it.

My first name is often misspelled so I’d prefer the surname to be more straightforward. Ideally, I’d like something that represents freedom, hope, light, a new start – it doesn’t have to be super overt, but I’d like something that resonates with me.

My full name is LeeAnn Marie, and my ancestry is mostly Irish and Scottish. Something that ties in with that in some way would be a nice bonus, but not a requirement.

I’d love to hear any suggestions you have!

Sophie: A new surname is an excellent way to mark this transition – what a great idea!

Emma: Yes! So many more people are now considering changing first names that they don’t identify with. Why should surnames be set in stone?

Pam: The good news is that the meanings of surnames are often very straightforward. The not-so-good news is that they’re often pretty overt as opposed to subtly symbolic.

For instance, Free, Hope, Light, and Newman are all widely-used surnames that get to the heart of what you’re trying to represent. But rather than representing those qualities, they shout them out loud, which may not get at the poetry you’re after.

Emma: Agree – subtle is definitely better here.

Pam: There are some less obvious equivalents that still say surname. For the meaning “new”, you have options like…

Neville – French for “new town”

Newton – English, also meaning “new town”

Novak – means “new” in several Eastern European languages

Nylund – Swedish for “new grove”

Terranova – means “new land” in Italian

Nova, Prima, and Xavier also have related meanings.

Sophie: There really are so many great options that I’m going to limit myself to Irish/Scottish names to start. I especially love the sound of surnames that end in Y with LeeAnn.

Cleary is Irish and means “cleric”, but “clear” is a prominent sound. It’s also a familiar surname via author Beverly Cleary. 

Rafferty means “prosperity” and Connelly (or Connolly — choose your spelling) means “love” or “friendship”.

Clare: Yes, there are so many Irish surnames with positive meanings! Others I like with your first name are Kenny (or Scottish Kinney), which comes from a name containing “fire”, and Egan, also meaning “fire”.

Pam: Connecting the dots a bit further out gives you the Irish names Shea or Shay, meaning “stately, dauntless one”; Nolan, meaning “champion”; and McCoy, meaning “fire” – and, of course, connoting authenticity.

Sophie: For a Scottish connection, Skye is a Scottish place name that would make a fun surname! The open sky could be suggestive of hope, freedom, and light.

Clare: Thinking of the sky, perhaps a bird name would resonate with you, as a symbol of freedom and optimism? Finch, Sparrow, Swan, and Nightingale are all bona fide surnames.

Emma: Lovely ideas! There’s also Dove – with the Biblical symbolism of the dove who brought back an olive leaf to signify a new start after the flood.

Clare: Or is there anything else in nature you associate with your new beginning, like a special tree or waterway? That could lead to a name like Rowan, Brooks, Stone, or Shore.

Emma: My first thought for you was Alba. It means “white” or “dawn” – I just love the symbolism of a clean page, a new beginning, a bright future. Plus, Alba is also a poetic word for Scotland, so there’s a nice tie to your heritage there too. But is it too Jessica Alba?

Sophie: Alba is brilliant. It definitely has bright imagery and I like the subtle Scottish connection. I don’t think it’s too Jessica Alba!

Other names with bright or hopeful meanings: Beacon, Hobbes, Sorcha (Irish!), Dagny, Merrill.

Pam: For other significant meanings…

“Free” might be translated as Frank, Franklin, Freeman, or Frye.

Representing light, Kiran is Sanskrit for “sunbeam”, Mayer or Meyer mean “bringer of light” in Hebrew, and Valo is “light” in Finnish.

You could also consider Armani, Von, or Taraji, all of which mean “hope”.

Emma: One of my favorite surnames in general is Seeley or Sealey. It derives from an Old English byname meaning “blessed, prosperous, happy”, and was originally given to people with a particularly sunny disposition. The best backstory!

I also really like the flow with your first name. I agree with Sophie that the uplifting -ee ending sound works especially well.

Clare: I love Sealey too! It also makes me think of the Irish surname Healy. It’s a patronymic whose origins are obscure, but I like that it sounds like the English word “heal”.

Another happy surname is Wynn, which means “joy” in Old English. It has a bit of a double meaning, as it can also be from the Welsh word for “white” or “bright” – and of course it sounds like “win”.

Sophie: Sealey and Wynn are great!

Emma: We’re shooting for something that connects with you personally. Are there any places, characters, artists, song lyrics, etc. that really resonate with you or that remind you of the positive qualities you want to evoke? That could be a really deep well of inspiration to draw on.

Sophie: I agree with everything that’s been said about going with something deeply personal. That’s going to feel the best in the end!

Clare: I’ll throw in that I know someone else who gave herself a new surname after divorce. She chose Armstrong for its strong meaning and pioneering connection to Neil Armstrong – and because, as an immigrant in Britain, she wanted an English name to fit into her adopted country. 

I’m not suggesting that would fit your criteria, but it shows that it’s totally possible to find a new name that’s both meaningful and practical.

Paid subscribers, over to you! 🎤

Share your comments, advice and suggestions for LeeAnn below, and add your own question for the chance to have it answered in a future edition 🥰