Help finding new last name!

I need to ask – do you want to honor the native American or the Norwegian side? Or do you want something that is sort of generic – could be anything?

Name changing is not cheap; it’s somewhat of a court hassle, so do pick wisely.

Phoenix. They are reborn in flame.

Many Native American traditions involved taking a new name when coming of age.

It honestly doesn’t matter im looking for any and all suggestions. It’s $150 here and very easy. 2 of my best friends have changed their last names.

Maybe something from your nation’s language that means “rebirth” or “new life” or some such. There are a number of Native American language dictionaries online, you might get some ideas from those.

When I had a baby, I learned that the baby doesn’t have to have the dad’s last name or even the mom’s last name. You can make the last name any name in the world you want it to be.

Newsong?

Although I guess Noah Newsong might not be so great. :-P

Is there anyone, or anything you admire that you would like to honor in such a way?

Norwegian for rebirth is “gjenfødelse”. I could see trimming the word down to Genfodel or Jenfodel seems to sound nice with all your names.

Cheyanne Jenfodel
Rosalie Jenfodel
Noah Jenfodel

Good luck with your new life.

Maybe add the “s” to the end. Jenfodels…seems a bit more complete.

Thanks everyone! I’m going to keep searching. It’s such a hard decision to make. I can’t find anything that will translate English to Dene (which is what I am).

Okay.. okay what does everyone think of Vona or Farin. Vona means hope in Icelandic and Farin means beginnings in Icelandic. There’s also Stige which means Rise in Norwegian!

I can with Norwegian. I live here. I speak Norwegian. Farin is finely ground sugar. Don’t call yourself that. Stige means to climb or a ladder. Also, not a Norwegian last name. Please let me help you with this so you don’t end up with some odd meaning word as a last name.

You are Dene, which means people of a deep valley with woods and a small river. We have words that mean that in Norwegian. Fjelldal. (mountainvalley).

Gjenfødt or gjenfode is the word for ‘reborn’. You can’t replace the ø with a o. the ‘gj’ is pronounced ‘Y’ not ‘J’. This word also sounds like you are a reborn christian. If this is not the impression you are trying to give or if you are going to pronounce it with a J, I would avoid this.

Falk is a great last name. It means ‘hawk’ or ‘falcon’.

@shyshy_imsofly: Where do you live?

I ask because if you live in the US and are picking a name that many Americans will have a hard time pronouncing, it may become annoying. For example, “Jan” is “Yonn” but many people, if it’s in the US, will say “jan.”

I have a last name that is hard for many people to pronounce. It’s not annoying but it’s a constant. If someone pronounces it correctly, it’s surprising.

I find it interesting that people went off in the Norwegian direction rather than the Native American which I would find more fruitful.

My last name is french and I always have to correct people but it’s no big deal. Hawk and falcon both have strong symbolism in Dene culture. Falk is a real last name. I think it sounds strong and goes well with their own first names.

I like Falk too. I also like Phoenix which goes along with the OP’s initial idea of rebirth.

Also, if you know more about your Norwegian heritage I could help you find where they are from here in Norway if it doesn’t go back too far. Is it a parent or a grandparents or even great grandparents might be traced. Maybe we can find a maternal maiden name in your family.

Have you considered “Skræling”?

Cheyanna Skraeling
Rosie Skraeling
Noah Skraeling

@cazzie my current last name is Norwegian. It’s paternal so I don’t know anything about the maiden names.

@rojo what does it mean?

I wouldn’t go with @rojo s suggestion. It has derogatory connotations.
It is what the vikings called the indigenous people they met in the new world. It really means barbarian or weak, poor and powerless person.

@cazzie thank you soooo much you’re being so helpful! I don’t want to share my full name on this site. Can I email you or is there a place to talk privately?

I’ll send you a private message. I think Rojo is testing my language skills or teasing a bit.

@cazzie I thoroughly with disagree with your characterization of the word Skraeling as being derogatory. It was the Norse descriptive for the indigenous populations in the New World I understand that in modern usage it is sometimes used to mean barbaric but could just as easily be translated as foreign or foreigner.
The Etymology is less certain. It could also have come from Old Norse “Skræingjar” meaning “little men” I have also heard it that may be a derivative of the word “skrá” referring to dried skin or animal pelts which would have been the clothing of those indigenous first encountered or from “skråla”, meaning “bawl, shout, or yell”.
I will say, however, that you are much closer to the source than I and perhaps I should defer to your judgement but regardless of its origin I for one would be proud to be called Skraeling.

Nope. Let me tell you, I’m reading articles in Norwegian. It does have derogatory connotations. Remember how the Vikings took slaves? Yes.. some of them were ‘skræling’ . It has come to mean poor, or lesser or smaller, weaker. Nothing about ‘noble’ or ‘honourable’ or ‘skilled’...

Also, Skrå is very different to Skræ. You can’t just go about substituting vowels thinking you aren’t changing the meaning of the word. ;)

^^ I have trouble reading in English let alone tackling a second language!^^

Well, @rojo try two new ones because much of the historic records are in Nynorsk not in what I usually deal with, Bokmål and I’m going a bit bonkers. But I hope to enlighten and find something the feels just right. Early Norwegians didn’t have an easy life, but yet, here they are. One of the best countries on the planet in which to live.

Chrysalis