Letters: New Meanings In Hyphenated Last Names

Transcript

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

It's time now for your letters and some air guitar.

(SOUNDBITE OF AC/DC "ROCK N ROLL SINGER")

CORNISH: This week, we told you about newlyweds Aaron Rock and Cara Singer. They decided to combine surnames and now they are the Rock-Singers. They're also apparently not alone in their dedication to creating awesome hyphenates.

Lisa Starr(ph) of Santa Monica, California writes: My husband, Jonathan Powers and I like to think that our daughter Iris's hyphenated last name, Starr-Powers, will give her a leg-up in life, although the Rock-Singers may just have us beat.

MELISSA BLOCK: And Cynthia Rush(ph), of Dayton, Ohio, told us about the problem she faced when she fell in love with a man named Coffey(ph). She writes this: When I met my husband, his housekeeper had a hyphenated name Sumner-Briese. Early in the relationship, he was talking marriage. I said, No way. We would be the Coffey-Rushes with a maid named Sumner-Briese.

CORNISH: And Maryanne Romano(ph), of Dallas, says she can top the Rock-Singers. She says, I am a writer and have had a long-time critique partner and friend named Linda Lovely. She has been married for many years to a very nice man named Tom Hooker.

We actually tracked down Ms. Lovely to verify the story. All true, she says, though she wanted to make one thing clear: while she is very much married to Mr. Hooker she did not take his name.

BLOCK: You can write to us by visiting NPR.org. Click on Contact Us. You can also follow us on twitter @nprmelissablock.

CORNISH: And @npraudie.

(SOUNDBITE OF AC/DC "ROCK 'N' ROLL SINGER")

AC/DC: (Singing) Going to be arrested, rock and roll singer. Going to be a rock and roll star. Going to be a rock and roll singer. I'm going to be...

BLOCK: You are listening to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.