Christine Brodien-Jones: Hello, my name is Christine Brodien-Jones. My last name is hyphenated because it combines my maiden name, Brodien, and my husband Peter's last name, Jones. Jones is a very popular name in Wales, where Peter grew up. He says that one in 10 boys in his grade school had the surname Jones. Brodien on the other hand is not so common and is often misspelled. At school I was teased because my names rhymed, Christine Brodien.

Brodien goes back to my great-grandfather Olaf. His parents came here from Sweden in the 1800s and their last name was Erickson. When they heard about an inheritance back in Sweden, they sent Olaf, their oldest son, to claim it. But unfortunately, the inheritance turned out to be worthless. When Olaf returned to the U. S. he was told at the port of entry that there were too many Erickson's, so his name was changed to Brodien.