Pamela Anderson Reveals Why She Wants To Change Her Last Name

Hollywood star Pamela Anderson has revealed that she wants to change her last name to that of her Finnish grandfather.

The former Playboy model’s grandfather went by the name Herman Hyytiäinen, but once the family moved to Canada from Finland, they changed it to Anderson to blend in.

According to the Baywatch star, she shared a close bond with her grandfather, who died when she was 11. Pamela Anderson also returned to Finland in 2007 for a visit, as she wanted to feel a connection again.

After years of being popularly known as Pamela Anderson, the former model has expressed a desire for a name change.

In an interview with Vogue Scandinavia published Tuesday, the Canadian-American actress hinted that her wish to change her name is tied to her strong connection with her grandfather, Herman Hyytiäinen, who was originally a native of Finland.

“He was the closest person to me in my life,” Anderson told the outlet during the sit-down.

“Sometimes I don’t want to be Pamela Anderson. I want to be Pamela Hyytiäinen,” she added.

However, for Anderson, such a change seems unlikely for now, as it appears her loved ones won’t allow her to make the switch.

“I would like to change my name, but they won’t let me,” the “Baywatch” star further remarked, although she didn’t reveal why the individuals she mentioned won’t allow her to make the change.

As for why her family goes by Anderson and not the surname Hyytiäinen, it dates back to their immigration to Canada several decades ago.

Upon arriving, they chose to make the switch because the name Anderson felt more North American–sounding and would seemingly help the family blend in quickly to their new environment.

Still, despite the family losing that part of their heritage, Anderson’s grandfather tried to ensure their language was passed on and would often teach the former model during her younger years.

Anderson herself tried her best to learn the Finnish language, even though she thought it was “a magical language that no one else could understand,” per the publication.

She would often carry her Finnish dictionary everywhere, learning new words to impress her grandfather.

However, after his death, around the time she was 11 years old, her commitment slowly slipped away.

“[The language] kind of left with him,” the actress revealed to the outlet.

In a bid to retain her connection to her grandparents, Anderson purchased their estate on Vancouver Island over 30 years ago.

Over the years, she has renovated the place but has “kept a lot of the charm” and still believes that her grandfather has “such a strong presence in the house.”

Around the start of the pandemic, she moved back to the house while navigating a dark period in her life.

“I kind of gave up at some point and needed a change,” Anderson revealed during a 2024 interview with Better Homes & Gardens, per People Magazine. “I thought, ‘Well, I guess that’s just what people think of me. I was not in a good space when I moved back to Canada.”

At the time, she claimed that she felt her “whole life was a bundle of mistakes.” But with the move, she began piecing herself back together, although it did take a couple of years of “transitioning and thinking.”