# Lyra from the Dark Materials Trilogy - kind of spoilery

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyra-from-the-dark-materials-trilogy-kind-of-spoilery/428079>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 28, 2007, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyra-from-the-dark-materials-trilogy-kind-of-spoilery/428079 "2007-11-28T20:47:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyra-from-the-dark-materials-trilogy-kind-of-spoilery/428079/1 "2007-11-28T20:47:17Z")

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Okay, in the books Lyra’s second name is Belacqua - a pretty cool name by all standards I’d say.

But why is it? Her mother’s second name is Coulter and her father is Lord Azriel, so where does Belacqua come from? 😕

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**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyra-from-the-dark-materials-trilogy-kind-of-spoilery/428079/2 "2007-11-28T20:55:39Z")

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I always thought that Asriel was his first name. Perhaps he’s Asriel Belacqua? Which, I have to say, is an improbably fancy name, but lords never seem to worry about that sort of thing.

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**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyra-from-the-dark-materials-trilogy-kind-of-spoilery/428079/3 "2007-11-28T21:01:57Z")

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Well I don’t know about in Lyra’s world but in this one if someone is a Lord the name following their title is their second name.

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyra-from-the-dark-materials-trilogy-kind-of-spoilery/428079/4 "2007-11-28T21:30:19Z")

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Remember, Lyra didn’t know at the beginning that Lord Asriel was her father. She thought he was her uncle, and her parents died when she was a baby. So, assuming those people were real (Lord Asriel’s sister and brother in law, maybe) , it’s possible that their last name was Belacqua, and that’s where her last name comes from.

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**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyra-from-the-dark-materials-trilogy-kind-of-spoilery/428079/5 "2007-11-28T21:39:02Z")

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Hmmm - as good an explanation as any I suppose.

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**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyra-from-the-dark-materials-trilogy-kind-of-spoilery/428079/6 "2007-11-29T01:14:07Z")

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[QUOTE=Captain Amazing]  
Remember, Lyra didn’t know at the beginning that Lord Asriel was her father. She thought he was her uncle, and her parents died when she was a baby. So, assuming those people were real (Lord Asriel’s sister and brother in law, maybe) , it’s possible that their last name was Belacqua, and that’s where her last name comes from.  
[/QUOTE]

I’ve read the series and this is how I understood it as well.

Now is it a coincidence that her name is Lyra and one of her main skills is lying? Of course, that adds irony that she is the only one who can utilize an alethiometer.