Add angle brackets to layout instance name

Hello.  I'm trying to rename some layout instances, and I want to use angle brackets in the new names.  The following code works well as long as I don't try to use angle brackets.  If I do try to use angle brackets, I get this response:

*WARNING* (DB-270169): dbSetAnyInstBaseName: expecting a scalar name for the baseName -- Autogen<1>
*WARNING* (DB-270169): dbSetAnyInstBaseName: expecting a scalar name for the baseName -- Autogen<2>

Here is the code:

(procedure renameLayoutInst()
let((cv cnt instList)
cv=geGetWindowCellView()
instList=selectedSet()
labelLayer = list("text" "drawing")
cnt = 0; initialize CNT

foreach(inst instList
newInstName=strcat("Autogen<" pcExprToString(cnt++) ">")
while( dbFindAnyInstByName(cv newInstName)
newInstName=strcat("Autogen<" pcExprToString(cnt++) ">")
);; while

inst~>baseName=newInstName

) ;foreach

) ;let
) ;procedure

What am I missing?

Thank you!

Steven.