Where do our surnames or last names originate from?

Nocturnal

Lifer
Jan 8, 2002
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There are tons of Lees, Kings, Georges, Johnsons, etc.

Why do some people share their last names with others when they aren't even related?

Anyone know how last names came about?
 

nageov3t

Lifer
Feb 18, 2004
42,808
83
91
generally, surnames originated from people, places, and/or things.

add to that a batch of mixed up paperwork from immigrants who couldn't speak english and immigrants trying to westernize their names.
 

Iron Woode

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 10, 1999
31,086
12,592
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Originally posted by: loki8481
generally, surnames originated from people, places, and/or things.

add to that a batch of mixed up paperwork from immigrants who couldn't speak english and immigrants trying to westernize their names.
that's how I got my last name.

I don't even know what the original one was.
 

xSauronx

Lifer
Jul 14, 2000
19,582
4
81
mine is english, variations of its spelling are found in english immigrants to america as far back as the early 1600's

my grandmother has done a bit of research on the family genealogy, but its been years since i talked to her about it
 

dug777

Lifer
Oct 13, 2004
24,778
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I got mine from my dad, who got his from his dad, who got his from his dad, who got his from his dad, who got his from his dad, who got his from his dad, who got his from his dad, who got his from his dad, who got his from his dad, who got his from his dad, who got his from his dad, who got his from his dad, who got his from his dad, who got his from his dad...

You get the idea? ;)
 

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,804
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91
yeah, it usually comes from you profession or area you live in.

I know in Scottish names, the Mc in names like McDonald comes from Mac, which means "son of". if your name is michael McDonald, your are Michael son of Donald.
 

Journer

Banned
Jun 30, 2005
4,355
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mine is from a Scottish guy who's livestock was attacked. in return he burned down the entire village of the attackers. Hence, Burns....Mr. Burns that is ;)
 

Blain

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
23,643
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81
If your family were slaves, they may have got their last name from their slave-owning master.
Johnson, Jackson, Washington, Brown, Smith, etc...
 

Savarak

Platinum Member
Oct 27, 2001
2,718
1
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Originally posted by: pontifex
yeah, it usually comes from you profession or area you live in.

I know in Scottish names, the Mc in names like McDonald comes from Mac, which means "son of". if your name is michael McDonald, your are Michael son of Donald.

so if you have a son, his last name should be mcmicheal
 

Iron Woode

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 10, 1999
31,086
12,592
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Originally posted by: Blain
If your family were slaves, they may have got their last name from their slave-owning master.
Johnson, Jackson, Washington, Brown, Smith, etc...
not quite.

most negro slaves took the names of famous Americans when they were freed from slavery, especially Presidents.
 

Crono

Lifer
Aug 8, 2001
23,720
1,502
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Professions (Smith, Carpenter, etc.); places/locations (Woods, Glenn, Stratford, etc); Colors (Black, Gray, etc); animals (Wolf, Deere, etc), lineage, as in who your parents or grandparents were (James' son ->Jameson) or in the royal tradition where the middle names and last names are previous maternal/fraternal members in the line; after famous or notable people (for instance, mine is from the apostle, who also happened to be called Levi); and some are just completely random based on what the first generation that chose the surname happened to like or whatever "stuck". Surnames really just developed from nicknames or descriptions attached to first names in order to distinguish between mutiple people with the same name.

It gets pretty confusing when you have 20 "Johns", or 12 "Michaels", or 8 "Ahmeds" in your village, so you need something to differentiate, and that's where surnames come from. For instance, if your name is "Sten", and people think you're ugly and start calling you "Sten the Ugly", your full name might eventually become (as remembered perhaps by later generations) "Sten Ugly", or "Sten DeUgly".