Does anyone know how we recieved last names?

Question

I mean I' ve always wondered how my last name became.

Answer 1

The origin of last names varies. Many last names were nicknames that individuals had.

Some people gained last names from their trade.

The African-American slaves adopted the last name of their previous owners.

Take care,
Troy

Answer 2

Until the 12th century, most people throughout the world did not use or have a family name, and they were called by the single name they had (which was called a "first" or "given name" only after family names came into use). One of the most accepted theories for the origin of surname use attributes their introduction to the Normans and the Domesday Book of 1086. The use of surnames gradually became an accepted practice throughout Western Europe in the Middle Ages. In parts of the world, family names did not appear in common use until the 17th to 19th centuries, and they are unused in some cultures even today.

Reasons Family/Surnames/Last Names came into being;

Occupations (e.g., Smith, Archer, Baker, Fisher)
Personal characteristics (e.g., Short, Brown, Whitehead)
Geographical features (e.g., Hill, Wood, Fields)
Place names (e.g., London, Hamilton', Sutton)
For those descended from land-owners, the name of their holdings, manor or estate
Patronymics and Ancestry, often from a male's given name (e.g., Richardson, Williams, Johnson) or from a clan name (for those of Scottish origin, e.g., MacDonald, Forbes)

Answer 3

It is thought that sir names and last names came from our learned trades. For example John the Blacksmith was eventually shortened into John Black or John Smith. But what about peculiar last names? Like Schultz or Lindtz? All of these names can be traced back to common objects, too you just have to look harder. But for the most part your last name has a part of a common trade of yesteryear built in to it somewhere. My last name is odd but it is a derivitive of a Marksman (an arrow sharpshooter)

Hope this Helps!

Answer 4

In Gaelic (both Scottish and Irish) Mac means Son (of) or 'O' is generally feminine, from. So Sean Mac (or Mc) Donald would have been Sean the son of Donald. Patricia O'Donald would have been Patricia the daughter of Donald. Fitz on the other hand is I believe Norman, and denotes 'the illegitimate son of' as in John Fitzsimons - John the illegitimate son of Simons. Most of the Irish Macs as with the Scots became Clans and all members took the full name of the head of the clan.

Answer 5

They are usually nick names that where given 2 our ancestors and passed down 2 us.

Answer 6

You get your last name after you finally figure out who your father is.