where is the best place to find the meaning of a last name?

Question

ok i have looked at websites but i can't find one that will tell me the meaning of my last name for FREE, please if you know a website to go to wit out all the hassle of tru different websites.

hey poeple please does no one know the answer?

Answer 1

There are several out there, but keep in mind that if you have a rare surname, you may not find your name amongst them.

http://www.swyrich.com/
http://www.houseofnames.com/
http://genealogy.about.com/library/surna...
http://surnames.behindthename.com/...
http://links2history.com/names.htm...
http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/defa...

I hope these help. Please keep in mind though that not all names have a "meaning" Surnames, for the most part, drew their meanings from the lives of men in the Middle Ages, and their origins can be divided into four main categories:


OCCUPATIONS
Many names as you probably already know like Baker, Farmer, Miller, and Carpenter are names that reflect the persons trade.

PLACES
Other names especially names in the Netherlands are reflective of places. The prefix "van" means from and "van der" means "from the" like van Heukelem, van Appeldorn, van Dijk, etc. Other examples of place names are Westwood, Parris, Springfield, and Holland.

PATRONYMIC
English and Scandinavian names ending in "son" are patronymic surnames, as are many names prefixed with the Gaelic "Mac," the Norman "Fitz," the Irish "O," and the Welsh "ap."
Examples Erickson, Williamson, and Ellison, O'Neil, O'Brien, Hendriks, Williams, McDonald etc

DESCRIPTIVE
These are derived from a physical or other characteristic of first bearer. They make up an estimated 10% of all surname or family names. These descriptive surnames are thought to have originally evolved as nicknames during the Middle Ages when men created nicknames or pet names for his neighbors and friends based on personality or physical appearance. Examples Strong, Goodman, etc

Without knowing what your last name is, it is hard to tell what your name means. But keep in mind that there are names that don't fit any of these catagories. It is fairly common for different branches of the same family to carry different last names, as the majority of English and American surnames have, in their history, appeared in four to more than a dozen variant spellings. Some people changed their surnames to something totally different. My point is this. Your surname may not have a meaning at all. I hope this long drawn out answer helps. Blessings

Answer 2

Try with wikipidia