everone is related if you go back far enough in you family tree so why do we...?

Question

have different last names and why do some people have the same names? i know this may seem stupid but i was just curious...

Answer 1

Last names were originally your job title or place of origin.

There was, for example, more than one "John" in a given city, so you called the blacksmith, "John Smith", and the baker "John Baker."

Or, if John had come form a city called "Trapp", he would be called "John Von(from) Trapp"

Some names still have their original meaning--look up your last name in the language of your ancestors. Some have been changed over time, so that they are now meaningless.

Answer 2

As far as the above answerer, Fuchs is the German word for Fox. It has nothing to do with sex. I understand the 4 letter word that is used in English comes from the Puritans when they put people in stockades and over their heads they wrote the offense they were guilty of. Since it could be quite lengthy they abbreviated. For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge was abbreviated.

People didn't have surnames at one time. As many of the above stated they come from their lineage, their occupation, their habitation etc. We might all be related. However, that does not mean that everyone with the same surname shares the same root with the originator of a surname. For instance sons of Jack became Jackson but there was more than one Jack that had sons. I have Overton lineage on my mother's side. It simply means over town. I am sure there were more people living over a town than my ancestors that took the name Overton. Altman in German means "old man." There had to be more than one old man that took the name Altman.

Answer 3

Well genetics does tell us we are from Africa but thats along time ago when peoplr had no Surnames. Many people carry the same names b/c of the way they developed over time through occupations,patrons,Geographic markers,nicknames, Feudal lords, etc.. these people may carry the same name but have no actual rescent family connections just took the same name for differnt reasons I've learned this through my own family name and then DNA testing and the genetic diversity in people who carry my last name is really something to behold. And yes people can have common ancestors from many generations back and then those descendants will marry my mother and father did and until I started doing our family Genealogy discover they were distant cousins through the Boone family. Anyway hope this answers your question.

Answer 4

Names were just a first name. Then people would add something like; Bob son of Ted. Then in time everyone wanted a second name. So, Bill the Blacksmith would call himself Bill Smith. Mary the tomato grower may call herself, Mary Gardner. Heck, I know some people, I guess they must have liked sex, as their name is something like Jill Fuchs.