The Etymology of Last Names

[Frans_Jozef]

The Etymology of Last Names

When communities consisted of just a few people, surnames -- last names/family names -- weren't important. As each town acquired more and more Johns and Marys, the need was established for a way to identify each from the other. The Romans had begun the practice of using "given-name + clan-name + family-name" about 300 B.C. In the English-speaking part of the world, the exact date that surnames began to be adopted can't be pinpointed. The Domesday Book compiled by William the Conquerer required surnames, but hereditary surnames are not considered to have been commonplace until the late 1200's.

http://mizian.com.ne.kr/englishwiz/l...last_names.htm

[Cuchullain]

An interesting site, unfortunately my surname isn't there.

[Preußischer_Schatten]

Yeah that is interesting.

Sadly none of mine are on there either.

[Ewergrin]

Neat site. Too bad no one here has made any real use of it yet. None of my families names are on this site.

[nurnberg]

Unless i am misinformed the Normans invented fixed surnames for Europe.

[Sigurd]

My surname is also not on the site. however I am pleased to say that it's Old High German and means "Lord of the Stars/Starthane" and if you read it from the back it is Latin for "born again king"

And I'm surprised not to find my father's in there. It's the damn most common in the whole of Austria!

[Preußischer_Schatten]

That's pretty cool!

Somewhere along the line back in Bavaria there was a Ludwig von Bresslau I'm related to...one of the last names is Bressler.

There is another I am trying to trace, I've traced it to Prussia but nothing specific yet.

What was your father's name?

[PsycholgclMishap]

Neat site. Too bad no one here has made any real use of it yet. None of my families names are on this site.

Same here.

[barry]

My sur-name is Flintoff , it is not russian , jewish or anything else
infact it originates in north yorkshire, apparently a corruption of
flintcroft ie flint cottage,.but according to one source it comes
from lancashire, its certainly much more common in northern
England than the south,but if anyone knows more please inform.

[Oswiu]

Unless i am misinformed the Normans invented fixed surnames for Europe.

Mistaken, yep.