What is a surname?

Answer 1

A surname is your family name, sur coming from the French sur meaning over. It identifies all the people related to one another through male descent.

In many cultures, the surname is passed by a man to all his children. If the father is not known the children take the mother's name. In other cultures the surname of a husband is combined with the surname from the wife's family to create a surname for the children.

It some western European language cultures a married woman takes her husband's surname. The woman's previous surname is then called her "maiden name."

In other European cultures, a married woman combines her surname with that of her husband.

Surnames were introduced in different countries at different times. They are still not used in Iceland and in parts of Indonesia.

Surnames were introduced as a statutory requirement in England in the 1200's so that people could be more exactly identified for taxation purposes. Many people took the name of their village or their occupation eg William the smith in Shakerstone village may have become William Smith or William Shakerstone.

Answer 2

A surname is a last name or family name of a related group of individuals.