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In earlier times, last names were not so much a means of individual identification, but rather reflected where one lived, or what one's job was, or who one's father was. Hence you get a lot of names which can be traced back to one of the above. For example:

  • Smith - a common name, which reflects the ancient heritage of being a blacksmith
  • Collins - originally meaning "those who live in the col" in Ireland, a col being a valley near the sea
  • Johnson - "son of John"
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15y ago

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