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Surnames
Surnames, also known as last names, are passed down from our ancestors, and connect us to our family. In this category, you will find questions about the use of surnames and their meanings.
2,644 Questions
What nationality is the surname Sousa?
It is Portuguese and it is correctly spelled de Sousa. The "de" means of in Portuguese and it means of Sousa, which was a place in Portugal. The original bearers of this surname were nobility.
It started out by when people names others by their jobs.
For example,a man named Mark works in a mill,his name would be Mark Miller
A woman who works in the hills,would be named Hillton.
This is how it started.
What is the origin of the surname Dennison?
The proud and noble Scottish surname of Dennison is a local-type surname, derived from a place named Danzielstoun, in Renfrewshire.
What nationality is the surname Reid?
The proud and noble English surname of Reid, meaning "red", was most likely originally a nickname-type surname for a person with red hair. However, there also many places with similar names such as Reed, Read, and Rede, from which "Reid" may have derived. Early records of Northumberland show that they had held a family seat.
Family motto: "Peace, plenty"
What country is the surname Safarian from?
Safarian originally hail from Iran, a Parsi caste from ancient Persia. Most of the parsis moved to South Asia (incl. West India coastal region, Mumbai (India) Karachi, Lahore (Pakistan)) and North America (Canada, US)
Surnames were not used in the place and time where Jesus lived. They did sometimes use town names to differentiate between people, such as "Judas Iscariot," which meant "Judas from the town of Kerioth." As Jesus was seen as Joseph's 'son' he would possibly have been known as Jesus bar Joseph - the Jewish equivalent of 'son of' that we still use today in names like 'Johnson' - as surnames as such were unheard of in those days. Alternately he would have been known as Jesus of Nazareth, or even Jesus the Carpenter, from Joseph's (and presumably his own) profession. What IS certain is that Jesus' surname is not 'Christ'. This is his title - Jesus the Christ, Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the Anointed One all mean the same thing - in the same way that we say Queen Elizabeth or President Bush
Where does the surname Longin come from?
The English and French chose the surname Long for a tall person. It was derived from the Old English word lang which meant long or tall. The Chinese took the name Long from their ancestor, the official treasurer for the emperor during the years, 2257-2205 BC.
Where did the surname Whitfield originate?
The earliest records of the proud and noble English surname of Whitfield are to be found at Northumberland, where they had held a family seat from the most ancient of times as Lords of the Manor of Whitfield.
What is the surname of Queen Elizabeth Family?
The official family name of the current Queen of England is Windsor- this surname has been carried by her forbears going back up to Queen Victoria (they are thus known as the 'House of Windsor'). Victoria's official surname was Hanover, which was the surname of all previous monarchs going back to William of Orange and his Queen Mary. However, neither of these surnames is the natural one- William of Orange's real surname was Guelf, which he abandoned in favour of the adopted name of Hanover because Guelf sounded too German for an English sovereign. Thus, the real surname of all the monarchs since him is really Guelf! The monarchs prior to William & Mary were James II, Charles II, Charles I and James I- these were all descended from the Kings of Scotland, whose name was Stewart, so they are known as 'the Stewarts' (James II had no surviving heir, which is why William & Mary assumed the English throne, in their capacity as German cousins of the English royals). Similarly, the Stewarts took the throne following the death of Elizabeth I, who died unmarried and childless- she, and all her predecessors going back to Henry VII, were descended from the Welsh kings,whose name was Tudor- so they are known as 'the Tudors'. Henry VII overthrew the last of the Norman kings, Richard III, at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485- the surname of the Norman kings was Plantagenet, going back to William the Conqueror, who invaded England and overthrew the Saxon King Harold in 1066. From King Harold back, I regret I am unsure of what the Royal surnames were. So, Royal surnames in order following the Norman Conquest are: Plantagenet , Tudor , Stewart, 'Hanover' (Guelf) and 'Windsor' (Guelf).
Where did surname Lancaster come from?
English: habitational name from Lancaster in northwestern England, named in Old English as 'Roman fort on the Lune', from the Lune river, on which it stands, + Old English cæster 'Roman fort or walled city' (Latin castra 'legionary camp'). The river name is probably British, perhaps related to Gaelic slán 'healthy', 'salubrious'.
What is the origin of the surname Ball?
Long before the Norman Invasion of 1066 A.D., the Ball family held a family seat in Cheshire, England. Family motto: "Virtue is the support of dignity"
A French branch of the family also distinguished themselves in Brittany.
What nationality is the surname Williams?
The surname Williams is English meaning son or relative of William. From the Norman form of an Old French name composed of Germanic elements wil 'will', 'desire' + helm'helmet', 'protection'. William was introduced into England during the Conquest, and soon became the most popular personal name in England, in honor of William the Conqueror.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4W
What are some surnames that begin with the letter I?
Jeremy Irons, actor
Lee Iacocca, Chrystler Motors previous president
Janis Ian, singer
Michael Irvin, former NFL player
Alan Iverson, current NBA star
Laura Ingalls Wilder
What is the meaning of the surname Bellamy?
Bellamy is a medium-popular surname meaning 'handsome friend'.
When did people start using a last name?
As long as we can remember. People probably started having last names 700-400 B.C.
Most people only had a single name. And names were often repeated. So it got confusing when there were lots of Johns or Marks or other repeated names.
In order to differentiate one John from another, they used something about the person that identified which John. The arrowmaker was John Fletcher. And John of the Meadow, or John the Smith, or John of the Blackwood. And of course these were done in different languages.
so that you could tell your famiy apart and for when at school if you had the same name as someone else your last name told you apart
Most people only had a single name. And names were often repeated. So it got confusing when there were lots of Johns or Marks or other repeated names.
In order to differentiate one John from another, they used something about the person that identified which John. The arrowmaker was John Fletcher. And John of the Meadow, or John the Smith, or John of the Blackwood. And of course these were done in different languages.
No, Cleopatra did not have a last name as we think of names. Her name was Cleopatra Philopator. However the "Philopater" was a title not a name. It was the custom of the Egyptian rulers to select a title to accompany their given names and Cleo selected Philopater, which means "father loving".
What is the origins of surname Brewer?
The last name "Brewer" undoubtedly comes from someone who brewed beer, ale, or similar beveridges. Initially it would have been a descriptive term. "Go see Joe the brewer." Later it morphed into a name. "Go see Joe Brewer." By that time, "Joe" might have had nothing to do with the brewing activity.
Surnames, or "last names," are fairly recent. Most people had one name, to which might be added some descriptive term, e.g. Thomas the lame, or Joan of Arc. Modern surnames come mostly from an ancestor's occupation ( e.g. Sawyer, Farmer); from trades and guilds (e.g. Plummer, Draper); from geographical origin (e.g. French, Hammond); from kinship (e.g. Johnson, Bennett) from titles (e.g. Butler, Masters) or from personal attributes (e.g. Russel, Longfellow).
Surnames, permanent family names, developed at different times in different places. They were used in ancient Rome and in ancient China. They were used only by very prominent families (and not by all prominent families) in medieval Europe. Spanish Jews used surnames in the 1400s, but other European Jews began using surnames only when forced to by local governments in the mid-19th century. In Iceland and parts of Indonesia, surnames are still not used.
Where does the surname 'Lange' originate?
Amongst the multitude of English surnames, "Lange" is considered by etymologists to be one of the most ancient. There's an Old English charter from 972 A.D. listing one version. It derives as a "nickname surname" to describe someone who is long or tall. It is found in the most ancient records of Northumberland, where they'd held a family seat.
Where did the surname Casares originate?
This may be Greek or Hungarian (variation of "Kardos," a common Hungarian name)
Or it may be from the Spanish.
I'm going to give an example why we have last names. We have last names because if a person is calling another person named Jaymie and there are 56 Jaymies'. You would call their last name you would say, " Where is Jaymie DeLeon? " because that is her last name.
Last names first originated when ancient tribe groups and clans grew in size. Each member eventually had a special job to do such as hunter, farmer, shoemaker, blacksmith, etc. Their job title became their name. Then as clans grew larger and people began living in villages, first names were added. In addition, in many cultures, the suffix son was added to the father's name to separate a son with the same name as his father. For example, today we have Peterson, Johnson, Davidson, etc.
In the French culture the word " de " meaning " of " was often added as a prefix, as above in " De Leon " meaning " of the village of Leon ".
Then younger members often preferred to change the spelling of their family names to give them uniqueness. Thus the many spelling variations we see today.
What is the origin of the surname Franklin?
The ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain originated the English surname Franklin, associating it with someone who worked as a landowner, but was not a member of the nobility. Despite the obscurant mists of time, the surname is first found deep within the ancient records of Buckinghamshire, where they had held a family seat- quite possibly long before the Norman Conquest of 1066 A.D.
Family motto: "For King and country!"
Where does The Last Name Price Come From?
The proud and noble Welsh surname Price is to be found in the ancient records of Merionethshire, where they'd held a family seat- quite possibly prior to the Norman Conquest of 1066 A.D..
Family motto: "Life is short, glory eternal"
