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Most surnames originated in Europe as the population grew and the need to distinguish between different people with the same Christian name grew. In England the adoption of a surname was made compulsory in the 13th century. Surnames fall in several categories, such as: Surnames based on where you came from such as Whittington, Washington, Woodside Surnames based on your job such as Butcher, Baker, Fletcher (arrow maker) Surnames based on your father's name such as Davidson, Davies, Price (ap Rhys), McDonald Surnames based on some special feature such as Russell (red-haired), Noble, Whitehead, Short

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17y ago

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