Links for Discovering the Meaning and Origin of Your Last Name
Use these carefully selected links to explore your first and last names
How did the Use of Last Names (Surnames) Arise?
The use of last names (surnames) began about 800 years ago when commerce and technology allowed for small hamlets to grow into villages and eventually cities. Once more than one Thomas, Hermann, Francois or Dimitri lived near one another, surnames were added denoting lineage (Anderson, Larsdotter, MacDonald), occupation (Baker, Wheelwright, Cooper), appearance or characteristics (Small, Young, Goode) and location (Fields, Waters, Hill). For help learning the meaning of a surname try these links:
The use of last names (surnames) began about 800 years ago when commerce and technology allowed for small hamlets to grow into villages and eventually cities. Once more than one Thomas, Hermann, Francois or Dimitri lived near one another, surnames were added denoting lineage (Anderson, Larsdotter, MacDonald), occupation (Baker, Wheelwright, Cooper), appearance or characteristics (Small, Young, Goode) and location (Fields, Waters, Hill). For help learning the meaning of a surname try these links:
- How to Find the Origins of Last Names (WikiHow)
- Discover the Meaning & History behind your Last Name (Ancestry.com)
- Search Meanings of Last or First Names (Baby Names)