Many last names offer clues about your ancestors. For example, an occupation-based name like Smith or Cook could reveal a past career, while color-based names like Brown can point to your heritage. You can also learn more about your family by joining a one-name study group. These groups focus on researching people with a single surname in the geographic area where your ancestors lived.
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Religion
Surnames or family names are the hereditary portion of one’s name and can reveal much about your family’s heritage. They can be based on occupations, paternity, or physical characteristics such as a person’s size (Little, Small), color (Black, White, Red), or shape (Pollard, Longman, and Cruikshank). Some cultures began using surnames at different times depending on social class. Landowners, aristocrats, and royalty generally used surnames before the working classes adopted the practice. Using the internet, you can find groups dedicated to researching surnames by visiting genealogy websites. You can join mailing lists and search list archives to locate other people with your surname, a powerful tool when pursuing genealogical leads. It also provides a “surname and family association Web sites” search function that scours the world for surname societies and groups. These resources can be invaluable when navigating census records and other genealogy sources containing spelling variations.
Origins
You may find odd or unusual clues as you research your family’s surname facts. They often varied spelling, particularly in records from before the 19th century, when many people were illiterate. Clerks and priests would write names down how they pronounced them, which can sometimes result in several different spellings for the same name. Some surnames reflected occupations or physical traits like strength Armstrong and size Little; some were nicknames imposed by friends or foes like Drinkwater and Swift; and some were place names such as Woods, Berg, Lake, or York. Other surnames are patronymic, meaning they were derived from a person’s father or mother (like Leif Erickson or Anna Jonsdottir). And some are matronymics, meaning they were based on a woman’s maiden name or given by her husband or boyfriend. This is particularly common in cultures such as Iceland.
Meaning
The meanings of surnames can reveal clues about the cultures and regions from which your ancestors came. They can also help pinpoint places and even dates of origin.
In hunter-gatherer societies, personal traits or characteristics were often used as surnames: for example, Redhead, Swift, and Longfellow. In more advanced and settled communities, occupations and social status were the main determinants of family names. Surnames derived from the father’s name are called patronymics, while those from the mother’s name are called matronymics. The’s’ at the end of personal names often means son of,’ for instance, Johnson, Wilson, and Harrison. Middle terms can also be incorporated into surnames, mainly if used in baptisms. A Y-DNA test can reveal clues about the origins of surnames shared by male members of a particular haplogroup. It’s also worth noting that a single name can have multiple spellings and variations throughout history, occurring because of phonetics, spelling rules, culture, and language. Interestingly, such a Y-DNA test can also be used to establish child paternity, providing a genetic link between a father and his offspring. This can be particularly useful in legal cases or for individuals seeking to confirm their biological heritage.
Variations
Today’s overly clinical approach to spelling should be applied to something other than genealogy research. In the past, ancestors were often more relaxed about spelling, and a given name could be spelled differently. It is also not uncommon for surnames to evolve, especially when a family immigrates to another country. This was done to assimilate and hide specific ethnic, national, or religious designations. In some cases, variations of a surname can be a crucial clue in the discovery of an ancestor. For example, the English surname Johnson could be spelled Jones or Johnsons. It is not unusual for clerks or ministers to mispronounce a name or for alternate spellings to stick, such as Nelson, Neilson, or Nilsen. It is also not uncommon for a surname to change to something more American as people immigrate to the United States.
Etymology
Many surnames have etymologies that can help you identify the meaning and origin of your family name. These etymologies are available on websites that allow you to search by surname. You can also find information about the geographic spread of the name on these sites. The sites typically also provide color-graded maps showing the surname’s frequency in different census records. Sites provide both public and password-protected material, including a listing of the names that members are researching. You can also use the free site to search personal web pages and mailing lists for surnames and family associations. The on-site search engine also allows you to filter queries by family group. This helps you avoid searches for off-topic postings and spam. This site also has links to ongoing DNA surname projects.
Immigration
When a family moves to a different country, the surname may change to reflect the new language or culture. For example, if you have a man named Herb who moved to the United States, his name may become Brown or Herbie. Or, a woman with the last name of Rivera may drop her second surname and become Esperanza or Hernandez. Sometimes, surnames were descriptive and could give clues to a person’s physical attributes, such as height or hair color. For example, a brusque man with the surname Armstrong would be better known as a boxer. Some surnames indicated a relationship to a specific forebear, such as MacDhubhghaill (son of a foreigner), O Creachmhaoil (descendant of a chief), or MacLachlainn (son of a shepherd). Others signified a town or village of origin, such as a German surname, Berger. Surname societies and one-name studies also collect genealogical information on families with a particular name and often post their findings online.
