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Surnames - The History of by Many Sources

Surnames and How They Evolved

How May Your Last Name Have Evolved

Did your great-grandparents or great-great-grandparents have a middle name? If they did, chances are their parents didn't. The three- name system that is fairly standard among the English speaking countries is a relatively recent development. Still it wasn't just invented. The Romans had an elaborate three name system that declined along with it's Empire and by the fourth century A.D., there was not a middle or last name to be found. Ie. (Ceasar Augustus). Single names worked fairly well as can be expected, for about the next six hundred years. The practice of attaching a word to help identify a man was resurrected in Venice and spread first to France, then England, Germany and then to the rest of Europe. (Most of Europe, anyway...) Today, those without a surname are the rare exception.

Like so many other conventions, the Chinese were the first to adopt surnames to honor their forebear's. The family name was placed first, rather than last. The family name (surname) of Kim Sun Lee is Kim. Surnames that describe a man by his relatives are only one of several categories of surnames.

When communities consisted of only a few people, surnames weren't very important. But as each town acquired more and more Johns, Peters and Marys; a method and need was established for a way to identify each John or Mary from the other. The Romans had begun the practice of using "given-name + clan-name + family-name" about 300 B.C. In the English-speaking part of the world, the exact date that surnames began to be adopted can't be pinpointed. William the Conqueror required surnames, but hereditary surnames are not considered to have been commonplace until the late 1200's.

About the year 1000, surnames began to be used in France and in England about the time of the Conquest. This was a little before the rule of King Edward the Confessor, who modeled names after the French system. The French termed them Surnames, not because they are the names of the sire, or the father, but because they are " super added " to Christian names. The Spanish called them Renombres , as Renames.
Categories of Names

Some surnames were derived from a man's Occupation, such as; Carpenter, Taylor, Brewer and Mason. This practice was commonplace by the end of the 14th century. Occupational Names are among the most common names, which are specialty crafts and trades that were common during medieval times. The Miller was essential for making flour from grain. The Sawyer or Forester cut timber into workable lengths, with which the Carpenter could make specialty items for villagers. Some names were a reflection of the place of employment rather than the job itself. The name Abbott generally refers to the man who was in the employ of the abbey as a servant or other worker. A man named Bishop more than likely worked at the house of the Bishop rather than holding the position. Some names were taken as titles that were originally less occupational, such as Mayor.

Some surname occupations are no longer in existence but were enough to identify a man in medieval days. Thus it is believed the surname “ Lambmann ” may have been indicative of someone who worked with livestock or other forms of farming in some sort or another. The surnames of “Landmann and Lampmann” are derivatives, although it appears our ancestors were more agriculturally based than anything else according to parish records in Germany. The Germanic people have consequently been described as farmers, herders primarily for thousands of years.

There are those who believe that our heritage includes some form of “heraldic symbolism complete with a heraldic emblem.” Since our ancestors were of an agricultural base, there is not documentation to support this institution of Royalty, and it is highly unlikely that this surname is attached to any form of Royalty. I have read of the Budingen-Gedern Royalty and the Lambmann name does not lie in it's records. Royalty were the only groups that used emblems or heraldic symbols to denote their upper level family structure. Many companies (of which I will not name here) sell heraldic symbolism, and delude buyers into thinking that they were a part of royalty. If you were of such an upper level crust of the population, you would know it. Most heraldic symbols are valid in the interpretation, but not for commoners. Our Lampman ancestors were of a farm or agricultural base of occupation, per records and in conversation with Mr. Henry Kelly, no symbolism is available or knowledgable.

Place names reflected a location of residence and were also commonly used. Hill, Brook, Forrest, Dale were used as a basis for the surname, for reasons that can be easily understood. Some place names are a little cryptic such as Chevrolet, the French place name that means "little goat." The name referred to the picture painted on the outdoor sign at a roadside inn. Pictures were mainly used since few people had complete reading skills, and in that era Chevrolet referred to a place, not a vehicle. If you could equate this to using "icons" today in our computer world vs. text, I think you get the message. These are the most widely found categories that contain surnames derived from a place easily recognizable when surnames were adopted. “Landtmann” the former Lampman variation meant living in or near the forest or glade or opening in the woods according to surname records. (Land + man =Landtmann.)

When a man left his homeland and moved to another country, he was distinguished from his neighbors by the identity of his homeland. Walsh hailed from Wales, Norman was from Normandy, Norris was Norwegian. Some men were from cities well-enough known that the city was the distinguishing reference as in Paris. Towns were used in the same fashion, as were major rivers and geographic features. Less obvious now are those names, which identified a man by the location of his house. John Atwood lived “ at the woods ”, but exactly which one has long been forgotten, not to mention the woods. Other names can be traced to the exact locale where the first person to bear the name kept his residence. As with the Patronymic designators, languages varied in the way a place was denoted, as in the Dutch name Van Gelder (from the county of Gelder). The Germans used Von , as the French used De meaning from as well; and both sometimes reflected some form of aristocracy. (These prefaces meant “ from ”, ie Van, Von, De.)

Occasionally a man was most easily distinguished among his neighbors by a particular trait, or by some physical characteristic such as Long John would become John Long. Physical features that were prominent when surnames began to be adopted were also borrowed as an identifier. Long, Short, Beardsly, Stout, Gay, Moody, Stern, Old and Wise are some predominant ones. Once in a while the name told its own story Lackland, Freeholder, Goodpasture and Schuch (pronounced Shoe). Others at times might have been selected to elicit envy or sympathy Rich, Poor, Wise, Armstrong.

About one-third of all US surnames are Patronymic in origin, and identified the first bearer of the name by his father or grandfather in the case of some Irish names.

Acquired Ornamental names were simply made up, and had no specific reflection on the first person who bore the name. They simply sounded nice, or were made up as a means of identification, generally much later than most surnames were adopted. There are other sources as well, but most can be wedged into one of the above categories -- one way or another.

When surnames were being adopted, many were the result of nicknames that were given by friends, relatives, or others. Some nicknames were extremely unflattering -- to the point of vulgarity -- but most of those have vanished, having been changed by descendants through spelling changes or simply by changing names after emigrating. I'll let your imagination run free here.

Patronymic and Matronymic names that identify the father are termed Patronymic surnames. Seldom did the name of the mother contribute to the surname, which is referred to as Matronymic origin. The Scandinavians added "sen" to identify John's son or Erik's son. John Andersen's son would be named Ole John sen, taking the first name of the father as the base for his last name. The same holds true for girls. John Andersen's daughter would be called Lena Johnsdatter. This sometime makes it difficult in tracing Scandinavian heritage. Iceland, today is the only country still using this form of surname conventions. The Norman French used the prefix " Fitz " to mean child of, as in Fitzpatrick, for child of Patrick. Many other cultures had their own prefixes to indicate of the father 's name, including the Scots ('Mac'Donald), Irish ('O'Brien), Dutch ('Van'Buren), the French ('de'Gaulle), Germans ('Von'laufenberger), Spanish/Italian ('Di'Tello) and the Arab-speaking nations ('ibn'-Saud). Sometimes the prefixes were attached to places rather than the father's name, such as traditional family land holdings or estates.

Acquired and ornamental names were simply added when those without a surname suddenly needed one. A lady-in-waiting for royalty might have had no traditional surname, but would require one if no longer in the service of royalty. In times of political turmoil, a deposed ruler might require a smaller staff. Long-time servants would find themselves among commoners and suddenly in need of a surname. Names were also invented as combinations of other words. So stop and think how your last name may have come about. It is something seldom thought about, but it will play on your imagination.

In predominantly German, Czech and Austrian regions, as late as the 1700's, daughter's names were changed. Generally the letters “in” were added at the end of the surname to acknowledge they were the daughter of a person by that surname. The surname of the father was for example, Landtmann and the daughter would be named Anna Landtmannin. Many church parish records reflect this convention.