At Remitly, we’re invested in understanding diverse people and cultures. And a surname—or family name—is a fundamental part of any person’s identity. In many cases, though, surnames go beyond the individual. They offer hints about who we are and where we come from, and exploring their origins and purpose can help us learn more about our heritage.
While nearly every person has a last name, the history and cultural significance behind this practice vary significantly around the world. In this post, we will answer the question, “What is a surname?” We’ll also explore how different regions utilize them and what they mean around the world.
What is a surname?
In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare famously mused, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
One might interpret this line of questioning to suggest that names don’t really matter all that much. But surnames, also known as family names or last names, are passed down through generations. They distinguish individuals within a larger group and connect them to a specific family or clan. Surnames simultaneously provide individual identity, a record of personal history, and a sense of belonging.
Typically, a surname is the last part of someone’s full name. For example, if someone is called “John Smith,” “Smith” is the surname. This communicates to other people that the individual is part of the Smith family.
Where do surnames come from?
Today, celebrities like Cher, Madonna, or Zendaya are outliers for being known by a first name only. We now live in global cultures where last names are the norm. But that wasn’t always the case.
Surnames became necessary as populations grew, and it got harder to tell people apart by their first name only. As communities expanded, it was impossible for individuals to know everyone they interacted with personally, so surnames also provided necessary information about others’ familial ties and backgrounds.
When choosing or adopting a surname, individuals often historically followed conventions established by their culture or community. The most typical surname conventions are explained below:
Ancestral
In most cultures, surnames serve to indicate a person’s parental lineage. Matronymic and patronymic surnames—derived from a mother or female ancestor, or father or male ancestor, respectively—are based on the parents’ given or first names.
Historically, patronymic surnames are much more common than matronymic ones. However, if the mother was of high status, a landowner, or unwed, the latter might be used.
These types of names are often generated by adding a prefix or suffix to the mother’s or father’s name. In other cultures, ancestral surnames incorporate both parents’ monikers. Such last names are found in many regions around the world, indicating the shared importance of lineage and parenthood:
- English: Johnson = Son of John, and Nelson = Son of Eleanor
- Scottish: McDonald = Son of Donald
- Spanish: Rodriguez = Son of Rodrigo
- Swedish: Thomasen = Son of Thomas
Geographical
Some communities use surnames inspired by geography. Geographical, or toponymic, surnames offer useful insights about where a person lived, important villages or towns, or key geographic features nearby. Their use can be traced as far back as ancient Greece and Rome.
Many names that include a form of the preposition “of” are geographic. For example, “de la” in Spanish translates to “of the”. Meanwhile, “de” or “du” in French means “of” or “from”. A surname like “Dupont” comes from the French phrase, “from the bridge.”
Here are some other geography-based examples:
- Landscape features: Marsh, Brook, Dell
- Specific places: De Vall (from the valley), De Vinea (from the vineyard), de la Cruz (from the city of la Cruz)
Occupational
Other surnames gained popularity in Medieval Europe when it became crucial to identify people by their work. During these times, workers didn’t change jobs as easily as we do today, and most passed down their skills and trades from one generation to the next.
Last names that represent an ancestor’s occupation are still in common usage today. In many cases, they refer to professions that have become obsolete in modern society; however, the name persists. Here are some well-known examples of occupational surnames from different industries:
- Agriculture: Farmer, Gardner, Fletcher (arrow maker), Thatcher
- Crafts: Baker, Cooper (barrel maker), Smith (metal worker), Weaver
- Trade: Chandler (candle maker), Draper (fine clothes seller)
- Service: Cook, Porter
Descriptive
If you’re trying to tell a friend or family member about an interaction you had in the community and you don’t know someone’s name, chances are you’ll describe them based on how they look or behave. Maybe you’d say someone is tall, has dark hair, or is tan. Other times, a person’s personality is so well-known that you’d specify “the nice one” or “the cranky one.”
This tendency to describe people based on their physical features, appearance, or personality is part of how we as humans communicate. These characterizations can even become nicknames. In some cases, they transformed into last names that were passed down through the family. Check out some common descriptive surnames and the characteristics they represent:
- Armstrong = Strong arms
- Black/Brown/Reid/White = Typically indicated hair or eye color
- Fairfax = Beautiful hair
- Goodchild = Upstanding morals
- Nightingale = After the bird, often given to good singers
Surnames around the world
So much information about a person is hidden in plain sight, right within their surname. Around the world, various conventions sprang up around last names, depending on what details were considered most important.
As surnames became normalized, some cultures developed specific naming patterns that have become more or less uniform.
Iceland
Most Icelanders use a patronymic naming system. This means that children’s last names are based on the first names of their father or from the male ancestral line. As a result, surnames within a family change with each generation.
The suffixes that Icelanders use to name their children also indicate their gender. So, not only do surnames vary between age groups, but they may also differ amongst siblings.
For example, if an Icelandic man named Jon has a son, that child’s surname would be Jonsson. If Jon had a daughter, the surname would be Jonsdóttir.
Spain and Latin America
In Spanish-speaking cultures, it’s common for children to have two surnames: one representing their mother and another for their father.
In Spain, this convention requires the father’s name to be listed first and the mother’s second. So, children’s names might look like this:
First Name + Father’s Last Name + Mother’s Last Name
A child named Juan Rodriguez Sanchez is the son of a father with the last name “Rodriguez” and a mother with the last name “Sanchez”.
East Asia
In some countries, the surname takes precedence over a given or first name. This is the case for China, Japan, and Korea, where the family name is typically written before the given name. This can often confuse Westerners, who are used to the surname being the last name.
Imagine a new Korean coworker—who you haven’t met in person yet—signs off on an email as Kim Jae Ho. Seeing “Kim” written first might lead you to believe that this is a female coworker named Kimberly. In reality, “Kim” is the surname, and this person’s first name is “Jae Ho.”
The practice of writing the surname before the given name in East Asia is consistent with the cultural values of honoring family and ancestors, community, and familial history.
Why are surnames important?
These days, surnames play a critical role in officially identifying individuals. Last names are essential data on identification documents like passports, driver’s licenses, and bank accounts. If you’re moving to a new country, it’s important to understand the naming conventions so you can ensure that your documents are consistent and correct.
Beyond the paperwork of daily life, surnames also provide a sense of belonging. They create a link between us and our family history and heritage. In fact, they are often a starting point for people interested in genealogy and discovering their ancestry.
So, what’s in a name?
While Shakespeare was correct in suggesting that a name cannot change our character, we can’t assume that they are therefore meaningless. Surnames don’t only serve as identification; they also give us information about our ancestry and lineage, sometimes originating from a forefather’s job, location, parentage, or even a nickname.
Understanding what a last name is can help us appreciate our own identity and connection to the past. What does your surname say about you?
FAQs
How can I research my genealogy?
Start in your own home by interviewing family members and gathering information and documents. Building a family tree on sites like FamilySearch or Ancestry.com can help you make lost or forgotten familial connections.
Why do last names change across generations?
Some naming conventions result in surnames changing from one generation to the next. For example, patronymic last names will differ because the father’s name is changing. Other unexplained changes might have occurred because of evolving connections, like marriage or divorce. Immigration can also often result in name or spelling changes. Plus, you can legally change your name because of personal preference or safety concerns.
Do I have to change my name if I move somewhere with different naming conventions?
Ultimately, this comes down to personal preference. However, remaining consistent is key to ensuring that your records and identifying documents—such as visas, residency cards, driver’s licenses, and passports—are uniform, which will help streamline official processes.