Surnames are a fundamental part of our identity, but have you ever wondered where they come from? Why do many people share the same surname without being related? Here we explain the origin of surnames, how they came about and what they mean.
📜 When did surnames start to be used?
For thousands of years, people were known only by their first name. But as populations grew, it became necessary to distinguish people with the same name.
🔹 In Europe, surnames began to be used between the eleventh and sixteenth centuries, first among the upper classes and then spread to the entire population.
🔹 In China, surnames have existed for more than 3,000 years, being one of the first places to adopt them.
🧩 How did the surnames come about?
Surnames used to describe something about the person or their family. They originated mainly from:
1. Father’s name (patronymic)
The surname indicates the name of the father or ancestor.
- Example in Spanish: Rodríguez (son of Rodrigo), Fernández (son of Fernando).
- In English: Johnson (son of John).
- In Russian: Ivanov (son of Ivan).
2. Place of origin.
Refers to the place where the person lived or where he/she came from.
- Example: Toledo, Navarro, Del Rio, Murcia, etc.
3. Trade or profession.
Many surnames derive from the ancestor’s work.
- Example: Herrera, Molinero, etc.
4. Personal characteristics.
Based on someone’s physical appearance or personality.
- Example: Calvo, Moreno, Bravo, Roux (redhead in French).
🌍 Surnames by cultures.
- Spain and Latin America: They use two surnames, one from the father and one from the mother. For example, María García López (father’s García, mother’s López).
- China and Korea: The last name comes before the first name. Example: Mao Zedong (Mao is the last name).
- Iceland: They do not use traditional surnames. They are formed with the father’s name plus “-son” or “-dóttir”. Example: Eriksson (son of Erik).
- Arabs: Long surnames are often used with references to tribe, place or lineage.
🤔 Why are there so many of the same surnames?
In many cultures, surnames such as Garcia, Lopez, Kim, Nguyen, Smith or Müller are extremely common because they originated from very popular sources (such as trades or common names).
Example:
- “Smith” means blacksmith, a widespread trade in Europe.
- “García” is a very old and common surname in Spain.
📚 What can you discover with your last name?
Nowadays, many people search for the origin of their surnames for:
- Reconnect with their family roots.
- Research family trees.
- Understand the migration of their ancestors.
🔍 Useful tools:
- FamilySearch.org.
- MyHeritage.
- Ancestry.com.
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain): tells you how many people have your last name.
🧠 Curiosities.
- The most common surname in the world is Li (or Lee), used by more than 100 million people.
- In Japan, surnames were uncommon until the 19th century.
- In some countries, surnames may change by law upon marriage or by choice.
✅ Conclusion.
Surnames are a window to the past: they tell us where we come from, what our ancestors did and how societies were organized. Every surname has its history, and knowing it is a powerful way to connect with our roots.
