The origin of our family names.

[Deleted]

Terry Prospect?

My trousers feel awfully tight just hearing that name. WE'RE ONTO SOMETHING HERE.

[Adam Jensen]

mine is a tree-species.

I wonder how they came up with that... my ancestors were half-tree people?

Well, technically we share a common ancestor with trees so . . .

[Azgraal]

The story behind Portuguese surnames must be quite similar to the rest of Europe. Most names are patronymic (i.e. Simões which means "sons of Simão" - directly translates to "The Simons", for a beter understanding), other names have roots in the city or province the family originated from (or in cases of old noble families, the provinces would adopt the family's name), other names commonly from the "lowborn" would come from the head of the family's ocupation (like it has been said, John the blacksmit might have become John Smith when surnames were noble exclusive no more).

Other yet, like families with trees for surname (i.e. Pereira - pear tree) might be traced back to the 14th century and the forced convertion of jews mainly in the Iberian Peninsula. Those so called "new christians" would in most cases adopt names of trees for their family, here in Portugal.

[Deleted]

Family names are being used since Napoleon, not since cavemen.

That's only half true mate. My sister checked up on our lastname once and it excisted since 1550 it originated from Friesland and the difference between back and now is only 1 letter only my sister couldn't go so far to check their proffessions. Only Napoleon made sure Everybody got a lastname and not just some people as far as I know off.

[Deleted]

Well, according to some historical archives, my surname stemmed from translation of an ancient lake somewhere in France. However, we moved over to England to help build Saint Paul's Cathedral. Nobody important, we were just some of the countless and nameless workers. This was sometime in the 1500's, so I have no real idea what may have inspired our name besides the lake. For all I know, that could all be hogwash. But interesting to think about, nonetheless.

EDIT: Just remembered - my family crest is a boar's head. I don't know how peasant labourers could end up having a coat of arms, but I guess fortunes change.

Or somebody in my family just really liked bacon.

[Azgraal]

mine is a tree-species.

I wonder how they came up with that... my ancestors were half-tree people?

Well... As I said if you were a Portuguese or Spanish descendant I could argue your family might have been of jewish origins. Outside of Iberia I'm not sure what's the deal with tree-people.

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Just remembered - my family crest is a boar's head. I don't know how peasant labourers could end up having a coat of arms, but I guess fortunes change.

Or somebody in my family just really liked bacon.

I've seen coat of arms with less legitimate reasons to exist xD

[Kalis]

Well, according to some historical archives, my surname stemmed from translation of an ancient lake somewhere in France. However, we moved over to England to help build Saint Paul's Cathedral. Nobody important, we were just some of the countless and nameless workers. This was sometime in the 1500's, so I have no real idea what may have inspired our name besides the lake. For all I know, that could all be hogwash. But interesting to think about, nonetheless.

EDIT: Just remembered - my family crest is a boar's head. I don't know how peasant labourers could end up having a coat of arms, but I guess fortunes change.

Or somebody in my family just really liked bacon.

If there is a crest with your surname, it probably has nothing to do with you, and most likely just means someone you are distantly related to was successful.

You can apply for a coat of arms, and if you meet the criteria they will grant you one, but only your direct heirs will be able to use it, and only if they apply for the right to and are accepted - your parents, your siblings and their children, and any of your children and their children except the heir (traditionally the first born male), won't be able to use it or claim it as their coat of arms.

Common English surnames, such as Moore, can have associations with multiple coats of arms, as they are linked to individuals, not families.


tl;dr Family crests, aka coat of arms, in England aren't related to your surname, they are property and inherited.

[Azgraal]

I have 2 surnames (One from my mum and one from my dad). One translates to New Farm, and the other refers to a profession, in this case wheel-making.

That's the same case here in Portugal. Instead of being born into the father's family like I assume it's tradition in the UK, we embody the union of two families. Still, usually we pass down only our father's names to our children (they don't get our mother's surname) so I guess it all boils down to the same thing...

[Tulune]

Hmm, Guichard (my surname) is from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements wīg ‘battle’, ‘combat’ + hard ‘hardy’, ‘strong’

rawr.

[OzoAndIndi]

I feel for those looking for info on their family and have very common surnames. Bad enough my paternal grandmother's maiden name was Work and when searching Google just doesn't understand very well. My own last name is also very close to Hopkins (who are said to be an altered related version, as well as a bunch of others), which of course is one that many are commonly familiar with... and which Google constantly wants to "correct" mine to and show me Hopkins results. >.>


Side note... Ya know, it's fortunate that surnames came about when they did and not now. If it still followed the system of being associated with kinship, profession, location, personal trait and we were taking up surnames only now, I'm afraid many would be facepalm worthy. lol

[meekus]

Boring patronymic last name here!

[Toccs]

Family: Hawkins
Origin: Originated in the 11th century Kent England,(not far from where i am now) name given to people who hunt vermin with falcons.
Family motto: Always Ready.
Crest:


This seems to be the main Crest for Hawkins, obviously its not mine but an ancestors.

[Ravenblade]

According to official family history the origin of the name is Alsace-Lorraine with French background. They escaped persecution and migrated to Rhineland region during the Huguenot wars. Well that's all there's to it.

[Amirila]

Some Swedish man moved to America and become a governor in New Sweden and took a new name, which is the name I have

[Mormolyce]

I've found out where my name came from a while back, but it did make me wonder where others names come from. If Smith was from being blacksmith, Mason was being a brick maker\layer, Baker baked bread, what did names like Glasscock make? Was there a large market for porcelain chickens in the middle ages?

Cock is a rendition of the Dutch de Cock, which is their variant of Cook. Might explain a few of the -cock surnames.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cock_%28surname%29

However Glasscock apparently derives from Glasscote in England. Means "glass hut" - ie somewhere a glass worker lived. On the other hand Welsh glas-coed means "green wood" so that might also be an origin.

http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/glasscock

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Welp, according to that World Names Public Profiler, my surname is Celtic, with a sub-
group of Scottish. Particularly high concentration in Northern Scotland.

Here's my clan crest:

Macdonald of Clanranald.

Ie, I'm a Ranald McDonald.

[BHD]

My grandfather's grandfather and his brothers didn't like their surname so they made up a new one, so apparently everyone in the world with my surname is related to me. Although according to the internets that's about 60-70 people so it sounds about right.

My dad seem to have been born with the crave for unique snowflake-ness as my grandfather's grandfather as he some year ago created a family crest and paid for it to become official. He also wants everyone to get a gold ring with the crest on..

[Deleted]

My surname is biblical in origin. Pretty simple.

[Deleted]

My surname (if translated) is basically lover/to love.

I guess my ancestors were a bunch of giggolos and prostitutes ;D