Last Names Index

Last Names Index

Anatomy of a Surname

Surnames are generally derived one of four sources:

The name of the father (patronymic), the locality, the occupation,

or a descriptive nickname for the person.

When they were created, they answered one of the

following questions:

Who is his father ?

Where is he from ?

What does he do for a living ?

What is his or her most prominent feature ?

A

Names

B

Names

C

Names

D

Names

E

Names

F

Names

G

Names

H

Names

I

Names

J

Names

K

Names

L

Names

M

Names

N

Names

O

Names

P

Names

Q

Names

R

Names

S

Names

T

Names

U

Names

V

Names

W

Names

Y

Names

Z

Names

SOURCES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING :

An Etymological Dictionary of Family and

Christian Names With an Essay on their Derivation and Import;

Arthur, William, M.A.; New York, NY: Sheldon, Blake, Bleeker & Co., 1857

Dictionary of American Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4

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