Your last name reveals much about your family history. It could point to a specific job or location, describe a physical trait (like the nicknames Short and Long), or show an ancestral relationship through patronymic surnames like Johnson, Jones, and Jackson.
It can also reveal how spelling changed over time – especially before the 19th century when it became standardized.
Origin
Most surnames fall into one of three categories. The first is those derived from a person’s physical or other characteristics and comprise around 10% of all surnames. These include descriptive nicknames and pet names created during the Middle Ages, such as Michael the Strong or Peter Black, facial hair, eye color, baldness, body size and shape, or even personality traits. These surnames were often passed down to a child from a parent or close friend and then further expanded on when that child married.
The next surname category is those that developed from a person’s occupation. Often, these surnames were passed down from a father to his children, but could also be used to distinguish between people of the same trade or profession. For example, a prefix such as ‘Mac’ or ‘Mc’ denoted the son of a named person (MacDonald), and suffixes such as ‘ette’ or’s were also used to indicate a descendant (Smith or Gillette).
The final category is those based on location, often referring to a specific area of land or compass directions. These can be a good starting point when researching an ancestor, especially if the family has moved over time. These surnames can also indicate a region or country of origin.
Meaning
The meaning of your surname can reveal a lot about your ancestors. It can tell you what kind of work they did, where they lived, and your ancestors’ personality traits. You can use a surname meaning search to uncover this information.
Depending on your culture, you can also find the meaning of your last name through other sources. You can look up your surname on a genealogy website or take a DNA test, which can provide insights into your ancestry and help you trace your family tree.
There are many different types of surname origins. Some are occupational, based on what your male ancestors did for a living. Other surnames are geographic, based on the area where your ancestors lived. Some are even descriptive, based on your ancestor’s traits, such as a physical feature or a distinctive look.
If you have a descriptive surname, such as Goodfellow, it could indicate that your ancestors were friendly people. Alternatively, a geographical surname like Dale suggests that your ancestors came from an area filled with valleys. You can also find out more about where your ancestors came from by searching for their names in the census records or looking at maps displaying the most common places to be born with that surname.
Occupation
Many surnames were based on the occupation of a family member in days gone by. If your ancestor worked for a living, you can discover his trade by searching our work and occupation records. Sons often took their father’s occupation as their own, so you might see surnames such as Smith (the most common in England and Scotland), Miller, Potter, Cooper, Mason, Tailor or Taylor, Spinner, Weaver (webster was also a female weaver) Dyer and Thatcher.
Several surnames were derived from place names, e.g., Heath or Hurst, Green or Greene, Banks, Brooke, Beck, and Bywaters. Others were based on geographical features like hills, valleys, or waterways like rivers or streams – hence the surnames Bottom and Longbottom. Finally, some are descriptive, e.g., Carter from Middle English Keller ‘hunter’ or Colomba from Italian for dove keeper or clerics.
You can find more information about surnames in our Glossary of Surname Meanings & Origins. You might even discover you have a shared ancestor with someone else sharing the same last name – see how likely this is using our Heritage DNA Tool. This shows you the percentage of your genetic makeup from each of your ancestors.
Location
Surnames are the names that follow your given name and can provide a great deal of insight into your family history. They can reveal occupation, place of origin (town or country), respect for a person or business, and more. The spelling of your last name can also tell you a lot about your ancestors and how the character evolved.
Several websites can help you uncover the history of your surname and learn more about the people who shared it with you. You can start by searching for your surname to see what comes up. You can also look into a surname dictionary to learn more about its meaning and origin.
Another option is to contact genealogical societies. These societies specialize in researching families and can provide more information on the history of your surname. You can also take a DNA test to discover more about your ancestry, which could reveal some details about the origin of your surname.
Lastly, some websites can provide a world map of your surname. For example, if you have the surname Dale, a website called ‘Named’ can show you a heat map of the locations where that name is most concentrated worldwide.
