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Click here for a short article on the [[The Dialect Basis of Spelling Variation in German Surnames|dialect basis of spelling variation in German names]]. | Click here for a short article on the [[The Dialect Basis of Spelling Variation in German Surnames|dialect basis of spelling variation in German names]]. | ||
===Surnames Historical Development=== | |||
*Before record keeping began, most people had only one name, such as John. | |||
*As the population increased, it became necessary to distinguish between individuals with the same name. The problem was usually solved by adding descriptive information. John became John the smith, John the son of Matthew, John the short, or John from Heidelberg. | |||
*At first “surnames” applied only to one person, not to the whole family. After a few generations, these names became hereditary and were passed on from generation to generation. | |||
*The nobility and wealthy land owners were the first to begin using surnames. | |||
*Merchants and townspeople then adopted the custom, as did the rural population. This process took two or three centuries. | |||
*In most of Germany, the practice of using surnames was well established by the 1500s. | |||
=== Given Names === | === Given Names === | ||