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England Naming Customs: Difference between revisions
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== Surnames == | == Surnames == | ||
===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. | |||
*Surnames developed from several sources. For example: | |||
**'''Occupational''' (based on a person’s trade, such as Carter or Smith) | |||
**'''Geographical''' (based on a person’s residence, such as Drayton or Debenham) | |||
**'''Patronymic''' (based on a person’s father’s name, such as Jones, son of John) | |||
**'''Descriptive''' or '''nickname''' (such as Joy or Child) | |||
*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. | |||
===Surname Spelling Variations by Dialect=== | ===Surname Spelling Variations by Dialect=== | ||