Estonia Naming Customs: Difference between revisions

There are about 41,000 different names, about 29,000 of them can be localized in a concrete commune. The remaining 12,000 surnames can be determined by a parish, county, or neighboring parish or county. At the time when surnames were given, there were (on average) 12 different names per 100 people in Estonian parishes. There were approximately 29,000 unique surnames in Estonia. These names are more numerous in the southern province of Livonia. Unique surnames occurred most numerously on the Vormsi Island off the West-Estonian coast.<ref>Must, Aadu. "The Sources of Estonian Family History." In ''Eestlaste perekonnaloo allikad''. Estonia: Kleio, 2000.</ref>

From 1822-1826 all peasants in South Estonia (the Livonian province) who had been liberated from serfdom were given family names. In 1835, this also happened in North Estonian (the Estonian province). In some places, this happened even earlier. The source of surnames for peasants were derived from their everyday world, including household commodities, seasons, clothing, farm names, occupations, and other such things. Based on the dialect, surnames may have different meanings.