Last name or surname, tracks for genealogy
Surnames, these witnesses of a common culture
"Onomastics". This word may not tell you anything, but it can however mean a lot in a genealogy. This consists in the study of family names and their history. Because family names are not chosen at random, on the contrary, they are often carrying an unsuspected history. Take a look at yours, you will be surprised!
En France, l’usage des noms de famille a été imposé grâce à l’ordonnance de Villers-Cotterêts en 1539. En Europe, ils sont devenus courants entre les X et XVe siècles, et selon la tradition sont transmis par le père, même si cela a évolué ces dernières années, dans un soucis d'équité. Belle initiative !
In Europe, family names have a meaning. We can classify them in five categories: the professions (Müller, the most common name in Germany means "miller"), the colors (rossie = red in Italy), the nicknames, often related to physical characteristics (from jong to the low countries which means young person), names linked to surnames which can result in "sons of ..." that we find especially in the Nordic countries and end (Henricksen = Henri's son). You just have to watch the Norway football team to realize the frequency of these suffixes: Johansen, Henricksen, Hansen ...
Many family names are also linked to toponymy, that is to say at the place of birth, work, life ... (for example Horvath, the most widespread name in Slovakia and which indicates that the person has Croatian ancestors).
Family names, witnesses of a common culture
Il est très intéressant d’étudier la répartition des noms de famille en Europe et dans le monde, ainsi on peut voir les similarités culturelles des différentes sociétés, de même que l’héritage d’une histoire commune. Des pays proches géographiquement comme la Pologne, la République Tchèque et la Slovénie ont le même nom de famille le plus courant, «Novak», (en Serbie, Novak est un prénom, pensez à Novak Djokovic).
Nordic countries like Denmark, with Jensen "son of Jen", Sweden with Johansson (son of Johan) or Norway with Hansen (son of Hans) all have the most attributed family names (linked to the father).
Some countries have particularities, so in Iceland, 9 out of 10 people have no last name! Indeed, the name of each person is made up of the first name of the father followed by "son of" and is therefore not transmitted from generation to generation. A child whose father has as a first name Jon will have Jonsson family name. He will then transmit to his son his own name as a name.
In France, surnames have various origins due to the richness of the influences that the country has known over the ages and vary a lot depending on the regions. Thus, the most worn name is "Martin" which results from an influence of Roman mythology. He comes from Mars, the god of war.
Even if the meaning of family names tends to get lost over time, there is still a very interesting fact for any genealogist even if it tends to neglect it or use it only as a tool without really seeking to know its origin.