How do last names work

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Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options. Our last names reveal a lot about our labor days By Richard Lederer. Richard Lederer. Follow Us email facebook. Support our journalism. Submit a story tip. Report a problem with this story. More from this Author. Maybe look at a name meaning reference to find out what that last name means!

We'd love to hear! You could see what your first name means too! Harris would be your surname, Kaleb! Great question, Emma! Smith might not be a famous location, but many people were blacksmiths back in the day. The name might have been shortened to Smith, which became a way to identify people! Great question, CianiRoom6! Surnames have been around for thousands of years, but your surname's origin depends on your nationality.

Perhaps you and your family can Wonder about it together! Terrific application, Carlos! Taking the father's last name is very common in many cultures. We hope you liked this Wonder. Visit again soon!

Thanks for being a supportive Wonder Friend and reading other's comments! Hi there, Dori! Thanks for sharing your comment! We hope you and your family will research your surname to learn about its origin!

Hey there Stephen! Thanks for sharing you comment with us today - we are so happy that you learned something new with us today! We love your connection and we hope you'll come back to Wonder with us again soon! Hi Ava, thanks for sharing your comment! We Wonder if you and your mom and sister can Wonder about the origin of your name together! We think you're doing a great job of using Wonder in each sentence - thanks for making us smile!

Hi Anna, thanks for sharing what you've learned about surnames. In different countries, different traditions are maintained, and sometimes they have to do with names! We are glad we learned something new from you today! We are undergoing some spring clearing site maintenance and need to temporarily disable the commenting feature. Thanks for your patience.

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Where do last names come from? What types of last names evolved over the years? What is the origin of your last name? Wonder What's Next? Try It Out Find an adult friend or family member who can help you with these activities! What's your last name? Based on what you learned in today's Wonder of the Day, do you have any initial ideas about how your particular surname might have come about?

Ask your family members if they know about the history of your last name. Have fun sharing stories and learning more about your family's history. If not much is known about the history of your surname, guess what?

It's up to you! See what you can find out about the history of your last name on the Internet and with the help of your school or local librarian. Do you have the same last name as someone famous? Have you ever wondered if you're related? Check out Family Tree Magazine for lots of fun ways to learn more about your family's history.

People are just now starting to come up with surnames. What would yours be? Would you be named for your best personality trait?

How about for the future occupation you want? Did you get it? Test your knowledge. What are you wondering? Wonder Words surname medieval adopted patronymic locative occupation diverse complex references Take the Wonder Word Challenge. Join the Discussion. Julie Feb 20, I love this keep up the good work! EFrost Jan 22, This is just really interesting.

My last name is Frost. So maybe my ancestor had a cold personality, or maybe they lived in a cold area. They even could have worked with ice or something.

I've always been curious about this. This article just widens my curiosity! Jan 26, Those are great ideas! I love the video of rex trying to find a last name.

Jane Blak Sep 14, Based on my research, this organization supports fact, learning, and citation. Europeans were some of the first people to colonize North America. The sentence structure suggests nationalism in that the reader is encouraged to evoke little to no thought around who the other people may have been. Sep 16, Hi Jane! Thank you for taking the time to comment. We've added this Wonder to the list of those that require review. Amiya Apr 20, Why do we have to have last names? Ps my last name is [redacted].

Jan 15, We're glad you enjoyed it, elena! Apr 22, Hai17 Nov 3, I thought my last name originated from my family raising hens, but now I'm having second thoughts. How do I figure this out? Eli Apr 21, Thanks for your suggestion, Eli. Ethan Oct 31, I never knew that you You you Nov 4, We're glad that you liked this Wonder, Ethan! It is interesting to think about!

Brayden May 25, May 25, CejaAA24 Jan 10, I learned a lot and I did not know that some nick names comes from first names. I wonder how people got the idea to use first names and nicknames? We're glad you learned something new from this Wonder, CejaAA24! Ashley Oct 11, Oct 17, Bananzrussley Jun 6, Jun 7, That's great! So glad you enjoyed it, Bananzrussley!