The Origin of Family Names What are they?
Family names, or last names in Western culture,
although often used interchangeably with surnames,
are actually a type of surname. Family names are hereditary
and are passed down patrilineally; that is, through the father-line.
Patrilineal, from Latin pater, ‘father’ and linea, ‘line’.
How do they differ from Surnames?
Most often, family names are the same as one’s surname;
but there exists a subtle distinction.
Family names indicate to which family you belong,
whereas surnames can indicate this, but also include
nicknames, names formed by occupation, ornamental names and patronymics.
Patronymics, names formed from the first name of your father, are still used in Scandinavian countries,
where the son of Hans would be named Hansen, or the son of Magnús would be called Magnússon.
This also works for daughters. For example, Eiríksdóttir would be the name attributed to the
daughter of a man named Erik.
Evolution from Surname to Family Name
Family names carry a wealth of history and are a part of your heritage, passed down generation by generation.
Family names have come to replace other surnames, such as patronymics, in most cultures over time.
An excellent example of this is found in Scottish history. Originally, each son took the given name of his
father as his surname; but after some time, the heads of families decided to take the name of their most
recent ancestor as their surname, which became hereditary and thus a family name.
Surnames As Modifiers of Family Names
Up until the nineteenth century in French Canada, many large families added surnames as suffixes to
their family names in order to differentiate between the different family branches. This name was called a nom-dit,
‘said-name’. The family name would be separated from the said-name by the word dit.
The origin of a nom-dit was often the same as that of many other surnames: geographical location.
Thus each branch of a large family would have a nom-dit describing where it lived. For example,
Hudon dit Beaulieu, where beaulieu simply means ‘beautiful place’, or Bourbeau dit Larivière,
where Larivière means ‘one who lives near a river’. This practice has given rise to a plethora of new family names,
as family branches came to adopt their nom-dit surname as their family name.
Take Pride in Your Family Name and Heirlooms
Family names can tell you a lot about your ancestors: what they did for a living,
where they lived or what type of character or physical traits they were blessed with.
Family names appear on heirlooms, such as family shields, crests and coats of arms that carry
with them pieces of your family history. By wearing or hanging these emblems, you can take
pride in your family name and historical and cultural beginnings.
A Coat of Arms is sometimes also called a Family Shield, Family Seal or Family Crest.
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