![]() In Ireland and Scotland by contrast, the “son of” or “descendent of” is manifested as a prefix. His surname, Johnson, literally combines the words “John” and “son.” For example, John’s son (also conveniently named John) would be dubbed John Johnson. In England, the suffix -son is attached to the father’s first name and applied as a surname. In denoting descent, this region of Europe varies by culture as to how this practice is applied. While across Northern Europe the most popular surnames are translations of English occupations such as Smith, Miller, and Baker, regional names also exist. ![]() What about the history of names in Northwestern Europe? Here, European names are commonly derived from lines of descent, marked by varying prefixes or suffixes. 1874, via Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Their children would subsequently adopt the surname of their father.īritish, Irish, and Germanic Names The Monet Family in Their Garden at Argenteuil by Edouard Manet, c. Traditionally, surnames followed a patronymic practice a married woman would abandon her birth surname and adopt her husband’s surname. In other cases, surnames derived from a region of origin – da Vinci (from Vinci) or Van Buren (of Buren, which is also a Dutch word for neighbor.) The result is the reason there are so many John or Joan Smiths, Millers, or Bakers – members of families who traditionally worked as smiths, millers, and bakers. Initially, surnames were implemented to note occupation, trade, father’s name, or even physical properties of the individual. Though this was a practice traditionally used by families of noble birth, commoners in the workplace became saturated to the point of confusion. With a growing population, it became useful to acknowledge the familial lineage of every John in town to avoid confusion. In Orthodox states, one traditionally celebrates their “ Name Day” in addition to their birthday: the day of the Christian Saint they are named after. To tie oneself closer to God, it became immensely popular to name children archetypical biblical or Christian names such as John, Luke, Mary, Louise, Matthew, George, among many many others. The spread of Christianity through Europe resulted in the practical use of saintly names as given names. 1621, via Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg The Origins of European Names Family Portrait by Anthony van Dyck, c.
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