Quote:
Originally posted by Jesus Pimp
Why aren't there more unique last names? Why are there so many smiths, johnsons, wongs, etc? Just curious..
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Most names developed from descriptions of people e.g. john the smith, john the baker, and over time simply became john smith e.t.c.
Also, alot of names developed from descriptions of the lands people lived on, or who their lord was. Of course, lots of words have either been lost, or changed meanings, so they simply become names, with their meaning obscured by time.
My surname relates to the extensive catacombs in the hills where the lord of the area lived. When that lord was granted a knight-hood, the lands he owned were the distungishing feature, so he used them for his name.