4 ms·
> Surnames often don't mean anything. That depends on where you're from. Often in the English-speaking world, they do. To take the another commenter's example
by Karellen 4y ago
> Surnames often don't mean anything.
That depends on where you're from. Often in the English-speaking world, they do.
To take the another commenter's example, "Smith" comes from a word meaning, roughly, "craftsperson", as in "blacksmith". The ancestor that the surname comes from was likely either a blacksmith, or some other type of crafter whose profession can be described as "smithing".
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/smith https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/smith
Likewise, the surname "Wright" comes from a word with a similar meaning, as in "playwright", "wheelwright" or "cartwright".
- frumper 4y agoIt's more fair to say those names meant something at some point. Now they just mean you are descended from someone with that surname.
- JohnFen 4y agoThey haven't lost those meanings at all. They may not have any special significance for you, but the meanings of the names remain nonetheless. When I meet a "Johnson", my mind immediately goes to "John's son" even though "John" is probably a distant ancestor of the person, not their father. The name's meaning has not changed.
- anonymouskimmer 4y ago"Johnson", and similar names in other languages, can also indicate connection with the early Christian church, not a literal connection with a person named John. "Johnson" in this sense means someone who is a 'son' of John the Baptist (aka, a Christian). Or so I've read.
- JohnFen 4y agoI wasn't aware of the John the Baptist connection. Very interesting! Thank you.
- anonymouskimmer 4y ago> Now they just mean you are descended from someone with that surname. Adoption exists. I'm the first in my patriline to be born with my surname. So yes, technically I am descended from a person with that surname, but my father wasn't. Also, changing a name on marriage happens.
- frumper 4y agoYou're right. Those events just move you further away from any past meanings of the surname.
- sva_ 4y agoWhere does the name Dickinson come from?
- jodrellblank 4y ago"son of Richard" https://www.houseofnames.com/dickinson-family-crest https://www.houseofnames.com/dickinson-family-crest
- lxgr 4y agoSure, but I hope an etymological dictionary would be within the budgetary means of a bank's compliance department so that they don't have to lean on their customers for it.