How to Find Out What Last Names Mean

Discover the meaning of your last name.

The meaning of a last name can help us determine where our ancestors came from, what they did for a living and who other members of the family were. Naming traditions vary among the different cultures of the world, but there are several commonalities, such as naming children after their parents, last names that refer to place and last names that reveal a person's job. When in doubt, the meaning of a last name might be discovered by a historian or through onomastics, the science of determining the meaning of a proper name.

Instructions

1. Separate the prefix or suffix to determine the meaning of each part of your last name. In some European cultures, last names are a combination of a forebear's first name plus a suffix. For example, the pattern of Norweigian last names is patronymic, or to combine the name of the father with the sex of the child. A son of Jon was called Jonsen; the daughter was called Jonsdatter or Jonste. If your name ends in -son, -sen, -ssen, -datter, -tet or -te, -yan, -oglu, -ov or -lu, for example, the name is likely a combination of the father's name with the child's sex. "Mac" or "Mc," "ibn" or "wild" as a prefix also means "son of."

2. Search for place names that are the same as your last name. Many cultures used a village or town, river, valley or region name as a last name so that people knew where you came from. If you know the approximate area you family comes from, search that region to discover whether your last name is the same as any geological or geopolitical features in that area. Names that use "de" or "de la," meaning "of," and some Greek, English, German, French and Arab names in particular might be linked to places.

3. Determine if your name is also the name of an occupation. Many cultures used a person's job as a last name. For example, Miller, Shoemaker, Knight or Cook are clues to the careers an ancestor had. This was a common way of naming people in many regions, so look for a translation of your name if it is not English. In India, for example, Patil means head of a village and Bhattar is a religious occupation.

4. Seek the assistance of a genealogist. Whether online or in person at a family history library or office, a trained genealogist can help you search the lineage of your last name to determine its meaning. Several online sites also allow you to type in your last name to discover the meaning. These sites are a good guide to beginning your name meaning search. (See Resources)

References

• Norwegian Naming Patterns
• American Name Society
• The International Council of Onomastic Sciences

Resources

• Ancestry: Learn About the Family History of Your Surname
• Family Education: Family Name History
• Surname Database: Last Name Origins