Surname law Surname laws vary around the world. Traditionally in many European countries for the past few hundred years, it was the custom or the law for a woman, upon marriage, to use her husband's surname and for any children born to bear the father's surname. Enter your surname and begin learning its origins, your potential family lineage, and where your ancestors most likely came from.

Understanding the Context

Find out more today. Explore 31 million surname origins, meanings, distribution maps and demographics @ Forebears, the largest database of last names. The meaning of SURNAME is an added name derived from occupation or other circumstance : nickname. The question of whether the surname is the first or last name is more than just a simple curiosity—it touches on cultural identity, historical evolution, and even legal documentation.

Key Insights

Names are fundamental to how we present ourselves and connect with others, yet the order in which names appear can vary dramatically across different societies. Find the meaning, history and origin of surnames, also called last names or family names, as well as famous bearers and usage statistics. Surname, name added to a “given name” (also called the "first name"). In many cases the surname is inherited and held in common by members of a family. Originally, many surnames identified a person by his connection with another person, usually his father (Johnson, MacDonald); others gave his Search your Indian surname to discover meaning, origin and roots.

Final Thoughts

Explore history and regional lineage insights, then build your family tree on iMeUsWe.