Last names are inherited, so how far back did last names go? Did people initially choose their last name and then passed it down to children? Why are there so many common last names between people who aren’t related?
The original question was asked by a 6 year old, and it got me thinking about all of these other questions too.
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The idea of “family” names dates back millennia, at least among the ruling classes, but they aren’t always the _last_ name.
For example: Gaius Julius Caesar. Julius is the family name, indicating he was a member of the Julia family or clan.
Among commoners the family or last names were informal. In early modern Europe, tax collection and censuses created the need to distinguish, on a legal basis, between John the barrel maker (Cooper) and John the bread maker (Baker).
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