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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It depends on the region and culture.
In China, Emperor Fu Xi started the use of family names as early as 2000 BCE to facilitate census taking.
There were various uses of patronyms in the Anciet world, usually to describe tribe, family, and historic ancestors. For example, Alexander Heraclides Karanos would be Alexander the Great’s full name. Which is his first name, decendant of Heracles, and his dynastic name.
But the modern use of surnames began in the middle ages around the 10th century, often in preparation of taking a census like the Domesday Book in England.
It really took off in the Age of Exploration being spread by colonialism and by leaders like Napoleon.
Japan didn’t formalize their naming conventions until 1868. Turkey was among the last to require last names as late as 1934.
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