When and how did names start?

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For example when and how did humans start using names and why a first middle and last name?

In: Culture

Anonymous 0 Comments

Simple naming predates humanity – apes and a few other mammal and bird species have unique calls for unique individuals.

Over time that became more linguistically formalized as early man developed more complex language.

Eventually tribes get too big to create unique names for everyone forever and you start to get a second name denoting a family or location or career.

There’s too many Johns around so the miller is John Miller. The shoemaker is John Schumacher. The farmer is John Farmer.

The trader Hadim Al-Baghdadi is from Baghdad.

That viking raider Bjorn Haraldsson is Harald’s son.

Last name convention varies regionally, but you’ll see it pop up once settlements start getting too big to keep all the names and families straight.