Attitudes - History of Surnames

The Chinese seem to have been the first civilization to use surnames to honor and keep track of their forbearers. In their scheme of doing things, the family name was placed first, instead of last. Therefore, the family name of Sun Yat-sen is Sun. The Chinese seem to have been a wise race of people. And surnames that describe a person by their relatives are only one of the several categories of surnames.

Our modern system of names originated with the Romans. They had an elaborate three name system - which came slowly apart at the seams along with their empire. By the fifth century AD, there was hardly a middle or last name to be found. During the Dark Ages (after the fall of Rome) most Europeans were known first only by their given name, and later, sometimes by their given name prefixed by their place of birth.

The Dark Ages was a cruel and inhuman time of European human existence. The dawning of the eleventh century brought a new and much more complex level of cultural, social and economic conditions to Europe. The population expanded as the beginnings of a commercial lifestyle began replacing the isolated way of life of the country village.

This development started forcing people out of villages, moving them into towns and cities. As communication became more efficient, the use of a single name became a problem, causing increasing confusion. As a solution, the hereditary surname came into use. The idea seems to have originated in Venice, and helps to complete the circle of the Roman influence on our present-day name structure.

 Continue the History of Surnames...