Surnames

A surname, also known as a last name or family name, is a part of a person’s full name that indicates their family or ancestral lineage. It helps identify individuals within a community or society, often passing from parents to children. Surnames can originate from occupations (e.g., Smith), locations (e.g., Johnson), personal characteristics (e.g., Brown), or historical roots. They serve as a way to link people to their heritage and family history, and they are used in official records, legal documents, and everyday identification to distinguish individuals.