Go to America, and you're certain to find people with the last names Smith, Johnson, Williams, Jones and Brown. That's because these surnames are the five most common in the nation. Over 300 million people living in America today use around 152,000 last names. And while some of these names are common and others are unique, all of them have a story to tell.
Surnames begin to surface
Throughout much of history, surnames were not considered necessary. For thousands of years, people only used first, or given, names. The world was less populated, and because everyone knew their neighbors, one title of address was enough. When two people living in the same area shared the same first name, a simple solution was developed. A second name was adopted to distinguish one individual from the other, but these names were seldom passed on. When the French conquered England in 1066, they brought they practice of using surnames with them. This practice slowly became popular, and by 1400, most people were using surnames they inherited from their families. Most English surnames can be traced back to one of four sources:
Place names
Perhaps the most convenient way to a surname was to adopt a name based on the place one lived. A man named John who was living in Bristol. England, would be called John of Bristol Gradually the prepositions disappeared, and John of Bristol simply became John Bristol. A person named Oliver who lived by a lake might become Oliver At water.
Nicknames
Nicknames also have a place in English surname history. For example, if a man were unusually strong, he might adopt a surname such as Armstrong. Likewise, a person who was tall might become Longfellow.
Trade names
Trade laborers often used their occupations as surnames. A woodworker might go by the last name Carpenter. Down the street might be Mr. Smith, the village blacksmith.
Patronymics
Surnames that indicate family relationships were the last to catch on. They worked like this: Peter's son John became John Peterson, and Robert's son Joseph would have been called Joseph Robertson. Whether common or unique, all English family names are full of history!
More Information:
When Europeans began immigrating to America their surnames often took on different spellings and pronunciations. After reaching their new name millions of immigrants volunteered to have their family names changed so that they would be easier for others to pronounce. Many Immigrants found it easier to adjust to American culture with American-sounding names, so they gladly took on their new name.
Grammar Tips
Nicknames also have a place in English surname history.
have a place....history=a certain part of history
have a place= having somewhere to go
Do you have a place to stay when you're visiting London?
(the important event or the person has a place in certain activities in the pass.)
The athlete won a place in history when he broke the world record.
Copernicus claimed a place in history with his contributions to astronomy.
Vocabulary Tips
surname= last name, family name.
*I thought John was French because his surname is DuPont.
*Don't forget to write down your surname on your test.
giving name= first name.
distinguish-區別,區分,分辨,分開,辨明.
*It's hard to distinguish Sean from his twin brother Simon. They look exactly alike.
passed on-傳承,傳下去.
*Kevin's family's beautiful antique ring was passed on to me when we got engaged.
*Please make sure this message gets passed on to your supervisor.
acquired-獲得,得到,取得, 學習到.
*Tom acquired his fortune by investing in the stock market.
*Harry drove his newly acquired convertible to work today.
*Nathan acquired Japanese when working in Japan.學習到
laborerr- 勞動者 labor-勞動 er-人
*Farm laborers protested against the new import policy.
*The union declared that they will fight for the rights of the railroad laborers.
catch on- (caught on)-very common, very popular.風行起來,流行,受到歡迎.
*The band's song soon caught on and quickly became number one on the Billboard Top 100 chart. 告示牌,排行榜.
*The software slowly caught on and today many companies use it.
trace-following the path that something took (the name was taken)
preposition- "of'", "at" , "in", "for" ... 介係詞.
patronymic- "patr"-related to father, "nym" =name.
animated film=cartoon film
image-picture. you see your own image through mirror.
population- number of people counted in that area.
populated-is similar meaning of population.
inherit- receive something also include other things than money from your family member.
Chat Room
address-地址， 重音在第一節（美式英語）
What's your address?
address-對人的稱呼，演説，致辭。重音在第二節。
One title of address was enough.
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surname=last name=family name.
Yo-Yo Ma 馬友友。
Ang Lee, Ang (first name), Lee (surname) . in Chinese is putting the last name first. in the West the surname is in the last.李安。
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