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How Western surnames came about
Most European surnames fall into four groups. Patronymic names say whose child you were, as in Johansson, Fitzgerald, Evans, Hernandez or Ivanov. Occupational names such as Smith, MĂĽller, Ferrari and Kowalski describe a trade. Locational names like Hill, Dupont or Ibarra point to a place, and descriptive names like Brown, Russo or Moreau refer to appearance.
Spelling clues help. Mc and Mac mean “son of” in Gaelic, -ski and -wicz are typical in Polish names, -sen and -sson are Scandinavian, and -ez often marks a Spanish or Portuguese patronymic. Remember that many families changed or simplified their names when they migrated.
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Explore the culture guides, search the names and meanings directory, or take the heritage quiz to find cultures linked to your family.