A family name, or surname, is the part of a person's name that indicates to what family he or she belongs. The use of family names is not universal throughout history. In parts of the world, they did not appear in common use until the 17th to 19th centuries, and in some cultures they are not used today. In many cultures of Asia, as well as in Hungary, the family name is typically spoken or written first when referring to an individual (see eastern order), while in most Western cultures, the family name is last, giving rise to the term last name for family name.
The word surname is name prefixed by the French word sur (meaning "on"), which derives from Latin super ("over"). In the past it was sometimes spelt sirname or sirename (suggesting that it meant "man's name" or "father's name") due to folk etymology. Although there is no reason for "sire name" to have not developed along side "sur name", and simply been replaced by it.
The use of family names varies among cultures. In particular, Icelanders, Tibetans, Burmese, and Javanese often do not use a family name — well-known people lacking a family name include U Thant (Burmese), Suharto and Sukarno (see Indonesian names). Also, many royal families do not use family names.
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Connect with Surnames - Alphabetical directory of email addresses of those researching particular surnames.
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Guild of One-Name Studies - Umbrella group for one-name study organisations based at the Society of Genealogists in London. Site gives details of publications and activities of the organization.
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