Several times each day this question (or a variation) arrives in my mailbox. Sometimes it is from a woman who is getting married and wants to learn more about the name she will soon be adopting. Others come from people looking for the answer to a school assignment (when will teachers learn that asking students to learn the origin of their last name rarely teaches them anything useful?). The majority, however, come from people who are just beginning to look at their family tree and hope that learning the origin of their last name will give them insight into where their family originally came from.
Last names aren't always as simple as they sound, however. Kerry, for example, is an Irish surname. Yet, Senator John Kerry, the Democratic candidate for U.S. President, has Austrian origins - his grandfather changed his name from Kohn to Kerry after arriving in the U.S. As you trace the origin of your own last name, don't be surprised to find that its present incarnation has been changed from the original as well. You may have a slight spelling variation of the original name, an anglicized version, or even a completely different surname.
Difficulties aside, there is something neat about learning what your name means and how it was originally derived. Check the Glossary of Last Name Meanings & Origins for the meaning and origin of your family name.
Last names aren't always as simple as they sound, however. Kerry, for example, is an Irish surname. Yet, Senator John Kerry, the Democratic candidate for U.S. President, has Austrian origins - his grandfather changed his name from Kohn to Kerry after arriving in the U.S. As you trace the origin of your own last name, don't be surprised to find that its present incarnation has been changed from the original as well. You may have a slight spelling variation of the original name, an anglicized version, or even a completely different surname.
Difficulties aside, there is something neat about learning what your name means and how it was originally derived. Check the Glossary of Last Name Meanings & Origins for the meaning and origin of your family name.
I disagree that students do not gain anything from researching their last name. Students learn about using computers to research and may gain some understanding of who they are. Plus teachers can use the activity as a way to interest the students in history.
yer i agree,
what eva she said!:)
yeah whatever she said i wanna no wat my last name means sooo bad
Your last name does mean something… you can learn what you are example im Swedish from my last name you can figure what you are!
im greek
uhh yo update yer page or w.e. b/c i cant find my last name on this gay ass site… =/
=( i cant find the meaning of my last name and its for a project!!! i really need to find it i know its italian
i think that my last name comes frm an indian term!! or something it is retarded
how do i find my name i cant find it waaaaaaaaa
Alot of people want to know what the meaning of there last names are. My last name is “Means” please help can’t find answers anywhere. I hear threw older family members that it is a cherokke indian name. But i am uncertain. Does anyone know. And what does it mean? billmeans@hotmail.com
i do think that student gain something from finding the maening of their name because of all the geneology thing that come with wath they are trying to fin so they get side tracked mabey in geneology and they might say “hey I wonder what els I can find here” so I do think that students get something from stuff like this as a school asignment
this is kool and well i g2g k ttyl
my last name is De Alba
i would like my awnser to be good not bad because my last name is Verno
i wish it will be a good thing because my last name is Verno
HOW CAN I FIND WHAT MY LAST NAME MEANS!!!I AM GOING TO BLOWUP!!!!
what the heck!when ever i put in a coment it does not show but when i put a new coment it shows.(wierd)
woah!I am leaving lots of coments.wait i think you do this:what does verno mean!:i have figered it out!
Wat does my last name “Gonzalez” mean
Answer me as soon as u can
I disagree with your comment that students rarely learn anything. This is an option for a research assignment this year for my classes. I use it as a tool for my students to learn researching strategies and to practice writing expository essays.
Giving them a choice allows them to pick something they are enthusiastic about. Over half of my classess have chosen to research their family name and are excited to do so. It is awesome to watch their faces light up when they find the little nuances of their name – it often builds pride in their families.
Hey. I have a friend with the last name Hafling and can’t seem to find it anywhere. Can someone please help me!
whoa!! who is that trying to be my bloodline?
It is interesting to find out the origin and geneology of your last name. I am 14 and i look on my own; not at school. You can always find something interesting that you may not have know before.
my moms last name is bollainygoytia where did it come from
wat da heck you talkin about
i vant to know vat my last name means!! vy vont it vork?
Juvenile and insulting responses to an honest attempt to make the world a better place anger me. Worse, some appear to put a great deal of effort into seeming illiterate.
I’m 66 years old and only recently became interested in my roots. I’ve learned a great deal about European history and customs. My grandchildren love to hear about “the great-grandma who was kidnapped by Indians”.
So please, if you don’t have something intelligent to contribute, keep your opinions to yourself. Learning a little respect for others wouldn’t hurt, either.
what the heck i want to now what my last name means but this page does not workcan somebody help me this page is stupid byebye
my last name is mccary and im wonderin wat it means
i would like to know really what my last name means an where it came from.
I belive that students should never have to research their last name for a paper it is pointless if you want your student to learn about researching than why dont you just tell them not sit their a give them a paper on it and waste their life ……
what the heck does ballantyne mean im dieing 2 no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
its rubbish
I’m Italian/English but I knew that already…
who runs this website? i need to know what beliz means.
notice that i am being calm unlike ava whoever that is.
stupid ava.
geez bellentyne
my name is billy bob joe fred mcspanky and i wanted to say HELLO PEOPLE OF EARTH!!
My last nam is German & my familys history or my histety hose back 2 Bavaria,Germany!
And my last name in Emglish it is Stohlman so in German It is Steelworker or that is that is means my last name accaly is Stohlman which is promised Stühlmann and it meand Steelworker.
i can’t really relate to this story
My Last Name is quite Complicating, So you might
want to transalate it in French then I recognise it cos
I am an kind of an American.
P.S: Which lauguage do you transalate. I wanna know!!
Tamana
MY LAST NAME IS CORONA LIKE THE BEER
what orgin is ‘Messer’? is it German? It means ‘measurer’ in German, but I was told it meant knife or something but ide what language.
Thanks!
My last name is German it is Stohlman in English and it is Stühlman in German whitch means Steelworker in German!!!!!
Note:Sime one in my family that is dead now changed Stühlman to Stohlman so it would sound more American.
I am Germsn and Irish from my ancent family which most came from Barvaria and I am Irish becouse some of them also came from Ierland
i (l) u
I rate this website 8 out of 10 cool
i want to know what my last name is its italian boccalon
i wanna kno wat muh frikin last name means….im spanish…lol
man dis site is wack cous yall need 2 have better websites like mine jesus2010.com i want 2 no my last name meaning but wut ev
well it all depends on how you look at your last name you may hate it love it or your just stuck with it for the rest of your life
WOW TOTALLY RIGHT SO TRUE LOLZ
i want to know what does swati swagatika mean………………………………
hey could someone help me im trying to find out what banta means i need help( physically and mentally!!!)
Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii i know what my last name means it means LOUD really LOUD i know that because i am really loud and it is not just because of my last name
Hey, my last name is Everette. And we come from the Black Forest of Germany. We were boar hunters. They say that we turned into overgrown wolves when we went hunting. Plus, we are the largest family in the world!
I am from the Black Forest of Germany. we were ancient boar hunters who are said to turn into wolves when we go hunting. true story!
what does last name harred mean & Pierce mean & Reneau mean Weaver
OMG I CANT FIND THE MEANING OF MY LAST NAME!!!!! ITS COROTAN…. DOES ANYONE KNOW ARTEMIO COROTAN????????? HES MY DAD
what doesmy last name meanis restall
Tabitha Jenkins, I am sincerely sorry but I have to disagree with you, I am ten years old and I learnt that my last name means Benjamin in a certain language ]that I will not state as I do not want people to make fun of] and by studying my last name, I found out that my family ruled supreme for 134 years, and we still do today! So I’m sorry if I come across rude and abysmal, but I can tell you that I know for a fact that students can find information with their last name, they just have to look hard enough. Come on, if a ten year old who is the smartest in the entire class she’s in can do it, surely other students can too.
hey my last name is everette. we are famous boar hunters in germany. i want to beat somebody up
I need to no what my last name iss !!!! For homework what is it!! It’s warburton but what does it mean? X
help!!!
my last name is awkward
this website is stupid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
cant anyone tell me what my last name means????????????
it is Klukowski. its polish
stupid website
can anyone tell me what corlito means?
hi my second name is green im english irish and a bit jewish my friend sead its jewish and my dad sead its irish so what the bloodie hell is it then:)
we had to do that in school when i was littel.(^^^)
wat does gonzolez mean
I’m Irish and Swedish. I can’t find a definite meaning for my Irish name. I tried looking up my moms Swedish maiden name and nothing comes up
my last name is shores what does it mean
this sucks
this website is f#$%ed up
Whoever said something mean about this website is mean because whoever made this website would be sad to hear that stuff. I like this website.
well ofcourse everyones last name and first name means al least one thing
Well im doing a project on it right now and I like it!
i think kids should know where they came from. so why not lets them do a paper on their last names. it would help alot in history.
wow i did not know that
What does Dabral mean
my last name is taylor what does it mean???
what does morris mean i need to find out for my friend
What does “Strong” mean? I can’t ****** find out what it means!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If anyone finds out please post it on here!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!
I am DIEING OVER HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The meaning for the name Strong is “*strong” as in strength.
what does gasper and koch mean? i do not get this place i need HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!>:(
What does Gilchrist mean. answer me, answer answer answer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!