What Your Last Name Says About Your Ancestors

Surnames, for the most part, drew their meanings from the lives of men in the Middle Ages.

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History & Culture What Your Last Name Says About Your Ancestors With a few exceptions, hereditary surnames—the last names passed down through male family lines—didn't exist until about 1,000 years ago. READ NOW READ THESE The Four Master Tropes in Rhetoric The Most Important Rivers of the Ancient World What Was the First Language in History? You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Today I Learned newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here A Dotdash Brand 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10005 © 2021 Dotdash - All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.