Our last names. We didn’t always have themBirdella. But. Throughout history, different countries and cultures have taken to using last names at different times.
One of the first was China. That is where the legendary emperor Fu Xi is said to have introduced a system of inherited surnames in 2852 BCE. I’m not sure if “Xi” is his last name, but if my first name were “Fu,” I’d probably change it to Chuck. Or Derrick.
Anyway. Things were slower to start in the way of last names in the West. Surnames only began being used there around 1000 CE. The reason? Two things. The population was growing much larger. And. There was a serious shortfall of different first names. Back then, people didn’t name their kids wonky names, like Birdella, and Almond, and such. So this led to last names being adopted as a new means of telling people apart.
Most of us have last names now. Except for a handful of famous people, like Cher. And Madonna. And Bono.
My last name is Kronenberger. Not very common. But. In every country, there is one most common last name.
Using data from national censuses and genealogical portals, the researchers at NetCredit first determined each country’s most common name. And so on and so forth.
The research shows that inherited ancestral names come out on top in most countries around the world, with many using names that honor a father, a mother, or an ancestor. The likes of Sweden’s Andersson, Mexico’s Hernandez, and Russia’s Ivanova all fall into this category, as do many of the names from countries in Africa, Central Asia, and Central America.
The occupational name Smith (“metal worker”) came out on top in much of the English-speaking world—including the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Australia. But. Occupational names remain relatively uncommon overall.
You can take a look at the full map of the world above and see the full survey and analysis—as well as the continent-by-continent maps—here.
So there it is. The most of the last names. Personally, I’m glad to be a little uncommon.
Link to the Original Map: https://www.netcredit.com/blog/most-common-name-country/
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“A name is the blueprint of the thing we call character. You ask, ‘What’s in a name?’ I answer, ‘Just about everything you do.'” — Morris Mandel
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“Your name is a powerful thing. It sets the tone for how people perceive you—and how you perceive yourself.” — Robin Sharma
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“We all have a name, and it’s the first story we’re ever told about ourselves.” — Erika Robuck
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