A family name, also commonly known as a surname or last name, refers to the name shared by individuals within a family unit, typically passed down from one generation to another. It is an integral part of one's personal identity and distinguishes them from others. The family name, together with the given name, forms a person's full name.
Family names have varied origins and often reflect cultural, regional, or historical traditions. They can be derived from a wide range of sources, such as occupations (e.g., Smith), physical attributes (e.g., Brown), locations (e.g., Hill), familial relationships (e.g., Johnson), or historical events (e.g., Kennedy). Family names can also be inherited through marriage, where individuals adopt their spouse's family name or hyphenate their own.
Although family names primarily denote kinship and lineage within a particular family, they also serve practical purposes, facilitating identification, record-keeping, and tracing of genealogical heritage. Additionally, family names contribute to one's sense of belonging and heritage, connecting individuals to their ancestors and cultural roots.
Global naming conventions regarding family names vary across cultures and countries. While some cultures place the family name before the given name (e.g., East Asian countries like China and Korea), others follow a reverse pattern (e.g., Western cultures such as the United States and most European nations). Despite these differences, family names universally play an essential role in establishing an individual's identity and familial connections.
