German is spoken primarily in Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, in two-thirds of Switzerland, in two-thirds of the South Tyrol province of Italy (in German, Südtirol), in the small East Cantons of Belgium, and in some border villages of the South Jutland County (in German, Nordschleswig, in Danish, Sønderjylland) of Denmark. In Luxembourg (in German, Luxemburg), as well as in the French régions of Alsace (in German, Elsass) and parts of Lorraine (in German, Lothringen), th ...

See also:

German language, German language - Geographic distribution, German language - History, German language - Classification and related languages, German language - Neighboring languages, German language - Official status, German language - Dialects, German language - Standard German, German language - Grammar, German language - Noun inflection, German language - Verb Inflection, German language - Writing system, German language - Alphabet, German language - Phonology, German language - Cognates with English, German language - Examples of German, German language - Names of the German language in other languages, German language - Reference

Read more here: » German language: Encyclopedia II - German language - Geographic distribution

See also:

Family name, Family name - English-speaking countries, Family name - French-speaking countries, Family name - Ireland, Family name - Irish surname prefixes, Family name - Italy, Family name - Greece, Family name - Pakistan, Family name - Portugal and Brazil, Family name - Spain and Hispanic areas, Family name - The Philippines, Family name - Iceland, Family name - Finland, Family name - Scandinavia, Family name - The Netherlands, Family name - Belgium, Family name - Russia, Family name - Poland, Family name - Ashkenazi Jewish surnames, Family name - Romania, Family name - India and Indonesia, Family name - Ethiopia/Eritrea, Family name - China Hungary Japan Korea and Vietnam, Family name - Mongolia

Read more here: » Family name: Encyclopedia II - Family name - English-speaking countries

Almost all surnames of English origin fall into just four types: Occupations (e.g. Smith, Baker, Archer) Personal characteristics (e.g. Short, Brown, Whitehead) Places & geographical features (e.g. Scott, Hill, Rivers, Windsor) For those descended from peers, the name of their holdings. Ancestry, often based on a first name (e.g. Richardson, James) or, if we include surnames ...

See also:

Family name, Family name - English-speaking countries, Family name - French-speaking countries, Family name - Ireland, Family name - Irish surname prefixes, Family name - Italy, Family name - Greece, Family name - Pakistan, Family name - Portugal and Brazil, Family name - Spain and Hispanic areas, Family name - The Philippines, Family name - Iceland, Family name - Finland, Family name - Scandinavia, Family name - The Netherlands, Family name - Belgium, Family name - Russia, Family name - Poland, Family name - Ashkenazi Jewish surnames, Family name - Romania, Family name - India and Indonesia, Family name - Ethiopia/Eritrea, Family name - China Hungary Japan Korea and Vietnam, Family name - Mongolia

Read more here: » Family name: Encyclopedia II - Family name - English-speaking countries

Almost all surnames of English origin fall into just four types: Occupations (e.g. Smith, Baker, Archer) Personal characteristics (e.g. Short, Brown, Whitehead) Places & geographical features (e.g. Scott, Hill, Rivers, Windsor) Ancestry, often based on a first name (e.g. Richardson, James) or, if we include surnames of Scottish origin; clan (e.g. Macdonald, Forbes). These surname types describe respectively the occupation, personal characteristics, location/origin, and ancestry (typic ...

See also:

Family name, Family name - English-speaking countries, Family name - French-speaking countries, Family name - Ireland, Family name - Irish surname prefixes, Family name - Italy, Family name - Greece, Family name - Pakistan, Family name - Portugal and Brazil, Family name - Spain and Hispanic areas, Family name - The Philippines, Family name - Iceland, Family name - Scandinavia, Family name - The Netherlands, Family name - Belgium, Family name - Russia, Family name - Poland, Family name - Ashkenazi Jewish surnames, Family name - Romania, Family name - India and Indonesia, Family name - Ethiopia/Eritrea, Family name - China Hungary Japan Korea and Vietnam, Family name - Mongolia

Read more here: » Family name: Encyclopedia II - Family name - English-speaking countries

In Scandinavia family names often, but certainly not always, originate from a patronymic. In Sweden, the patronymic ending is -sson, e.g. Karlsson ("Karl's son"). In Denmark and Norway, the corresponding ending is -sen, as in Karlsen. Names ending with dotter/datter (daughter), such as Olofsdotter, are rare but occurring, and only apply to females. Today, the patronymic names are passed on similarly to family names in other Western countries, and a person's father doesn't have to be called ...

See also:

Family name, Family name - English-speaking countries, Family name - French-speaking countries, Family name - Ireland, Family name - Irish surname prefixes, Family name - Italy, Family name - Greece, Family name - Pakistan, Family name - Portugal and Brazil, Family name - Spain and Hispanic areas, Family name - The Philippines, Family name - Iceland, Family name - Finland, Family name - Scandinavia, Family name - The Netherlands, Family name - Belgium, Family name - Russia, Family name - Poland, Family name - Ashkenazi Jewish surnames, Family name - Romania, Family name - India and Indonesia, Family name - Ethiopia/Eritrea, Family name - China Hungary Japan Korea and Vietnam, Family name - Mongolia

Read more here: » Family name: Encyclopedia II - Family name - Scandinavia

Until the middle of the 19th century, there was no standardization of surnames in the Philippines. There were native Filipinos without surnames, others whose surnames deliberately did not match that of their families, as well as those who took certain surnames simply because they had a certain prestige, usually ones dealing with the Roman Catholic religion, such as de los Santos and de la Cruz. In 1849, the Spanish governor Narciso Clavería y Zaldúa decreed an end to these arbitrary practices, the result of which was t ...

See also:

Family name, Family name - English-speaking countries, Family name - French-speaking countries, Family name - Ireland, Family name - Irish surname prefixes, Family name - Italy, Family name - Greece, Family name - Pakistan, Family name - Portugal and Brazil, Family name - Spain and Hispanic areas, Family name - The Philippines, Family name - Iceland, Family name - Finland, Family name - Scandinavia, Family name - The Netherlands, Family name - Belgium, Family name - Russia, Family name - Poland, Family name - Ashkenazi Jewish surnames, Family name - Romania, Family name - India and Indonesia, Family name - Ethiopia/Eritrea, Family name - China Hungary Japan Korea and Vietnam, Family name - Mongolia

Read more here: » Family name: Encyclopedia II - Family name - The Philippines

See also: Italian surnames category. Italian names are mostly derived from Latin, but since Italy has been often ruled by foreigners, many surnames are of Spanish, French, German, Norman or Swiss origin (and thus often Romance language names). Beginning in the 14th century, it became necessary to add a second name to distinguish between individuals with the same surname. Italian surnames are especially easy to recognize because most end in a vowel—like nearly all words in Standard Italian—and many of them have been derived from descriptive nicknames. Italian surnam ...

See also:

Family name, Family name - English-speaking countries, Family name - French-speaking countries, Family name - Ireland, Family name - Irish surname prefixes, Family name - Italy, Family name - Greece, Family name - Pakistan, Family name - Portugal and Brazil, Family name - Spain and Hispanic areas, Family name - The Philippines, Family name - Iceland, Family name - Finland, Family name - Scandinavia, Family name - The Netherlands, Family name - Belgium, Family name - Russia, Family name - Poland, Family name - Ashkenazi Jewish surnames, Family name - Romania, Family name - India and Indonesia, Family name - Ethiopia/Eritrea, Family name - China Hungary Japan Korea and Vietnam, Family name - Mongolia

Read more here: » Family name: Encyclopedia II - Family name - Italy

French-speaking countries have many similarities to English-speaking ones in the way family names are used. In France and the Canadian province of Quebec, name change upon marriage is no longer automatic. Those who wish to change their name upon marriage must follow the same legal procedure as would be used under any other circumstance. In France, until January 1, 2005, children were required by law to take the surname of their father. From this date, article 311-21 of the French Civil code permits parents to give their children eithe ...

See also:

Family name, Family name - English-speaking countries, Family name - French-speaking countries, Family name - Ireland, Family name - Irish surname prefixes, Family name - Italy, Family name - Greece, Family name - Pakistan, Family name - Portugal and Brazil, Family name - Spain and Hispanic areas, Family name - The Philippines, Family name - Iceland, Family name - Finland, Family name - Scandinavia, Family name - The Netherlands, Family name - Belgium, Family name - Russia, Family name - Poland, Family name - Ashkenazi Jewish surnames, Family name - Romania, Family name - India and Indonesia, Family name - Ethiopia/Eritrea, Family name - China Hungary Japan Korea and Vietnam, Family name - Mongolia

Read more here: » Family name: Encyclopedia II - Family name - French-speaking countries

Many surnames in Ireland of Gaelic origin derive from ancestor's names; nicknames; or descriptive names. In the first group can be placed surnames such as Mac Murrough, Mac Carthy (derived from father's names) or O'Brien, O'Toole (ancestral names). Gaelic surnames derived from nicknames include O'Doherty (from "dochartaigh", 'destroyer' or obtrusive), Garvery ("garbh", rough or nasty), Manton ("mantach", toothless), Bane ("b ...

See also:

Family name, Family name - English-speaking countries, Family name - French-speaking countries, Family name - Ireland, Family name - Irish surname prefixes, Family name - Italy, Family name - Greece, Family name - Pakistan, Family name - Portugal and Brazil, Family name - Spain and Hispanic areas, Family name - The Philippines, Family name - Iceland, Family name - Finland, Family name - Scandinavia, Family name - The Netherlands, Family name - Belgium, Family name - Russia, Family name - Poland, Family name - Ashkenazi Jewish surnames, Family name - Romania, Family name - India and Indonesia, Family name - Ethiopia/Eritrea, Family name - China Hungary Japan Korea and Vietnam, Family name - Mongolia

Read more here: » Family name: Encyclopedia II - Family name - Ireland

A full Russian name consists of personal (given) name, patronymic, and family name (surname). Probably the majority of Russian family names originated from patronymics, that is, father's name in genitive case: name + suffix -ov(a) or -ev(a) (it should be noted, though, that contemporaty patronymics have additional suffixes -ich and -na for masculine and feminine, respectively). Here is, for example, the proverbial triad of most common Russian surnames: Ivanov (son of Ivan), Petrov (son of Petr), Sid ...

See also:

Family name, Family name - English-speaking countries, Family name - French-speaking countries, Family name - Ireland, Family name - Irish surname prefixes, Family name - Italy, Family name - Greece, Family name - Pakistan, Family name - Portugal and Brazil, Family name - Spain and Hispanic areas, Family name - The Philippines, Family name - Iceland, Family name - Finland, Family name - Scandinavia, Family name - The Netherlands, Family name - Belgium, Family name - Russia, Family name - Poland, Family name - Ashkenazi Jewish surnames, Family name - Romania, Family name - India and Indonesia, Family name - Ethiopia/Eritrea, Family name - China Hungary Japan Korea and Vietnam, Family name - Mongolia

Read more here: » Family name: Encyclopedia II - Family name - Russia

In medieval times, a patronymic system similar to the one still used in Iceland emerged. For example, Álvaro son of Rodrigo would be named Álvaro Rodríguez. His son Juan would not be named Juan Rodríguez, but Juan Álvarez. Over time many of these patronymics became family names and are some of the most common names in the Spanish-speaking world. Other sources of surnames are personal appearance o ...

See also:

Family name, Family name - English-speaking countries, Family name - French-speaking countries, Family name - Ireland, Family name - Irish surname prefixes, Family name - Italy, Family name - Greece, Family name - Pakistan, Family name - Portugal and Brazil, Family name - Spain and Hispanic areas, Family name - The Philippines, Family name - Iceland, Family name - Finland, Family name - Scandinavia, Family name - The Netherlands, Family name - Belgium, Family name - Russia, Family name - Poland, Family name - Ashkenazi Jewish surnames, Family name - Romania, Family name - India and Indonesia, Family name - Ethiopia/Eritrea, Family name - China Hungary Japan Korea and Vietnam, Family name - Mongolia

Read more here: » Family name: Encyclopedia II - Family name - Spain and Hispanic areas

Until a few hundred years ago, Ashkenazim (Jews from Northern and Eastern Europe) followed no tradition of surnames, but used patronymics within the synagogue, and matronymics in other venues. For example, a boy named Joseph of a father named Isaac would be called to the Torah as Joseph ben Isaac. That same boy of a mother named Rachel would be known in business as Joseph ben Rachel. A male used the He ...

See also:

Family name, Family name - English-speaking countries, Family name - French-speaking countries, Family name - Ireland, Family name - Irish surname prefixes, Family name - Italy, Family name - Greece, Family name - Pakistan, Family name - Portugal and Brazil, Family name - Spain and Hispanic areas, Family name - The Philippines, Family name - Iceland, Family name - Finland, Family name - Scandinavia, Family name - The Netherlands, Family name - Belgium, Family name - Russia, Family name - Poland, Family name - Ashkenazi Jewish surnames, Family name - Romania, Family name - India and Indonesia, Family name - Ethiopia/Eritrea, Family name - China Hungary Japan Korea and Vietnam, Family name - Mongolia

Read more here: » Family name: Encyclopedia II - Family name - Ashkenazi Jewish surnames

The history of the German language begins with the High German consonant shift during the Migration period, separating South Germanic dialects from common West Germanic. The earliest testimonies of Old High German are from scattered Elder Futhark inscriptions, especially in Alemannic, from the 6th century, the earliest glosses (Abrogans) date to the 8th and the oldest coherent texts (the Hildebrandslied, the Muspilli and the Merseburg Incantations) to the 9th century. Old Saxon at this time belongs to the North Sea Germanic cultural sphere, and Low German should fall under German rather than Anglo-Fris ...

See also:

German language, German language - Geographic distribution, German language - History, German language - Classification and related languages, German language - Neighboring languages, German language - Official status, German language - Dialects, German language - Standard German, German language - Grammar, German language - Noun inflection, German language - Verb Inflection, German language - Writing system, German language - Alphabet, German language - Phonology, German language - Cognates with English, German language - Examples of German, German language - Names of the German language in other languages, German language - Reference

Read more here: » German language: Encyclopedia II - German language - History

French-speaking countries have many similarities to English-speaking ones in the way family names are used. In France and the Canadian province of Quebec, name change upon marriage shit is no longer automatic. Those who wish to change their name upon marriage must follow the same legal procedure as would be used under any other circumstance. In France, until January 1, 2005, children were required by law to take the surname of their father. From this date, article 311-21 of the French Civil code permits parents to give their children ...

See also:

Family name, Family name - English-speaking countries, Family name - French-speaking countries, Family name - Ireland, Family name - Irish surname prefixes, Family name - Italy, Family name - Greece, Family name - Pakistan, Family name - Portugal and Brazil, Family name - Spain and Hispanic areas, Family name - The Philippines, Family name - Iceland, Family name - Finland, Family name - Scandinavia, Family name - The Netherlands, Family name - Belgium, Family name - Russia, Family name - Poland, Family name - Ashkenazi Jewish surnames, Family name - Romania, Family name - India and Indonesia, Family name - Ethiopia/Eritrea, Family name - China Hungary Japan Korea and Vietnam, Family name - Mongolia

Read more here: » Family name: Encyclopedia II - Family name - French-speaking countries

In most of Ethiopia and Eritrea, a patronymic custom exists. Children are given the father's exact first name as their surname. Common tigrinya names include Gebrezghi (worker of God), Hailesellasie (Power of the Trinity), Hailemariam (Power of the Virgin Mary), Desta (joy) , Abraha (bright), Araya (example), Berhane (Light) , Hagos (happiness) , Gebremichael (work of Michael) , Demoz (sal ...

See also:

Family name, Family name - English-speaking countries, Family name - French-speaking countries, Family name - Ireland, Family name - Irish surname prefixes, Family name - Italy, Family name - Greece, Family name - Pakistan, Family name - Portugal and Brazil, Family name - Spain and Hispanic areas, Family name - The Philippines, Family name - Iceland, Family name - Finland, Family name - Scandinavia, Family name - The Netherlands, Family name - Belgium, Family name - Russia, Family name - Poland, Family name - Ashkenazi Jewish surnames, Family name - Romania, Family name - India and Indonesia, Family name - Ethiopia/Eritrea, Family name - China Hungary Japan Korea and Vietnam, Family name - Mongolia

Read more here: » Family name: Encyclopedia II - Family name - Ethiopia/Eritrea

German is a member of the western branch of the Germanic family of languages, which in turn is part of the Indo-European language family. German language - Neighboring languages. Together with Dutch, its closest extant relative, German forms a coherent and well-defined language area that is separated from its neighbors by language borders. These neighbors are: in the north Frisian and Danish; in the east Polish, Sorbian, Czech, Slovak, and Hungarian; in the south Slovenian, Italian, Friulian, Ladin, and Ro ...

See also:

German language, German language - Geographic distribution, German language - History, German language - Classification and related languages, German language - Neighboring languages, German language - Official status, German language - Dialects, German language - Standard German, German language - Grammar, German language - Noun inflection, German language - Verb Inflection, German language - Writing system, German language - Alphabet, German language - Phonology, German language - Cognates with English, German language - Examples of German, German language - Names of the German language in other languages, German language - Reference

Read more here: » German language: Encyclopedia II - German language - Classification and related languages

In Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Hungarian cultures, the family name is placed before the given names. So the terms "first name" and "last name" are potentially confusing and should be avoided, as they do not in this case denote the given and family names respectively. Some Chinese add an English given name in front of their Chinese name, e.g. Martin LEE Chu-ming. In addition, many Chinese Americans have an English first name which is commonly used and a Chinese name which is used as a middle name, e.g. Mar ...

See also:

Family name, Family name - English-speaking countries, Family name - French-speaking countries, Family name - Ireland, Family name - Irish surname prefixes, Family name - Italy, Family name - Greece, Family name - Pakistan, Family name - Portugal and Brazil, Family name - Spain and Hispanic areas, Family name - The Philippines, Family name - Iceland, Family name - Finland, Family name - Scandinavia, Family name - The Netherlands, Family name - Belgium, Family name - Russia, Family name - Poland, Family name - Ashkenazi Jewish surnames, Family name - Romania, Family name - India and Indonesia, Family name - Ethiopia/Eritrea, Family name - China Hungary Japan Korea and Vietnam, Family name - Mongolia

Read more here: » Family name: Encyclopedia II - Family name - China Hungary Japan Korea and Vietnam

In Romania family names traditionally have an English-like usage: a child inherits his father's family name, and a wife takes her husband's last name. There are however exceptions and social pressure to follow this tradition is not particularly strong in most families. Until the XIX century the names were primarily of the form "name father's name grandfather's name". The few exceptions are usually famous people or the nobility (boyars). The name reform introduced around 1850, had the names changed to a western style, most likely imported from France: ...

See also:

Family name, Family name - English-speaking countries, Family name - French-speaking countries, Family name - Ireland, Family name - Irish surname prefixes, Family name - Italy, Family name - Greece, Family name - Pakistan, Family name - Portugal and Brazil, Family name - Spain and Hispanic areas, Family name - The Philippines, Family name - Iceland, Family name - Finland, Family name - Scandinavia, Family name - The Netherlands, Family name - Belgium, Family name - Russia, Family name - Poland, Family name - Ashkenazi Jewish surnames, Family name - Romania, Family name - India and Indonesia, Family name - Ethiopia/Eritrea, Family name - China Hungary Japan Korea and Vietnam, Family name - Mongolia

Read more here: » Family name: Encyclopedia II - Family name - Romania

Similar patronymic customs exist in some parts of India and Indonesia. A patronymic system is often followed in southern regions of India with a wife or child taking the name of the husband or father. Village names are also often used. However in north India the family name or last name is crucial as it links a person to their caste and clan. In the Sikh religion, men and women are accorded equality of status which ...

See also:

Family name, Family name - English-speaking countries, Family name - French-speaking countries, Family name - Ireland, Family name - Irish surname prefixes, Family name - Italy, Family name - Greece, Family name - Pakistan, Family name - Portugal and Brazil, Family name - Spain and Hispanic areas, Family name - The Philippines, Family name - Iceland, Family name - Finland, Family name - Scandinavia, Family name - The Netherlands, Family name - Belgium, Family name - Russia, Family name - Poland, Family name - Ashkenazi Jewish surnames, Family name - Romania, Family name - India and Indonesia, Family name - Ethiopia/Eritrea, Family name - China Hungary Japan Korea and Vietnam, Family name - Mongolia

Read more here: » Family name: Encyclopedia II - Family name - India and Indonesia

In most of Ethiopia and Eritrea, a patronymic custom exists. Children are given the father's exact first name as their surname. Common Tigrinya names include Gebrezghi (worker of God), Hailesellasie (Power of the Trinity), Hailemariam (Power of the Virgin Mary), Desta (joy), Abraha (bright), Araya (example), Berhane (Light) , Hagos (happiness), Gebremichael (work of Michael), Demoz (salary meaning gift) , Tewoldeberhan (son of light) ...

See also:

Family name, Family name - English-speaking countries, Family name - French-speaking countries, Family name - Ireland, Family name - Irish surname prefixes, Family name - Italy, Family name - Greece, Family name - Pakistan, Family name - Portugal and Brazil, Family name - Spain and Hispanic areas, Family name - The Philippines, Family name - Iceland, Family name - Finland, Family name - Scandinavia, Family name - The Netherlands, Family name - Belgium, Family name - Russia, Family name - Poland, Family name - Ashkenazi Jewish surnames, Family name - Romania, Family name - India and Indonesia, Family name - Ethiopia/Eritrea, Family name - China Hungary Japan Korea and Vietnam, Family name - Mongolia

Read more here: » Family name: Encyclopedia II - Family name - Ethiopia/Eritrea