In the same way that we use our first names to identify ourselves, we can also use our last names to do the same. A last name is part of our personal name, and it includes our family and tribe. It’s important to know that there are different types of surnames, which are listed below.
Common English surnames
Common English surnames have a variety of origins. These include place names, occupational names, patronymics, and family lines. Some of these last names are also influenced by Native American and African-American cultures. There are about 45,000 of these common last names to choose from.
Most common English surnames are derived from place names. They often have an Old or Middle English origin. Sometimes they have German or Scandinavian roots. Others are derived from religious or family lines.
Examples of these are the following: Jones, Daniels, Michaels, Roberts, Peters, and Phillips. Occupational names are more likely to have their origins in the job they held.
Many English surnames also have their origins in religion. Abner, for example, is a common Christian surname. It means ‘father of light’ in Hebrew. Other examples of this are the Abel and Abraham last names.
Common Spanish surnames
Common Spanish surnames are derived from a number of sources. They range from geographical names to patronymic ones. There are also descriptive and occupational ones.
A descriptive one is a name that identifies a characteristic of a person. This can be a positive or negative attribute. The most common is a name that describes a physical feature of the first bearer of the name. For example, Abreu is a common Spanish surname.
A patronymic one is based on the parent’s first name. Many of them are a variation of a word that means “son of” or “of the family of”. Other types of patronymic surnames are based on the corresponding Latin words.
Another one is a compound. A compound is a name that is created by a particle that joins two other names into a single fixed form.
Common Chinese surnames
Common Chinese surnames can be confusing. However, if you know how to identify a group of characters, you can quickly get the meaning of the name. This helps when you are reading texts, or if you need to remember names of Chinese people.
In China, there are more than 2,000 surnames. They include traditional Chinese names, which are often accompanied by legends. Some are also tied to royal families. You can use these names to learn more about Chinese history and culture.
The most common surname in China is Li, followed by Wang and Zhang. These three names account for about 7.9%, 7.4%, and 7.1% of the population.
Guo is another common Chinese surname. It is the character for “outer wall.” Guo originally meant ‘carry the load’, but is now used to refer to the entire city.
Common Korean surnames
The Koreans have a lot of unique surnames. They often have deep meanings. Some of them can be traced back to royalty. Others have an ancient Korean origin.
Common Korean surnames include Kim, Lee, Park, and Yun. These names represent the power of the Kim family.
Kim is the most common Korean name. It is a symbol of wealth. But many people do not know the roots of this name.
Surnames in Korea vary according to region, attribute of the ancestor, or even the physical characteristics of the ancestor. However, these types of names are not widely used in South Korea. In fact, many commoners choose to use their clan’s name when they became adults.
Despite this, Kim, Lee, and Park remained three of the most common surnames in Korean culture. They accounted for more than 44.6 percent of all family names in 2014.
Most Korean family names are composed of two or three syllables. Sometimes they can be spelled in different ways. Other times, they can be spelled with only one syllable.
Common Asian surnames
In addition to the most common Asian surnames, there are some other popular family names. Some are tied to historical figures, while others are related to the region in which they are found.
Common Asian surnames for women are as follows. Many of these names are compound, meaning that the same name is spelled in different ways. This is becoming more rare in real life, but is very common in movies and Wuxia novels.
One of the most common Chinese last names is Liu. It is spelled as Lee in Cantonese, but as Li in Hokkien and Mandarin. As a family name, it is traced back to the ancient kingdom of Chen, which is located in modern-day Henan province.
Another popular Chinese last name is Yang. Originally, it meant the sun rising over a poplar forest. However, it is now used as a more neutral word.