A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases a "surname" is a family name; the family-name meaning first appeared in 1375.^[1] Many dictionaries use "surname" as a synonym of "family name". ^[2] It is also known as a 'last name'. In some cultures, the surname may be a patronymic or matronymic, see for example Icelandic name. Also, in some cultures, the surname is commonly the first name in order, before the given name, as in a Chinese name.

Surnames are often influenced by common elements: the name of the person's father or mother, the person's geographical origin, the person's occupation, or a descriptive nickname for the person. When they were created they answered one of the following questions: Who is this person related to? Where is this person from? What does this person do for a living? What is his or her most prominent feature?^[3][4]

For instance, the names Smith and Cooper may originate from the blacksmith and cooper occupations, respectively. Names such as Cohen may denote a prominent religious background; Cohen is a name usually found among male descendants of Jewish priests. The names Tedeschi, Todesco or Todeschin is Italian for "German", and usually indicates that the bearer of the surname is of German descent.

In French Canada, up until the 19th century, several families adopted surnames which followed the family name in order to distinguish the various branches of a large family. These surnames were preceded by the word "dit", meaning 'said', and were known as "nom-dit", meaning 'said-name'. This tradition is not in use anymore but, in many cases, the nom-dit has come to replace the original family name. Thus the Bourbeau family has split into Bourbeau dit Verville, Bourbeau dit Lacourse and Bourbeau dit Beauchesne. In many cases Verville, Lacourse or Beauchesne has become the new family name. Likewise, the Rivard family has split into the Rivard dit Lavigne, Rivard dit Loranger and Rivard dit Lanoie. The origin of the nom-dit can vary. Often it denoted a geographical trait of the area where that branch of the family lived: Verville lived towards the city, Beauchesne lived near an oaktree, Larivière near a river, etc. Some of the oldest nom-dits are derived from the war name of a settler who served in the army or militia: Tranchemontagne (mountain slasher), Jolicoeur (braveheart). Other may denote a personal trait: Lacourse might have been a fast runner, Legrand was probably tall, etc.

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