Foreign names and surnames of girls. American male and female surnames

As you know, names in English-speaking countries are not built according to the usual “last name, first name, patronymic” formula. They can consist of two words (John Smith), three or more words (James Peter Williams), they have Junior or Senior additions (Walter White Jr., Walter White Sr) and other features. In this article you will learn how English names are structured, as well as which first and last names are the most popular in the USA and England, and how this popularity has changed over the course of the century.

What does a name consist of?

If we talk about names all over the world, their structure differs greatly in different countries. The most common elements of a name, common to many cultures, are personal name(personal name) and surname, family name (surname, last name, family name). The personal name is given at birth, and the surname is inherited as a common name for the family.

Many cultures have names derived from the parents' given names, usually from the father's name as a patronymic (patronymic), but sometimes from the mother's name (matronymic). In the Scandinavian countries there were no surnames, there were only first names and patronymics. In Norway, surnames were officially introduced in 1923, but in Iceland surnames are still not used. In fact, in Iceland patronymics are used as surnames - the name of the father (less often the mother) with the suffix “son” (son) or “dottir” (daughter), for example: Björk Guðmundsdóttir, literally: Björk, daughter of Guðmundur.

If we talk about England and the USA, then they often use middle name(middle name) - this is the main feature of names in these countries.

Middle Name in England and the USA

A middle or middle name can be given in honor of a saint, relative, family friend, famous person, in fact - in honor of anyone, but more often in honor of a relative, ancestor or saint (in Catholic families). A person may have more than one middle name (Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton) or none at all (James Bond) – This is an optional element of the name.

In the USA, middle name means that part of the name that is located between the personal name (first name) and last name (last name), even if it is not actually a middle name, but, for example, a patronymic (Igor Petrovich Belov).

The middle name in the USA is usually abbreviated as a letter (middle initial), for example: Mary Lee Bianchi - Mary L. Bianchi. In Great Britain, it is customary to write differently: they write either without the middle name (Mary Bianchi), or abbreviate everything except the surname (M. L. Bianchi), or write it in full (Mary Lee Bianchi).

Sometimes there are cases when a person prefers to use his middle name as his main name. In the USA, in this case, the first name is written in abbreviation. For example, J. Edgar Hoover's real name was John, and Edgar was his middle name. His full name sounds like John Edgar Hoover, or J. Edgar Hoover for short. Sometimes the first name is simply omitted, not used, as in the case of the writer Harper Lee. Harper is her middle name, and her personal name is Nelle: Nelle Harper Lee.

In rare cases, a person does not have a full middle name, but only an initial, which cannot be deciphered in any way. An example is Harry Truman. His full name is spelled Harry S. Truman, but the “S” is not spelled. Truman once even told reporters that for this reason “S” should be written without a dot, because it is essentially full name, not a reduction.

There can be two middle names. Such long names are more common among representatives of privileged classes, especially in England, for example John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. While the first middle name is usually someone's personal name, such as Leslie William Nielsen (William is obviously someone's first name), then the second middle name is often someone's last name. Men can extend their middle name using their mother's maiden name, and women can use their maiden name to extend their middle name. For example, Hillary Clinton was Hillary Diane Rodham before her marriage; after her marriage, she left her maiden name as part of her middle name and became Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton.

What does Junior or Senior mean after a name?

If the son's name is exactly the same as the father's, the word "Junior" may be added to the son's name and "Senior" to the father's name to make it easier to distinguish between them. “Junior\Senior” can be used both officially, in documents, and unofficially. In the USA these words are abbreviated as Jr. and Sr. (Jnr., Snr. in Great Britain), for example: Walter White Jr., Walter White Sr.

If the White family had three full namesakes - father, son and grandson, instead of Jr. and Sr. Roman numerals would be used: Walter White I (first), Walter White II (second), Walter White III (third).

English names in everyday life

In English-speaking countries, it is common practice for the full name, including the middle name, to be used only in documents or formal occasions. That is, if a person’s name is Allen William Jones, then many acquaintances may not be aware of the middle name William, because he will introduce himself everywhere as Allen Jones.

Personal names (first name) are often used in abbreviated form, and at the official level. For example, everyone knew the former Prime Minister of Great Britain as Tony Blair, but Tony is a shortened (in fact, even diminutive) form of the name Anthony.

Popular American names: what were boys and girls called in the USA throughout the century?

Popularity of the name Nancy over the course of a century in the United States. A striking example of how name fashions come and go.

Russian names have experienced ups and downs, either suddenly becoming popular or fading into the background. Usually, the fashion for names was associated with events in the country, the world, with the appearance of popular fictional characters, with the popularity of individuals. A striking example is the popularity of the name Yuri after Gagarin’s flight into space.

The fashion for names also exists in English-speaking countries. For example, the popularity of books and films about Harry Potter influenced the popularity of the name Harry, and after the release of the series “Game of Thrones” the name Arya entered the top 100 popular names in the UK. Because of this variability in name fashion, it is difficult to say which English names are the most popular right now. Popular among whom? Born in the 1960s? In the 1990s? Last year?

For comparison, I will provide a table of male and female names that were popular in different years in the United States.

American male names

The popularity of the name Logan in the United States is clearly associated with comics and films about Wolverine

From this table it is clear that the idea of ​​the name John as very popular in America is outdated. It took first place in the 1910s, went to third place in the 1960s, to ninth in the 1980s, and in 2015 it occupies a modest 26th place, losing even to the name Logan, which was not included in the top 100 in earlier periods. . Apparently, the popularity of Logan (Wolverine) from films based on Marvel comics had an impact.

The name Daniel, which was not very popular at the beginning of the century (52nd place), fell into 18th place in the ranking in 2015, and Roberts completely went out of fashion. This name was in the top 10 in the 1910s, 1960s and 1980s, but fell to 63rd place in 2015.

Among the “old” names that were popular in the past, James, William, and David are still relevant.

American female names

Popularity chart for the name Emma in the USA

Fashion for female names even more changeable than men's. The most popular name in 2015, Emma was not in demand at all in the 80s and 60s, and at the beginning of the century it took 41st place in the ranking. Emma fashion returned in the 2000s, perhaps Emma Watson helped? The name Mary was very popular at the beginning of the century, but already in the 30s a decline began, and since the 80s this name has become quite rare.

If you take the top 20 names, only Elizabeth was in the top 20 in all four time periods.

Popular English names: what were children called in England throughout the century?

In England, statistics on names and birth data are not kept separately for England, but for England and Wales together, because these two parts of the United Kingdom belong to the same jurisdiction. England and Wales are treated as a single entity for many law-making and enforcement purposes. Data taken from the National Statistics archive.

There are a lot of common names in England and the USA, but the statistics on their popularity are somewhat different. It is interesting that by now there have become quite a lot of names that are equally popular in both the USA and England, especially for women. If you take the names for 2015 in England and the USA, there are many coincidences.

English male names

As in the US, in the UK the hackneyed name John is completely unpopular in 2015, it did not even make it into the top 100, although only 100 years earlier it occupied the first line of the ranking.

It is interesting that if you take the first 20 lines, it turns out that in 2015 in England and Wales names that were not included in the top 20 of previous periods are popular. But there are coincidences with the top 20 names that were popular in the same year in the USA. The names Oliver, Jacob, Noah, William, James, Ethan are as popular in England as in the United States.

English female names

As in the USA, in England the fashion for female names was very fickle. The name Mary was number one in 1914, went to 37th place in 1964, 98th in 1984, and was not even in the top 100 in 2015. The name Isabella was in 81st place in 1914, was not in the top 100 in 1964 and 1984, and now it is among the ten most popular female names in 2015.

As with male names in England and Wales, there is a trend with female names: if you take the top 20 names of 2015, then among them there will be none of the top 20 of previous years (presented in the table), but there will be significant overlaps with the top 20 names popular in the USA in the same year 2015. The names Olivia, Sophia, Ava, Isabella, Emily, Ella, Chloe, Grace, Amelia, Mia are equally popular in both England and the USA.

Common English first and last names

Unlike given names, surnames do not change that much over time, since in most cases they are not invented, but inherited. There is no big difference between British and American surnames; there are many common ones among them. The main difference is that in the USA there are many common Latino surnames (Garcia, Martinez, etc.)

The history of American names and surnames has evolved over several centuries. In them you can trace the traditions of many countries and peoples who moved to these places. Thanks to the large flow of immigrants, over a long period of time the general culture of the country took shape and names and surnames changed, acquiring new forms of sound.

Many common American names have their origins in Greek, Italian, Latin, even ancient Germanic origins. In the modern world, they are becoming extremely popular in America. rare names, which are obtained by abbreviating historical places, surnames famous people, there are even combinations of several names into one big one.

The origins of American names can be divided into the following groups:

1. Names whose meanings are associated with the outlines of a person’s character (cheerful, brave, courageous) have gained most popularity;
2. names related to the names of animals, flowers, trees, natural phenomena;
3. names meaning different professions;
4. names of a religious nature taken from the Bible.

List of the most popular American male names

America is a colonial country; depending on the state, the overall popularity of names differs significantly from each other. In the Spanish villages of Federico (Federico), in the Irish regions - Patrick (Patrick), in the Italian - Paulo (Paulo).

When choosing a name for a newborn, Americans give great importance to two main principles in their choice:

• the name should sound beautifully with the surname, as one whole;
• another main point - secret meaning name and its origin.

Respecting their ancestors and family traditions, many families name their children in honor of their fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers. If several family members have one name, the prefix “senior” or “junior” is placed at the beginning of the name for a specific person.

Currently, Americans are trying to add special uniqueness (originality) to the names of their children, choosing their favorite car brand, favorite political figure, or favorite city for the name. In such a situation, the choice falls on the most unexpected objects. You can meet children named Lexus, Madison, Infinity.

Americans have old tradition associated with names - giving the child a double name. For example: Anna-Maria (Anna-Maria), John-Robert (John-Robert), Matthew - William (Matthew-William). Explaining this by saying that as the child grows up, he will be able to choose a name to his liking.

The most popular American names today

• Ethan (Ethan) - from English, “durable”.
• Kevin (Kevin) – from Irish, “beautiful”, “cute”.
• Justin (Justin) - from English, “fair”.
• Matthew (Matthew) - from English, “gift of God,” “God’s man.”
• William (William) - from English, “desired.”
• Christopher (Christopher) - from English, “follower of Christ.”
• Anthony (Anthony) - from English, “invaluable”, “competing”.
• Ryan (Ryan) - from Arabic, “little king.”
• Nicholas (Nicholas) - from French, “conqueror of nations.”
• David (David) – Hebrew, “beloved”, “beloved”.
• Alex (Alex) – from Greek, “protector”.
• James (James) - from English, “invader”.
• Josh (Josh) – Hebrew, “god, salvation.”
• Dillon - Welsh origin, "big sea".
• Brandon (Brandon) - from German, “prince”.
• Philip (Philip) - from Greek, “horse lover.”
• Fred (Fred) - from English, “peaceful ruler.”
• Tyler (Tyler) – from English, “stylish”.
• Caleb (Caleb) - from Hebrew, “loyal, brave.”
• Thomas (Thomas) – Polish, “twin”.

List of common American surnames

They acquired their modern appearance over many years. Over time, they changed significantly. There has always been a large influx of refugees and migrants into American cities.

In order not to differ from the local residents, and not to attract special attention, the settlers deliberately modified and shortened their surnames in the local American way. The main feature of the surnames of US residents is the regular mixing of different nations and peoples.

List of the most famous names in America they open Smith (Smith), Williams (Williams), Jones (Jones), Wilson (Wilson). According to statistics, there are well over a million registered owners of such surnames.

Lesser known American surnames, but popular:

• Johnson (Johnson).
• Brown (Brown).
• Walker (Walker).
• Hall (Hall).
• White (White).
• Wilson (Wilson).
• Thompson (Thompson).
• Moore (Moore).
• Taylor (Taylor).
• Anderson (Anderson).
• Thomas (Thomas).
• Jackson (Jackson).
• Harris (Harris).
• Martin (Martin).
• Young (Yang).
• Hernandez (Hernandez).
• Garcia (Garcia).
• Davis (Davis).
• Miller (Miller).
• Martinez (Martinez).
• Robinson (Robinson).
• Clark (Clark).
• Rodrigues (Rodrigues).
• Lewis (Lewis).
• Lee (Lee).
• Allen (Allen).
• King (King).

Formed at the end of the 18th century. The American nation is very heterogeneous and currently unites not only the descendants of settlers from all parts of the world, but also the indigenous population - the Indians. Therefore, it is not surprising that in the surnames and names of US residents one can trace various national roots: European, African, South American, Asian. These features often make American surnames and names so interesting and exotic.

How are they formed?

Nicknames, including Indian ones, became the basis for many modern surnames. Also, quite often, surnames were formed from the names of professions (Smith, Miller, Taylor), geographical places (England, Lancaster) and objects (Bush, Rock, Moore), father's name (Johnson, Stevenson) and just names (Stewart, Williams, Henry) , as well as animals, flowers and various objects (Fish, White, Rose, Young).

At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a tendency to change difficult-to-pronounce national surnames: shortening, translation, transformation in order to make them similar to English-speaking ones. But in recent decades, a reverse process has been observed: the desire for one’s national and cultural identity, which is manifested in the refusal to Americanize names and surnames. This is especially true for people from African countries, Spain and Latin America. Modern American surnames and given names increasingly emphasize a person's origins.

Inventing pseudonyms is also a very common phenomenon. Most often they are taken by creative individuals: musicians, actors, artists.

American names, male and female, are often abbreviated in everyday communication. Examples: Adam - Ed; Gilbert - Gil; Michael - Mike; Robert - Rob, Bob, Bobby, Robbie; Richard - Dick, Richie; Arnold - Arnie; Eleanor - Ellie, Nora; Elizabeth - Lizzie, Liz, Elsa, Betty, Beth; Katherine - Katie, Kat. Young guys (and even mature men) are often addressed by their initials. For example, a man named T.J. Most people you know will probably call Morris TJ.

As in English, American masculine and female surnames they sound exactly the same. In official communication, it is customary to address men by last name with the prefixes “Mister” or “Sir”, and “Miss” or “Mrs.” for women.

Female names

The top ten most beloved girl names by American parents include Isabella, Sofia, Emma, ​​Olivia, Ava, Emily, Abigail, Madison, Chloe, Mia.

Female names are often formed from names beautiful plants or precious stones. Examples: Rose, Daisy, Olive, Evie (Ivy), Lilly, Violet, Ruby, Beryl, Jade, etc.

Male names

According to statistics, American parents most often name boys Jacob, Ethan, Michael, Jayden, William, Alexander, Noah, Daniel, Aiden, Anthony.

There is a strong tradition of naming after a father or grandfather. In this case, the word “junior” (junior) or a serial name is added to the name: second, third, etc. For example: Anthony White Junior, Christian Bell Second.

American male names are often consonant with surnames (White, Johnson, Davis, Alexander, Carter, Neal, Lewis, etc.). And all because once upon a time both of them were formed from nicknames.

The most popular American surnames

More than two million people in the United States bear the surnames Smith and Johnson. With slightly more modest results (over a million people) follow the holders of the surnames Williams, Jones, Brown, Davis and Miller. Wilson, Moore and Taylor round out the top ten.

The most beautiful American surnames and names

Of course, there is no arguing about tastes, but you can still highlight a list of the most euphonious and even poetic names. Some of them were specially formed from suitable English words: Summer - “summer”, Joy - “joy”, May - “May”, Love - “love”, Hart - “heart”, etc.

• Alisha.
• Bonnie.
• Vanessa.
• Gladys.
• Jade.
• Imogen.
• Cassandra.
• Lillian.
• Miriam.
• Nancy.
• Olivia.
• Pamela.
• Sabrina.
• Tess.
• Heidi.
• Angie.

• Alex.
• Brandon.
• Darren.
• Kyle.
• Mitchell.
• Nicholas.
• Peter.
• Ronald.
• Stephen.
• Walter.
• Fraser.
• Hunter.
• Charlie.
• Sheldon.
• Adrian.

There are not only beautiful American names, but also surnames.

For example:

• Beverly.
• Washington.
• Green.
• Crawford.
• Aldridge.
• Robinson.
• Stone.
• Florence.
• Wallace.
• Harris.
• Evans.

In general, given names and surnames in the USA can be found to have different origins: Smith, Will - English; Miller, Brunner, Martha - German; Gonzales, Federico, Dolores - Spanish; Magnus, Sven - Swedish; Peterson, Jensen - Danish; Patrick, Donovan, O'Brien, McGill - Irish; Mario, Ruth - Portuguese; Isabella, Antonio, de Vito - Italian; Paul, Vivienne - French; Lee is Chinese, etc. Combinations are not uncommon when the name is purely American, but the surname has a national flavor. Or vice versa. For example: Martha Roberts, Brandon Lee, etc.

The more you study American surnames and names, the more interesting discoveries you can make. In addition, the American nation is still being formed, so it is possible that soon new unusual and beautiful names of various origins will appear in the everyday life of the inhabitants of this country.

When meeting, the very first and most important aspect in knowing the interlocutor is his first and last name. Often people give this not secondary, but primary importance. A beautiful surname always attracts attention to a person, and in some cases even focuses attention on him. Each surname carries a history of more than one century. Let's look at American surnames.

Surname, like “hello” from ancestors

First, you need to go back several centuries and find out where surnames came from. They didn't always exist. It’s hard to believe, but once upon a time there was no dictionary of American surnames; previously people were called strictly by name. Thus, in the 7th century, the most polar names in America were: William and Robert; already at the end of the 14th century, 30% of the population of all America was named Robert. Over time, it became difficult to designate a person with just one name, and that’s when nicknames came to the rescue, characterizing a person’s personal qualities, profession, appearance or other differences.

Modern Americans have the nicknames of their ancestors as their surnames.

America is a country where immigrants from all over the world are gathered, so it is not surprising that American surnames are so colorful, they have their own characteristics that distinguish them from the surnames of other nations. We can say that modern Americans are 60% of old England, that is, Scots, Irish and English. Over time, they mixed with representatives of the African people, Europeans, and, of course, with the indigenous inhabitants of America - the Indians.

American surnames were formed in several ways. In the first group, all surnames originated from geographical residence, today this is the most extensive group, examples of the most obvious surnames associated with the area: Germain, Spain, Norman. There are surnames that come from the names of English counties, for example: Cornish, Cheshire. Some arose from the names of cities and villages: Fife, Westley. This group also includes surnames derived from the type of locality: Moore, Fields.

The second group collected surnames derived from the names of professions and positions. Most of the surnames in this group are associated with agriculture: Hurd Gozzard, Shepherd (from herd - shepherd), etc. The most common American surname is Smith, derived from the profession of “blacksmith”. Here are some more popular examples of surnames in this group: Brownsmith, Blacksmith, Painter, Fielder, Appleyard.

The third group is no less interesting; it collected surnames based on nicknames that were given to the owner for some biological feature, for example: Bigg, Strong, High, Gentle, Sweet, Doughty, Black, Red.

The fourth group concentrated surnames derived from the father's name - Piterson, Jons. And in the fifth group there are surnames based on the display of the area: Rok, Pus.

Surnames such as: Bush, Fish and others like that are derived from common nouns.

It was difficult for visitors whose surnames were changed into English. First of all, surnames with non-English origins were changed to ones that were easier to pronounce and spell. Thus, complex foreign surnames turned into native ones for America. For example: the complex surname Wienerski turned into Vinar, and Belo acquired the pronunciation that is popular today - Bellows.

Native Americans - Indians, at first did not have a family nickname at all, but when the time came to take one, they without remorse took any European ones they liked, so in most cases, their surnames do not carry any meaning or historical origin. Modern black Americans have completely lost their individual and unique names, and all because their ancestors considered American names more beautiful. It didn’t end with names; surnames were also borrowed.

Representatives of the Spanish race acted exactly the opposite; they simply slightly corrected their surnames in a convenient American way, without radically changing the root of the surname. The Spaniards were almost the only ones who retained their national surnames. Today, people from Africa are also working on this.

Gift from ancestors

What seems beautiful to foreign people may have an absolutely unbeautiful meaning in English, for example: Smith - blacksmith, Price - price, Fell - fall, Fats - fat man, sound interesting, but the translation is not very sophisticated. Here is a list of truly the most beautiful American surnames:

• Appelgold - golden apple;
• Goldenrose - golden rose;
• Floretsen - flower;
• Redpetas - red petal;
• Kingsman - male king;
• King - king.

The right to women's surnames

Americans have worked for a long time to ensure that women's surnames have the right to exist; such surnames include: Williams, Johnson, Davis, Brown, Smith, Miller, Taylor, Moore.

But for the most part, all beautiful female surnames completely coincide in form with male surnames, so select separate “middle names” for beautiful ladies does not seem possible.

A surname with a masculine character

In America, surnames are passed down only through the male line. This means that the resettled emigrants are able to maintain national distinctions, but after time, the female branch disappears, washing away the trace of the surname.

American surnames are considered masculine, since many people from former countries did not have a distinction between female and male.

Today, Americans can form a surname from their given name and family name, or they can also create a surname from two names. Sometimes Americans simply use their initials without using full names at all.

Speaking surnames

In America, unlike European countries, if a person has a funny or strange surname, he may never hear a single humorous statement addressed to him in his life, and all because many people have such surnames and no one pays attention to this. Below are not all common American surnames; you can look at the Dictionary of American surnames, which contains the entire list.

• Bunnysman - hare;
• Bierdes - bird;
• Kitten - kitten;
• Little - small;
• Peaches - peach;
• Gosling - gosling;
• Hitchcock – hitch – limp, cock – rooster;
• Stone - stone;
• Blunt – blunt – slow-witted, stupid;
• Potter – potter – potter;
• Riddle – riddle – riddle;
• Miller - miller;
• Catchpole – a person who collects taxes;
• Sailor - sailor;
• Fisher - fisherman.

In addition, we invite you to familiarize yourself with the most popular American surnames in alphabetical order. Information taken from the Dictionary of American Surnames:

Adams - Adams
Allen - Allen
Alexander - Alexander

Brown - Brown
Baker - Baker
Black - Black
Brooks - Brooks
Bush - Bush

Carroll - Carroll
Charlson - Charlson
Crossman - Crossman

Duncan - Duncan
Davidson - Davidson
Dickinson - Dickinson
Day - Day

Anderson - Anderson
Edwards
Evans - Evans

Fane - Fane
Forster - Forster

Garrison - Garrison
Gilbert - Gilberd
Goldman - Goldman
Goodman - Goodman

Hancock - Hancon

Johnson - Johnson

Kelly -Kelly

L
Lamberts - Lamberts
Lawman

Marlow - Melrow
Miller - Miller
Miers - Miers
Mercer - Mercer

Nelson - Nelson
Nicholson - Nicholson
Nyman - Nyman
Nash - Our

Oldman - Oldman
Oliver - Oliver
Owen - Owen
Ogden - ogden

Page - Page
Parson - Parson
Peacock - Peacock
Philips - Philips
Porter - Porter

Ramacey-Ramzin
Richards - Richards
Roger - Roger
Russell - Russell

Salomon - Salamon
Shackley - Shakpi
Simpson - Simpson
Sykes - Sykes

Taylor - Taylor
Thomson - Thomson
Tracey - Tracey

Walkman - Walkman
Walter - Walter
White - White

Youmans - Youmans
Young - Young

How many people, so many opinions. For this reason, it is impossible to say exactly which foreign surnames are ugly and which are beautiful. All of them contain certain information; when translated into our language, they can mean some kind of craft, the name of plants, animals or birds, belong to geographical area. Each country has its own euphonious surnames, so you need to choose the best ones for each region separately.

What surnames can be called beautiful?

Most people are proud of the name of their clan, although there are those who would not mind changing it to a more euphonious one. Each country has its own surnames, but their origins are almost the same. The family received its personal name from the name of its founder, his nickname, occupation, availability of land, and belonging to some status. Animals and plants are also often found. However, we choose the most beautiful foreign surnames based on their euphony, and not on the meaning of the content, which is not always known to us. In some cases, one begins to like a genus name if its bearer is an idol of millions, a historical figure who has done something good and useful for humanity.

Aristocratic surnames

Noble surnames always sounded solemn, proud and pompous. Rich people were proud of their origins and noble blood. Beautiful foreign surnames are mainly found among the descendants of noble families; people who left a significant mark on history should also be included here: writers, artists, designers, composers, scientists, etc. The names of their genera are euphonious, they are often well-known, so people are imbued with sympathy for them.

In England, the beautiful names include the names of counts and wealthy nobles: Bedford, Lincoln, Buckingham, Cornwall, Oxford, Wiltshire, Clifford, Mortimer. In Germany: Munchausen, Fritsch, Salm, Moltke, Rosen, Siemens, Isenburg, Stauffenberg. In Sweden: Fleming, Jüllenborg, Kreutz, Horn, Delagardie. In Italy: Barberini, Visconti, Borgia, Pepoli, Spoleto, Medici.

Surnames derived from the names of birds, animals, plants

From the world of flora and fauna came many euphonious surnames that evoke affection. Their owners were mainly people who liked certain animals, birds, plants, or were similar to them in appearance or character. There are such examples in Rus' great amount: Zaitsev, Orlov, Vinogradov, Lebedev, they exist in other countries. For example, in England: Bush (bush), Bull (bull), Swan (swan).

Beautiful foreign surnames are often formed from the name of the ancestor: Cecil, Anthony, Henry, Thomas, etc. A lot of names are associated with a specific area with which the founders were associated: Ingleman, Germain, Pickard, Portwine, Kent, Cornwall, Westley. Of course, a huge group of family names are those associated with professions and titles. Some surnames arose spontaneously. If they evoke positive associations in people, then they can be classified as beautiful, euphonious and successful, because they are greeted by their clothes, so a good generic name helps many people to win over people when meeting them.

Spanish euphonious surnames

Spaniards usually have double family names, they are connected by the particles “y”, “de”, a hyphen or written with a space. The father's surname is written first, and the mother's surname second. It should be noted that the particle “de” indicates the aristocratic origin of the founder. Spanish law provides for a maximum of two given names and a maximum of two surnames. When women get married, they usually leave their family names.

Beautiful male foreign surnames are not uncommon for Spaniards. Fernandez is considered one of the most common; she is not inferior in attractiveness to Rodriguez, Gonzalez, Sanchez, Martinez, Perez - they all come from names. Euphonious Spanish surnames also include Castillo, Alvarez, Garcia, Flores, Romero, Pascual, Torres.

French beautiful surnames

Among the French names of childbirth, there are often beautiful surnames for girls. Foreign states acquired permanent names at about the same time as Rus'. In 1539, a royal decree was issued obliging every Frenchman to acquire a personal name and pass it on to his descendants. The first surnames appeared among aristocrats; they were passed on from father to son even before the above-mentioned decree was issued.

Today in France, double family names are acceptable, and parents can also choose which surname the child will bear - the mother's or the father's. The most beautiful and common French genus names: Robert, Perez, Blanc, Richard, Morel, Duval, Fabre, Garnier, Julien.

German common surnames

Beautiful foreign surnames are also found in Germany. In this country, they began to form back in those days. In those days, people had nicknames consisting of the person’s place of birth and his origin. Such surnames provided comprehensive information about their bearers. Nicknames often indicated a person’s type of activity, his physical disadvantages or advantages, and moral qualities. Here are the most popular surnames in Germany: Schmidt (blacksmith), Weber (weaver), Mueller (miller), Hoffmann (yard owner), Richter (judge), Koenig (king), Kaiser (emperor), Herrmann (warrior), Vogel (bird) ).

Italian surnames

The first Italian surnames appeared in the 14th century and were common among noble people. The need for them arose when many people appeared with the same names, but it was necessary to somehow distinguish them. The nickname contained information about the person’s place of birth or residence. For example, the ancestor of the famous artist Leonardo da Vinci lived in the city of Vinci. Majority Italian surnames were formed due to the transformation of descriptive nicknames, and they end with There is an opinion that the most beautiful foreign names and surnames are in Italy, and it is difficult to disagree with this: Ramazzotti, Rodari, Albinoni, Celentano, Fellini, Dolce, Versace, Stradivari.

English beautiful surnames

All English family names can be divided into four groups: nominal, descriptive, professional and official, and by place of residence. The first surnames in England appeared in the 12th century and were the privilege of the nobility; in the 17th century absolutely everyone already had them. The most widespread group consists of genealogical names of clans, derived from personal names, or a combination of the names of both parents. Examples include the following: Allen, Henry, Thomas, Ritchie. Many surnames contain the prefix “son,” meaning “son.” For example, Abbotson or Abbot's, that is, the son of Abbott. In Scotland, “son” was denoted by the prefix Mac-: MacCarthy, MacDonald.

Beautiful foreign female surnames are often found among English family names, derived from the place in which the founder of the family was born or lived. For example, Surrey, Sudley, Westley, Wallace, Lane, Brook. Many euphonious surnames indicate the occupation, profession or title of the founder: Spencer, Corner, Butler, Tailor, Walker. Family names descriptive types reflect the physical or moral qualities of a person: Moody, Bragg, Black, Strong, Longman, Crump, White.

All genus names are unique and attractive in their own way. It should be remembered that it is not the surname that makes the person, but the person the surname. Studying the history of the origin of certain family names is a very interesting and fascinating activity, during which many secrets of individual families are revealed. There are beautiful and euphonious surnames in any country, but they are different for each person. I mainly like those generic names that are consonant with the name.