I just received the following article regarding the history of surnames in
the lates Facts & Genes newsletter from Family Tree DNA. I thought it was
interesting and am passing it on:
Y DNA and Surnames ==============================================
For a long time, people were just known by their first name.
Surnames then began to be adopted in different countries at different times.
As society became more complex, a system was needed to distinguish one
person reliably and unambiguously from the next person.
A surname is defined as a hereditary name borne by members of a single
family and handed down from father to son. Thus, surnames contrast with
given names, which identify individuals within the same family. It is
characteristic of surnames that all members of a particular family normally
have the same surname.
In 1200 A.D., the world population is estimated to have been between 360
million and 450 million persons, depending on the estimate used.
[Source:
http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/worldhis.html]
This estimate is close to the time frame when surnames began to be adopted.
On the whole, the richer and more powerful classes tended to acquire
surnames earlier than the working classes and the poor, while surnames were
quicker to catch on in urban areas than in more sparsely populated rural
areas.
Occasionally, events impacted surnames. For example, in 1465 legislation
was passed that impacted Gaelic surnames in several counties of Ireland,
most notably Dublin. According to John D'Alton's "History of Co.
Dublin",
the following was enacted in 1465:
"That every Irishman, dwelling betwixt or amongst Englishmen, in this
county, as well as those of Meath, Uriell (Louth) and Kildare, shall go like
to one Englishman in apparel and in shaving of his beard above the mouth and
shall within one year sworn the liege man of the King and shall take to him
an English surname of one town, as Sutton, Chester, Trim, Scrine, Cork,
Kinsale; or colour, as white, black, brown; or art or science, as smith or
carpenter; or office, as cook, butler, etc. and that he and his issue shall
use this name under pain of forfeiting his goods yearly."
Surnames were adopted in different areas at different times. In many parts
of central and western Europe, hereditary surnames began to become fixed
from the 12th century forward. The bulk of European surnames in countries
such as England or France were formed in the 13th and 14th centuries. In
some places, the process started earlier, and in some places the process
continued into the 19th century. Overall, the norm is that in the 11th
century people did not have surnames, and by the 15th century they did.
The process of adopting a surname was spread over time, and these surnames
continued to evolve until the 1900's when spelling was standardized.
Surname variants occurred during the evolution of the surname. There was no
guide to the spellings of names, and those who recorded events, such as the
clergy and registrars, attempted to reproduce phonetically the sounds they
heard. The great majority of the population were illiterate and had no
notion that any one spelling of their name was more 'correct' than any
other.
Prior to the time surnames were adopted, men with the same values for their
Y DNA were spread out over a geographic area due to migrations. In
addition, invasions and wars often significantly dispersed populations with
the same Y DNA. Once people began to adopt surnames, these widely dispersed
men with the same Y-DNA took different surnames.
As the database of Y DNA results at Family Tree DNA grows, everyone will
eventually have Y DNA matches with other surnames. The primary reason for
these matches is that multiple men with the same Y DNA result adopted
different surnames during the time period when surnames were adopted. These
men could have been in the same village, or in the same county, or perhaps
migration had taken them to different countries.
In addition, two men with different surnames may have matching Y DNA due to
convergence. Mutations are estimated to occur about once every N
generations per Marker. There are mutations in the Y-DNA, and when after
several mutations we see a match or a close match, it is called convergence.
The larger the population with the same Y DNA, the more opportunity there is
for convergence to occur. Since Haplogroup R1b is the largest population
group in Europe, matches with other surnames are very common. These matches
are due to the large population of this Haplogroup that existed when
surnames were adopted. Many different surnames were adopted, and
convergence has occurred over time.
If we go back far enough in time, we are all related. The surname is used
to establish a boundary for determining whether two people are related. If
you match some one with a different surname, you are most likely related
prior to the adoption of surnames.
In some cases, you could be related after the adoption of surnames, due to
one of the following events occurring:
1. informal adoption
2. extra marital event of either infidelity or illegitimacy
3. adoption of a new surname, such as by preference or for inheritance
Even though these events have occurred in the past, they were not the norm.
Pursuing a match with another surname should not be considered until both
participants upgrade to 37 Markers to determine if the match still holds.
At this point, if the match still holds at 37 markers, a decision can be
made as to whether to pursue the match with another surname. To avoid
wasting time, there should be some evidence that one of the events above
occurred. In making this decision, the place to start is to evaluate the
evidence. Were the ancestors in the same location, at the same time? Was
there a marriage by a widow who had children? Is there any evidence to
support a match with another surname?
In most cases, there isn't any evidence to support pursuing the match.
A Surname Project is a very valuable tool for family history research. The
surname establishes the time period for determining if two people are
related. Surname Projects can provide tremendous benefit for those who are
researching their family history. DNA testing has a wide range of
applications, from additional information to use in conjunction with the
paper records for interpretation, to clues to find the ancestral homeland.
In addition, as a long term goal, a Surname Project can determine the number
of points of origin of the surname. The Surname Project could also combine
DNA results with the techniques used to research surnames, and identify the
ancestral location or area where the surname was adopted.
As you research your family tree, eventually you have to stop, because the
written records end, or are sporadic. This could be the result of the
destruction of records, such as due to a court house fire. Or, this could
be the result of reaching the time period prior to a the majority of written
records. For example, the time period before the adoption of Parish
registers. Often your family tree will stop before the start of Parish
registers, because there is insufficient documentation to make a connection.
When your family tree ends, there is still a long period of time between
then and the adoption of surnames. For example, if your tree ends in the
late 1700's due to insufficient documentation, there is still 400 to 500
years between then and the adoption of surnames, depending on your ancestral
country.
DNA testing can fill this 500 year gap. Imagine a situation years from now,
where every family tree with your surname has tested. The data would then
be available to determine whether your surname had a single or multiple
points of origin. Combining this information with surname mapping,
frequency distribution studies, and research in Medieval records would most
likely enable the Surname Project to identify a geographic area as the
ancestral homeland.
Our surname is a very important part of us, and DNA testing tells us about
this surname. For example, did one man take on the surname, and all the
descendents today are related, except for descendents of an informal
adoption, and descendents of an illegitimate birth?
With DNA testing, we might also discover previously unknown variants. This
could be very helpful for research, especially when records can't be found,
and later it is discovered that the records are actually there, but recorded
with a previously unknown variant.
Surname dictionaries have been published and identify the origin for many
surnames. The authors of these books used the tools available at the time.
Never before have these experts or authors had the powerful tool of DNA
testing available. There are many discoveries to be made with DNA testing.
Most likely, DNA testing will prove that some long held beliefs about the
origins of various surnames are incorrect.
By participating in a Y DNA Project, or sponsoring a participant if you are
female, you are making a significant contribution to the knowledge about
your surname. Even when your tree ends, you can still discover information
about your origin.
For more information, see the following articles:
Interpreting Results: Why is the Surname relevant?
http://www.familytreeDNA.com/facts_genes.asp?act=show&nk=2.8
Understanding Your Results: Matching Other Surnames
http://www.familytreeDNA.com/facts_genes.asp?act=show&nk=2.11