Occupations also helped distinguish one person from another



|[pic] |Name:________________________ Date: ________ Period: ____ |[pic] |

| |World Geography | |

| |Unit #5 Europe | |

European Language Families

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Name Origins

Have you ever wondered about the meaning of your last name or where your family came from? What your ancestors did, how they looked or where they lived? Surnames -- our last names -- tell a story about our family, one handed down for hundreds of years. By tracing the possible origin of your last name, you can learn more about the medieval ancestors who first bore the last name and, ultimately, handed it down to you.

While there are several different versions of when surnames were first given, it is generally agreed by most that the birth of the surname can be attributed to the Normans [the race, not the family]. After conquering England in 1066, the Normans ordered a census. The Domesday Book of 1086 (referred to in America as the Doomsday Book) was commissioned for the purpose of designating property ownership, thereby formalizing taxation, and is a fascinating study of early 11th century life and family heritage

When Norman officials arrived in villages to take the census, they often found several people with the same name (i.e. John, James, etc.). Occupations were frequently used to help distinguish one person from another. John Miller may have owned the mill in the same town where John Smith was the local blacksmith. Bedell was the policeman of the village; Fletcher was the arrow-maker. You will often find names which describe ancestors' vocations, such as Baker, Shepherd, Carpenter, and Wright.

DIRECTIONS: Write the Occupation that may have been used to create each surname listed below.

|Surname |Original Occupation |Surname |Original Occupation |

|Miller | |Knight | |

|Butcher | |Avery | |

|Baker | |Farmer | |

|Brewer | |Gardener/Gardner | |

|Weaver | |Carpenter | |

|Thatcher | |Smith | |

|Wagner/Waggoner | |Cook | |

|Shepherd | |Parson | |

|Painter | |Wright | |

|Trapp | |Hunter | |

DIRECTIONS: Write as many variations as possible for each first name listed below.

|First Name |Male Variations |Female Variations |

|John | | |

|Peter | | |

|Steven | | |

|Michael | | |

|William | | |

|Daniel | | |

|David | | |

|Anthony | | |

|George | | |

|Jack | | |

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