The use of a surname is relatively new in history and was adopted in order to legally distinguish two individuals with the same first name.

In Europe, surnames weren't used until the 10th or 11th centuries AD in Venice.

What does my last name mean?

Surname spelling has evolved over centuries and until the 20th century, the spelling of a surname was not fixed.

This free online Last Name Dictionary includes the etymology of British, Cornish British, French, German, Hispanic, Anglo-Saxon, Dutch, Latin, Celtic, Gaelic, Italian, Chinese and Danish Names.