Following the union of England and Wales in 1536, the English system of surnames was adopted: name derivation was initially from Gaelic personal names.The creation of new surnames continued long after 1400.By the 12th century, there was not one single way to derive surnames: nicknames, places of origin, trades and fathers’ names were some of the ways of obtaining surnames.The practice of using surnames to distinguish individuals eventually spread in England.The use of new Christian names introduced by the Norman barons resulted in numerous individuals who had the same name.However, when England was invaded by an army of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and men from other provinces of the Kingdom of France, the consequent rapid demographic growth called for a system to identify people in a more precise manner.Initially, the inhabitants of England lived in small groups on farms and in villages under the feudal system.The use of surnames became prominent following the Norman Conquest in 1066, when the population began to grow exponentially. ![]() They started simply as additional names and later were regarded as family names as today.Surnames in medieval England had meaning and history attached to them.As a definite system was put in place, surnames developed to be heritable. Sources of surnames included patronymic, topographic origin, occupation and nicknames. As the practice spread throughout England, surnames were derived from various sources and ways.Let’s know more about Medieval English Surnames!
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