![]() ![]() Many women now prefer the title Ms because, like Mr, it does not give any information about whether the person is married. Women who were not married were known as Miss Johnson, etc. Married women used always to be called Mrs Johnson, etc. When people are addressed in a formal way a title is put before their last name, usually Mr for men and Mrs, Miss or Ms for women. In informal situations people often give only their first name. The opposite order 'Johnson, Michael‘ is used only in alphabetical lists. When British and American people introduce themselves they give their first name and then their surname, for example, Michael Johnson, Linda Johnson. Many have English or Irish names, because slaves had to take the names of their owners. African Americans whose ancestors were slaves do not know what last names their families originally had. Many Americans of German origin changed their names during the two world wars. Sometimes government officials could not understand the names of new arrivals and wrote similar English names on their documents. Some people wanted to sound more American when they arrived in the US and so took English last names. All the surnames found in Britain are also found in the US, together with many others from all over the world. These include Ahmed, Hussain, Khan, Patel, Singh and Tsang. Other surnames were brought to Britain by families from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and China. The most common surname in England and Scotland is Smith, closely followed by Jones, a name also widely found in Wales. Common Welsh surnames include Evans, Morgan, Price, Rees and Williams. Many Irish surnames come from ancient Celtic names. Irish surnames often begin with O', meaning ' descended from‘, for example, O'Brien. Members of a clan added this prefix to their father's name. Many Scottish names begin with Mc- or Mac-, meaning 'son of‘, for example, McDonald and MacGregor. Many surnames occur throughout Britain, but others suggest a particular regional origin. Others were based on French names that came to Britain during the Norman Conquest, for example, Sinclair from the French ‘Saint-Clair’. Some surnames were taken from personal names, as in Andrews, Martin and Roberts. ![]() For instance, someone with dark hair or dark skin might be called Black, Blake or Brown. Sometimes the surname began as a nickname. Other surnames refer to the original profession or trade of the family, for example Baker, Miller, Shepherd and Smith. Sometimes the names reflected the place where the family lived, such as the name of their village or a reference to a feature of the local countryside, for example Ford, Hill or Wood. Most families were known by surnames by 1300 and many of the old names are still common. In fact people rarely change their surname except after marriage, and many people are able to research their family history over many centuries. If people wish to change their name for any other reason they can do so by deed poll, a simple legal procedure. In Britain a woman can choose to change her surname after marriage. In the US, laws about changing a last name, whether after marriage or for some other reason, vary from state to state, but it is usually a simple process and in some states people can just begin to use a new name if they want to. In Britain a double-barrelled surname used to suggest an upper-class background, but now this is often not the case. The husband and children may also take this name. A few create a double-barrelled name ( NAmE hyphenated name) from the two surnames, such as Johnson-Brown. Others choose to keep their maiden name as their surname after they are married. In the US especially, some women keep their maiden name as a middle name. Women often change their surname when they marry, replacing their maiden name (= the surname they had from birth) with the surname of their husband. Culture surnames surnames In Britain and the US surnames, also called last names or family names, pass from fathers or, in some cases, mothers to their children. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |