The Art of Literary Nomenclature

As the linked article says, “There are perhaps 45,000 different English surnames, but most had their origins as one of these seven types.” Click through to see explanations and lists of examples for each type:

“There Are 7 Types of English Surnames — Which One Is Yours?”

1. Occupational.
2. Describing a personal characteristic.
3. From an English place name.
4. From the name of an estate.
5. From a geographical feature of the landscape.
6. Patronymic, matronymic, or ancestral.
7. Signifying patronage.