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in reply to a message by Stephany
Long ago it wasn't necessary - there were small populations of people living in small communities, so everyone knew everyone else; plus, there was no central government requiring people to register births and deaths, pay taxes etc.
But this started happening. And the population grew. So, it became useful to expand the naming system; Stephen Wood because he was a forester, perhaps - and his sons might be John Wood and Peter Wood, or John and Peter Stephenson, or J and P Stevens.
For centuries it was a very flexible system. John Wood might have made himself unpopular in his home village, so he'd leave home and resurface in London calling himself Jack Long (if he was tall), Jack White (if he was blond and boring, or very dark with a sense of humour), or anything else. Still no identity documents and bank accounts, so he was free.
Or, if a person could sing very well (or was tone deaf!), they might get called Fred Nightingale by their friends. Or the baker might keep on answering to Bill Baker until it became his name.
This is why there are no names like Pilot or Programmer; they refer to modern professions, and by now our last names are fixed - unless we change them.
Not sure if that's an answer to the question you asked, but it should at least give you something to go on.
But this started happening. And the population grew. So, it became useful to expand the naming system; Stephen Wood because he was a forester, perhaps - and his sons might be John Wood and Peter Wood, or John and Peter Stephenson, or J and P Stevens.
For centuries it was a very flexible system. John Wood might have made himself unpopular in his home village, so he'd leave home and resurface in London calling himself Jack Long (if he was tall), Jack White (if he was blond and boring, or very dark with a sense of humour), or anything else. Still no identity documents and bank accounts, so he was free.
Or, if a person could sing very well (or was tone deaf!), they might get called Fred Nightingale by their friends. Or the baker might keep on answering to Bill Baker until it became his name.
This is why there are no names like Pilot or Programmer; they refer to modern professions, and by now our last names are fixed - unless we change them.
Not sure if that's an answer to the question you asked, but it should at least give you something to go on.
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