<Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (October 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> A surname, family name, or last name is the portion (in some cultures) of a personal name that indicates a person's family (or tribe or community, depending on the culture). Depending on the culture, all members of a family unit may have identical surnames or there may be variations based on the cultural rules . </P> <P> In the English - speaking world, a surname is commonly referred to as a last name because it is usually placed at the end of a person's full name, after any given names . In many parts of Asia, as well as some parts of Europe and Africa, the family name is placed before a person's given name . In most Spanish - speaking and Portuguese - speaking countries, two surnames are commonly used and in some families that claim a connection to nobility even three are used . </P> <P> Surnames have not always existed and today are not universal in all cultures . This tradition has arisen separately in different cultures around the world . In Europe, the concept of surnames became popular in the Roman Empire and expanded throughout the Mediterranean and Western Europe as a result . During the Middle Ages this practice died out as Germanic, Persian, and other influences took hold . During the late Middle Ages surnames gradually re-emerged, first in the form of bynames (typically indicating individual's occupation or area of residence), which gradually evolved into modern surnames . In China surnames have been the norm since at least the 2nd century BC . </P>

First name last name or last name first name
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