<P> In the Middle Ages, when a man from a lower - status family married an only daughter from a higher - status family, he would often adopt the wife's family name . In the 18th and 19th centuries in Britain, bequests were sometimes made contingent upon a man's changing (or hyphenating) his family name, so that the name of the testator continued . It is rare but not unknown for an English - speaking man to take his wife's family name, whether for personal reasons or as a matter of tradition (such as among matrilineal Canadian aboriginal groups, such as the Haida and Gitxsan); it is exceedingly rare but does occur in the United States, where a married couple may choose an entirely new last name by going through a legal change of name . As an alternative, both spouses may adopt a double - barrelled name . For instance, when John Smith and Mary Jones marry each other, they may become known as "John Smith - Jones" and "Mary Smith - Jones ." A spouse may also opt to use his or her birth name as a middle name . An additional option, although rarely practiced, is the adoption of a last name derived from a blend of the prior names, such as "Simones", which also requires a legal name change . Some couples keep their own last names but give their children hyphenated or combined surnames . </P> <P> In medieval Spain, a patronymic system was used . For example, Álvaro, the son of Rodrigo would be named Álvaro Rodríguez . His son, Juan, would not be named Juan Rodríguez, but Juan Álvarez . Over time, many of these patronymics became family names and are some of the most common names in the Spanish - speaking world . Other sources of surnames are personal appearance or habit, e.g. Delgado ("thin") and Moreno (polysemous word, it can mean "brown skinned", "dark skinned", "tanned skinned", "brunette hair" or "black hair"); occupations, e.g. Molinero ("miller"), Zapatero ("Shoe - maker") and Guerrero ("warrior"); and geographic location or ethnicity, e.g. Alemán ("German"). </P> <P> During the modern era, many cultures around the world adopted family names, particularly for administrative reasons, especially during the age of European expansion and particularly since 1600 . Notable examples include the Netherlands (in the south 1795, rest 1811), Japan (1870s), Thailand (1920), and Turkey (1934). Nonetheless, their use is not universal: Icelanders, Tibetans, Burmese, Javanese, and many people groups in East Africa do not use family names . </P> <P> Family names sometimes change or are replaced by non-family - name surnames under political pressure to avoid persecution . Examples are the cases with Chinese Indonesians and Chinese Thais after migration there during the 20th century, or the Jews who fled to different European countries to avoid persecution from the Nazis during World War II . </P>

Where does the last name person come from