Yellum Notnef

My grandfathers heart doctor was Dr. Christian. How and when did the the word "Christian" become a last name?

And what about all the people who`s last name begins with "Saint" like "St. James" or "St. Romain"?

I can understand naming cities and places after religious icons,but how did people get these last names?
This whole last name business is a bit confusing to begin with.
Wouldn`t a person have the same last name as their parents or the family they married into? And didn`t people have last names prior to Christianity?
And if they did have last names prior to Christianity did certain familes ditch their original last name and adopt a new Christian sounding name?

I`m puzzled.

Hugo Holbling

Surnames often derive from place-names or from "Christian" names. For example, if you were from a village or town called St Croix you could be called John de St Croix. A better-known illustration is William of Ockham. Alternatively, if your father was called Christian you might become John, son of Christian, and thence John Christian. The Christian name of Christian would itself have originated from the religious term, i suspect.

Surnames in foreign languages demonstrate the above more obviously. Scandinavian's commonly have surnames such as Paulsen, Magnusson, and so on; in Dutch surnames may come from places (e.g "van Breukelen") or occupations (Molenaar - "miller", or "de Boer" - farmer). The mac/map identifier in the Celtic languages is also widespread.

Perhaps some families adopted surnames with religious connotations, but i consider it unlikely. The inception of a structured system of surnames is generally dated to approximately 1120, due to the Normans, but the subject is a thorny one.