this post was submitted on 13 Nov 2024
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Showerthoughts
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Jackson is a patronymic last name: Jack's son.
Smith is an aptronymic last name: a smith.
So yeah, bang on.
I'd love to know why you know these terms. I'm a huge etymology nerd and I eat this stuff up.
This entire thread begs the question, why do some people have a first name for a last name? Is it just a less-clear patronym?
I too am an etymology geek, I had to look up "aptronym" (I already knew there was a word for it, but couldn't remember it) but already knew "patronym". I can occasionally work out the approximate Latin roots of words and take a stab at what to search for.
Regarding names' positions moving around... that's just people. People name their children all sorts of stupid things that eventually become normal.
There are a bunch of aptronymic last names, especially in English culture. The Baker family, the Tanner family, the Shoemaker family etc.
Don't ask about the Dickinsons.