Do you know where family names come from? David, an English writer, tells us something about the family names in English culture in his new book.
Some family names come from the places of their homes. If a man lives on or near a hill, his family name may be Hill. People can call them Mr. Hill or Mrs. Hill. In England people's family names may be Wood or Lake because they live near the wood or the lake.
Some family names come from people's jobs. For example, Butcher means someone who sells meat. Farmer is a man who has a farm.
Many people get their family names from nicknames (昵称). For example, my family name is Black. Because of the different colors, some are called Black and some are called White, Green or Brown. It is said that long ago, few people lived long. There were few people with white hair. When people saw someone with white hair, they would call him or her "white head".
So, when you see an English man with a strange family name, don't be surprised. There may be an interesting story about it.
