Family Names

[August1991]

In the movie Quiz Show about fraud in game shows in the 1950s, the elder Van Doren says to the younger Van Doren: "Your name is my name too!"

IOW, we enjoy and profit from our parents' reputation. When people see a family name, they sometimes ask about parents or siblings. More generally, they often know alot (wrongly or rightly) about your religion, language and origins from your family name.

If your great-grandparents, grandparents or parents were honest people, then you benefit from their honesty. Did your ancestors think of you and choose to be honest to protect the family name so that you would benefit from the good reputation? Are you honest so that your progeny will benefit from your good works to protect the family name?

True, people sometimes change their family names.

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How much does family reputation matter in society?

[Molly]

In stable populations, lots, but in transient ones, not so much. We are becoming increasingly transient.

The greater value of it (IMO) is in terms of self-identification, rather than what it says to others. Many a child has been girded to avoid bad behaviour, because 'Smiths just don't do that kind of thing.'

[kimmy]

When my dad's family arrived in the United States in the late 19th century, a few letters were dropped from the family name, turning an extremely common Swedish surname into an extremely common English surname. There are different stories as to why. One is that it was deliberate, representing a desire to fit in with their new home. The other is that whichever immigration person produced their documents when they arrived simply recorded the name with which he was familiar. Whichever the case, looking at my family name would not give a clue as to my ancestry... particularly mom's side of the family.

And the name is shared by so many that it would be impossible to attach any meaning to it. It's shared by English, Irish, Minnesota Swedes, Jamaicans, athletes, politicians, liquor-store robbers, notorious murderers...

-k