A Wonderleaf question
Why do we have last names?
a real page from the book
We have last names because one name stopped being enough as communities grew. A second name helped people tell one Thomas or Aisha from another, and later helped record families, homes, work, property, and taxes in a steadier way.
Many last names began as clues: a parent’s name, a trade, a nearby place, or a noticeable feature. That means a surname can carry a tiny piece of history, even when the person wearing it no longer lives, works, or looks that way.
Wonder words
- surname
- village
- ancestor
- trade
Try it out
Look up your family names together and guess whether each one might have come from a job, place, parent, or feature.
Read the whole picture book
Watercolour scenes, straight answers, about three minutes cover to cover.
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