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Re: thats great and all but how exactally do last names start?¿?
in reply to a message by Stef
I'd just like to add that in Iceland most people still don't have hereditary surnames. In Mongolia people are just now being encouraged to adopt surnames, and about 50% of them have opted for the same surname.
The great French historian, Marc Bloch, wrote that people get surnames when the state starts to take an interest in them. I think he meant for tax purposes or for military service.
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