Are you curious to know the origin of your surname? This site gives you access, in just a few seconds, to valuable information on the history of your ancestors. Plus, it’s free !
From the moment we are born, our parents give us one or more first names behind which is attached a family name, which is often that of our father. Our name is therefore an integral part of our identity. At school, on our identity documents, our pay slips, our administrative documents of all kinds, and it is also by him that we are designated by third parties. However, most of us do not know where our own surname comes from, which is passed down from generation to generation. In the world, there are an incalculable and varied number of surnames.
In France, certain surnames are very widespread, notably the name Martin which is worn by more than 220,000 households, according to the latest data from INSEE. But nothing clearly tells us what its origin and etymology is. If you are curious to know more about the one you are wearing, the site geneanet.org dedicated to genealogy is quite astonishing. On this online platform, created in 1996 by enthusiasts, more than 5 million users share hundreds of genealogical information for free.
Among the research that you can do yourself there is that dedicated to the origin of the last name. To do your investigation, it’s as easy as pie: you just need to enter your surname in the search engine and let the site do the rest. In a few seconds, you have access to the etymology of your name, its spelling variants (because certain surnames have evolved over the centuries), and a map of the distribution of surnames to follow the geographic migrations of its name.
After doing some personal research, the data obtained on our family names generally coincides with what we have heard about the history of our ancestors. Of course, not all of this information should be taken literally. If you need professional advice for important research, you can always turn to the services of a genealogist.