Where did surnames start from ?and how did they start?

Question:

Where did surnames start from ?and how did they start?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: The oldest use of family or surnames is unclear. Surnames have arisen in cultures with large, concentrated populations where a single names for individuals become insufficient to uniquely identify them. In many cultures the practice of using additional descriptive terms in identifying individuals arose. These descriptors might indicate personal attributes, location of origin, parentage, or clan affiliation. Often these descriptors developed into fixed clan identifications which became family names in the sense that we know them today.