Everone is related if you go back far enough in you family tree so why do we...

Question:

Everone is related if you go back far enough in you family tree so why do we...?

have different last names and why do some people have the same names? i know this may seem stupid but i was just curious...

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Last names were originally your job title or place of origin.

There was, for example, more than one "John" in a given city, so you called the blacksmith, "John Smith", and the baker "John Baker."

Or, if John had come form a city called "Trapp", he would be called "John Von(from) Trapp"

Some names still have their original meaning--look up your last name in the language of your ancestors. Some have been changed over time, so that they are now meaningless.