Where do they come from so many names as there are now?

Question:Surnames come from occupations (Cook, Baker, Fletcher), father's names (Johnson, Simons, Rodriguez), physical characteristics (Little, Strong, Brown) and homes (Marsh, Rivers, York).

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Surnames come from occupations (Cook, Baker, Fletcher), father's names (Johnson, Simons, Rodriguez), physical characteristics (Little, Strong, Brown) and homes (Marsh, Rivers, York).

Surnames come from occupations (Cook, Baker, Fletcher), father's names (Johnson, Simons, Rodriguez), physical characteristics (Little, Strong, Brown) and homes (Marsh, Rivers, York).

Some are the same name spelt differently such as O'Neill, O'Neal, Mullan, Mullen, Mullin, Mallon, Mellon, Brown, Braun, Goldsmith/Gelschmitt, Powell, Ferguson, Windsor, Winser, Kelly, O'Kelly, O'Doherty, Doherty, O'Donnell, McCrystal, McCrystall, McCristal, McCristall, McKane, O'Kane, McNamee, McNamara, Thomas, Thompson, Wallace, Welch, Breslin, Braisland, Boyle, O'Boyle and so on...

Even double-barrelled names add to the complexity of different names