Long before surnames became fixed family identifiers, they were simply descriptive labels, often based on a person’s trade (Smith, Miller); residence or nearby topographical features (York, Wood); father’s name (Donaldson, Johnson); or personal characteristics (Little, Short, Swift). Eventually, these descriptors became surnames, many of which still exist today.  But not all of these monikers were benign or flattering. Some were assigned by uncaring neighbors, tax collectors, or local officials who needed a way to tell people apart — and the names they chose were not always kind. Nonetheless, the labels calcified into family names, passed ...Read More