thanks again, Frank. I will keep all this in mind. My research right now is only in the 1800s (1850-1890s). I will proceed with caution! Patty ----- Original Message ----- From: "Frank Kurchina" <frankur@worldnet.att.net> To: <CROATIA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 4:46 AM Subject: Re: [CROATIA-L] double surnames > > > "Patty M." wrote: > > > > thanks, Frank. You're always such a help. I frankly don't remember any > > discussion on double surnames for Croatia, but I trust you are correct. > > > > Patty > > In villages throughout Europe, where there were several or more same > surname bearers with the same first names, a system of binomes/binames > (a.k.a. ' aliases ') evolved. > These double surnames were separated by a hyphen (-) > Analogous to a married American woman using her her marrried and maiden > names together and separated by a hyphen. > > Usually a nickname or ' alias ' was given the second surname bearer to > distinguish him from the first (original) surname bearer. > The name left of hyphen was the original surname and one to right > was the alias, but not always. > If another same surname with the same first name was born in village or > moved there ? then this procedure needed to be repeated to differeniate > these multiple surname bearers. > > Over time some binames became branch surnames. > Sometimes the names were reversed with the names exchanged from one > side to the other. > And sometimes the surname bearers were not related. > Some such names were recycled over the following generations in a > village due to marriages. > In addition, some surname bearers used one surname when resident in > their village of origin and another surname when traveling away from > village. > Very confusing. > > Binames (nicknames) , or surnames were rare throughout Europe > (800-1250 A.D.), and most names recorded during this period bear > only a given name. > The few individuals recorded with a biname bore a patronymic, formed > from the father's first name. > Between 1250-1526 Christian and saint's names became the standard. > > Binames or surnames could include patronymics - those derived from > the Christian name or profession of the father - or also the name > of the surname town of origin or residence. > > > Why the 1526 cutoff ? > This is the year that Croatia and Hungary fell to the Turks at the > Battle of Mohács, Hungary. >