Hi. When did names customarily started as we know ?

Judas Iscariot, Pontius Pilatus, Caesar Augustus, Simon Peter, Mary Magdalene, James Zebedee, James Alphaeus... what about the disciples Matthew, Thomas, Bartholomew, Philip, John, Tadeus, even Jesus... is there any 'extensions' known to these latter and others ?

Is there a time where formal in names was implemented or mandated or it has been well before 2000 years ?

4 hours ago, Externet said:

Hi. When did names customarily started as we know ?

Judas Iscariot, Pontius Pilatus, Caesar Augustus, Simon Peter, Mary Magdalene, James Zebedee, James Alphaeus... what about the disciples Matthew, Thomas, Bartholomew, Philip, John, Tadeus, even Jesus... is there any 'extensions' known to these latter and others ?

Is there a time where formal in names was implemented or mandated or it has been well before 2000 years ?

“….of Nazareth”. As Pilate wrote on the inscription on the cross, according to the gospels.

In fact it seems we do not know the first name of Pontius Pilate. Romans had three names, praenomen, nomen and cognomen. Pontius was the nomen or family name. Pilatus or Pilatos was the cognomen, a sort of nickname, which in his case may have meant skilled with the javelin (pilum).

13 hours ago, Externet said:

Hi. When did names customarily started as we know ?

How do you define the "as we know" part? I think the oldest evidence of the custom will likely depend on how long written records have survived. My wild guess is that the development of surnames will coincide with the formation of sufficient large settlements which made it more relevant to distinguish membership to different families and might predate a lot of the written records (those that survived, at least).

With regard to the earliest documented surnames, I randomly googled the Uruk period and found this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kushim_(Uruk_period)

13 hours ago, Externet said:

Hi. When did names customarily started as we know ?

Judas Iscariot, Pontius Pilatus, Caesar Augustus, Simon Peter, Mary Magdalene, James Zebedee, James Alphaeus... what about the disciples Matthew, Thomas, Bartholomew, Philip, John, Tadeus, even Jesus... is there any 'extensions' known to these latter and others ?

Is there a time where formal in names was implemented or mandated or it has been well before 2000 years ?

It really is culture dependent. For example, prior to the 20th century surnames in Finland could change between generations or even during a person's own lifetime, If they moved, change occupations, etc. ( My own grandfather changed his surname prior to leaving Finland) It wasn't until the 20th century that it even became legally required to have a surname. In Denmark, surnames use to change with every generation. So if someone named Hans had a son named Christian, they would be Christian Hansen ( Hans' son) and if Christian had a son, their surname would be Christiansen.

57 minutes ago, Janus said:

It really is culture dependent. For example, prior to the 20th century surnames in Finland could change between generations or even during a person's own lifetime, If they moved, change occupations, etc. ( My own grandfather changed his surname prior to leaving Finland) It wasn't until the 20th century that it even became legally required to have a surname. In Denmark, surnames use to change with every generation. So if someone named Hans had a son named Christian, they would be Christian Hansen ( Hans' son) and if Christian had a son, their surname would be Christiansen.

While we are at variations on how surnames can be formed, I always found the Spanish one to be fun. There, folks have two surnames, based on the first surname of each parent. This can be interesting if the surnames are composites. Or if Basque names are intermingled, where the surname is based on the father's surname and the family town.

17 hours ago, Externet said:

When did names customarily started as we know ?

If “as we know” refers to first name/last name in the Anglocentric world, with the latter being inherited, Wikipedia says that in England it began with the preparation of the Domesday book after the Norman conquest, and became common in the 14th century. But there are many cultural variations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surname

1 hour ago, CharonY said:

I always found the Spanish one to be fun. [...]

1 hour ago, CharonY said:

Or if Basque names are intermingled, where the surname is based on the father's surname and the family town.

It is. You could in principle trace your family tree back to the Middle Ages in Spain. In actuality, of course, very few people --if any-- can do that.

Trusting that your great-great-great grandparents and beyond had everything under control when it came to procreating is another matter. 😅

Some Basque family names, like Urrutikoetxea ("house from afar") or Etxebarria "new house" are a bit more dicey as to their origins being based on a gild, or a piece of land.

Both my parent's surnames were derived from patronymics. On the Scandinavian side, my grandfather was the first generation to freeze the surname in place.

What a pity my great-grandfather waa not named Jet. 😎