Rice, Register, Long, Carpenter, Leaf, Cook, Cattle, Woods, Parent, Cherry, Story, White( Black and other freaking colours including indigo!!!)[/I]??????
Is this done on purpose? I do not understand these surnames at all.
HELP.
Many of those profession based names date back to around 1000 AD. That naming convention came about from the Normans(UK), and the Anglo Saxons(French). Then the name warped over time as the written languages changed and solidified.
Example: Hris -> Rhys -> Rees -> Rice. The origin of Rice, which is Anglo Saxon word Hris, means fiery warrior.
Black was a surname of a few origins. One was given to some northern Brits because of their black hair, which was uncommon among the Saxons. Another was given to a guy for infiltration via covering his face in spot. Black is also the alternate for blacksmith instead of the surname smith. And the last went to an African man for obvious reasons.
White is really literal. And given to people who were pale and/or had white hair.
There was a time when commoners didn't have surnames. So when family registration for tax purposes became a thing once nobles were removed, many surnames were made up to create family names at that time.
Also it's not uncommon to be named afore things in nature in many cultures. There's Phoenix, Lily, Daisy, Rain, Crowe, Raven, etc.
Japan had Sakura(cherry), Yuki(snow), etc. The actor River Phoenix was Native American.
I personally find those names far more interesting than all the people taking names from the bible.