이름 means name in Korean.

During my Korean class, we read a cultural section on Korean names where in Korea people have a closer relationship with their surnames because they can trace it to an identifiable ancestor. I had heard this before and became even more familiar with the concept upon watching Korean television dramas.

I know that generally last names in Korea are clan names – bon-gwan (본관). Not all last names are related though and one traces one’s name from the area in which the clan originated. So for example, the Gyeongju Kim and the Gimhae Kim are both Kims but not related. This is traced with the help of lineage genealogies called jokbo (족보). The aspect of clan and family name had some ramifications, as members of the same clan and family name are generally prohibited from intermarrying with each other no matter how far distant from the common ancestor. This is still considered a social no-no in modern Korea, although it was legally struck down in 1999.

This aspect of name and clan is not unique to Korea. It is also found in traditional China. I remember discussing with my students during my teaching days in Beijing many of these same topics. One also has to remember that these were generally upper-class issues in both Korea and China. The actual situation with last names in Korea are definitely more muddled. As Korea was a feudal society, the greater majority of the population were serfs without last names, I believe. They just chose their own as the society modernized. Also, in an attempt to raise money, in the final years of the dynasty the royal family sold their clan name to raise funds.

A second interesting point about Korean names is the use of dollimja (돌림자), in which every person in a clan’s generational level is given a similar name root so that one can quickly figure out how far down the generational chain on is from the common ancestor. A much better write-up of this is available at http://askakorean.blogspot.com/2010/10/still-more-about-korean-names.html. This is also common in traditional China.

So, what then about British (English, Scottish, Irish, and Welsh) names? I picked these because my ancestry, aside from a little French and German, comes from this area. Generally, people’s surnames come from three main sources – a person, a place, or a trade. Thus, McMahon means son of Mahon in Gaelic. Brooks lived along a brook or something. Smiths were generally blacksmiths, silversmiths, or such. The textbook is right, however, in that most people have lost the sense of how their surnames originated, unless they were clan or aristocratic names. I also notice the same problem about first names in the US wherein most people have no idea what they mean, which explains the popularity of baby name books.

What about my name?

 Devon O’Neal Williams

I am particularly proud of my name. Mostly it is ego, but so what. One particular point about my name is that when people see my name, they think I am black. Nope, lily white as can be. This is because 46% of those who share my surname are African-American. Devon, said in a different way than I pronounce it, is generally a black first name. So, there it is.

Let my break it down for you. I am named after the county of Devon in England, which comes originally from the Celtic tribe Damnonii. This tribal name is usually translated as “dwellers in deep valleys” or some such. My middle name – that I received from my grandmother – is a eponym, meaning that I am named after someone. The O’Neal surname means grandson of Niall. This Niall is Niall Glúndub mac Áedo or Niall Black-knee, son of Áedo. He was a high king of Ireland in the 10^th century and was a member of the Uí Néill clan. The Uí Néill traced their lineage from Niall Noígíallach, or Niall of the Nine Hostages, a legendary king of Ireland in the 5^th century.

My last name is also rather interesting – Williams, or son of William. On the 2000 census, it ranked 3^rd in the most common surnames. Most people have no clue who their original William was. I do as Williams is not my ancestral surname. My Williams comes from my great-great-grandfather, William F. Washburn (1846-1911), who after a dispute changed his name to Frank Williams. As you can see, my ancestral surname is Washburn, 1763^rd most common surname in the US. The Washburn family derives its name from the town of Washburn in Gloustershire, England. The first person of that name was Sir Roger d’Washbourne, from whom I am descended. He was a 11^th century knight of Norman ancestry and this area was his fief. Wikipedia notes that “the name comes from the Saxon for ‘from the flooding brook,’ with ‘wash’ meaning ‘swift moving current of a stream,’ and ‘burn’ referring to a brook or a small stream.” I will have to take their word for that.