Patronym

A Patronym, or patronymic is a form of a surname derived from a fathers given name. For example, If Johann had a son "Jacob", that son would be known as "Jacob Johann's son" or more simply "Jacob Johannson". When Jacob Johannson had a son "Herman" that son would be known as "Herman Jacob's son" or simply "Herman Jacobson". At some moment in time different cultures adopted the practice of using a surname to reflect parantage, with the patronymic becoming "fixed" as a surname. In some cultures a variant of this practice was used with daughters names. If Jacob Johannson had a daughter "Bridgid" she would be known as ''Bridgid Jacob's Dotter". On occassion, these 'dotter' names were also perpetuated as a surname.  Thus if Bridgid Jacob's Dotter had a son "Carl", he might be known as "Carl Bridgidsdotter".