Friday’s Food for Thought: Mapping Names

Do you ever wonder where your last name originated? News.com.au reports on genealogy portal Forebears, which shows everything you need to know about your surname. Visitors to the Forebears sight can search their last name and discover its meaning, where it was coined, how many people share the name, and the locations where it’s most popular around the world. According to the website, the most common surname is Wang, which 76,546,675 go by, mainly in China. In the United States, top last names include Smith, Johnson, Williams, Brown, and Jones. Try out the tool by typing in your surname.

On Mom 365, users can see the names of babies born in real time. Baby Names Live is an interactive map showing the names and locations of babies born in the U.S. within the last 24 hours. As names pop up on the map, you can click on the name to learn more about its origin.

Photo Credit: Mom 365