Are people that share the same surname all related

[Sevendaysaweek]

Like for example two different families called smith are they related even it’s way back?

No, a lot of people were called eg Smith because that was their job! (See also Baker, Miller, Mason...)

No, there will have been Smiths, Wrights, Archers etc being given those names in every corner of Britain at around the same time.

No. Smith is a good example. It's an occupational surname which originated from the occupation blacksmith. If you think about it, most towns or villages would have their own forge, so it stands to reason that lots of families all over the country would have that surname and not be related at all.

Well everyone is related if you go back far enough!

No, everybody with the surname Smith is descended from the Roman god, Vulcan. Is logic not taught in schools any more? Occam’s Razor? The obvious explanation is usually correct.

I always thought that Occam was a right pass-agg nobhead ....

What about non-occupational names though?

Yes. All related to Adam and Eve if you go back far enough.

Depends on the name.
Smith, Jones, etc NO. Something rare and potentially yes. One branch of our family has a very unusual surname and if you google that name, it inevitably leads to a relative whether they live in the UK or not!

I don't think so. I went to school with 2 people with the same surname. As far as they know they are not related.
I then met, got engaged to, and had 2 dc with a man with the same surname. Again, not related as far as we know. He swears blind its a really uncommon name but my experience shows its really isn't

They probably are all related if we go back far enough. Maybe one day I'll try and research my DCs family tree for them.

No. People were given names because of their job (Smith, Taylor, Brewer), or who their father was (Johnson, Peterson, Davidson), or where they lived (Cornwall, or Lea, Field, etc), or anything else you could think of to describe someone.

I changed mine by deed poll but people like to point out how I might be related to a very well known Queen going back several centuries. My original surname did have family ties to someone well known at court at the time but 🤷🏻‍♀️ its never that easy to generalise based on a name.

"All related to Adam and Eve" Yeah, my million and 5 x great great grandmother was the next rib down.

Of course. If you think we are all related to Adam and Eve. If not then no, really No.

I have a very popular surname. But I have no connection with a well known retail chain. My parents did their family trees back to 1650.

I went pretty far back in my family tree and my surname isn't really on there
I got stuck at someone and found out (I thought I was plain white British) that he was born in Barbados and black. Couldn't make sense of it until I looked at the surname and realised he was probably a slave, he picked his own surname (it makes total sense when you know the name!)
That's why I couldn't go any further back from him. My mum then showed me a pic of my uncle who it turns out has 4a type hair except it's always been shaved so I never noticed!
Ancestry is fascinating and I wish I had done it sooner

Well yes. If you go back far enough, we're all from the same pool of goo. 😁

All people with blue eyes are apparently descended from a single hominin with that mutation.

My family name was taken from a middle name of one of the 9 kids in my great, great grandfathers generation.

There was a falling out somewhere along the line so they all changed their surnames to a brother’s middle name.

So I know I’m definitely not related to all the other people with that (quite common) name.

Adam and Eve 😂

My married name is fairly unusual. People often stumble on it. My husband went to secondary school with someone with the same surname but no relation. Odd considering there were only a handful of people in the phone book with it.

I suspect a link with my Mils family to a distant ancestors of mine ( they share the same surname and have some traits in common with regard to profession). But we are not related as the person in my family tree married the aunt of the person I am descended from.
I need to review the information I have as since I found the "connection" more data has become available in the public domain.

My surname describes the place my family lived at some point.

Like Marlow, Mountbatten, Scott, Welch, Newton De Niro, Holland.

Mine is but there are only about 40 of us

@pistolknight only 40 of you? How do you know?