The origin of the surname 'Khan'?

Question

You know how most, if not all, or whatever, surnames originate from our really far back ancestors jobs? Like Smith was as blacksmith, I think? Where job does 'Khan' come from? Or is that not how it started? If so, how did it start?

Also, I know this is going to sounds seriously stupid and I know it's not, but I'll ask anyway, aren't people with the same surname kind of distantly related? Because it could be from loads of ancestors back and that's where you're related and stuff?


Also, if I have put this in the wrong category, I'm sorry, I have no clue which one it would go in..

Answer 1

As you have been advised where the surname Khan originated etc I won't repeat that..........



Now think about your 'seriously stupid' question....not that stupid if you don't know and if you don't ask you will never know.........so on that basis no question is stupid..........



So in the village was a miller who milled the flour, there may have been two or three Miller in the same village they took their flour to the bakers....lots of Bakers, in the village and local towns........ now the ONLY relationship those people had were their jobs, but many Millers were called Miller and many Bakers were called Baker............ all the metal workers across the country ( including Blacksmiths) may have been given the name Smith...some were called others names as there were several in the same village so they didn't get mixed up as names were given to tax people and identify them easily............... so you see not everyone who has the same surname is related....as the name were given or chosen, much like first names now........and everyone named John is not related regardless of how far you research back...............................

http://familytimeline.webs.com/originsofsurnames.htm

Answer 2

Amber,

The ancient Romans had four names; the 3rd one being the mother's family name, the 4th one being the father's family name. Of course, that applied only to the nobler families.



There really is too much misconception re names of any part, and surnames in particular.

For instance, most people think that Julius was surnamed Caesar; that is not so. Caesar was akin to the title of king; the Romans referred to him as Imperator (Emperor).



Some people of English descent are surnamed King; likewise, some Chinese people are surnamed Khan. (Remember Kenghis Khan?) See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khan_(surname)



No, you really cannot assume that folks with the same surname are distantly related, except in the sense that some folks claim that we are all related.



Why? You asked about Smith. Go back to Medieval England when the King declared that everyone MUST have a surname. Think about it: every village or town would have at least one smith; each of them could choose that for a surname. Add to that such names as Schmidt (German for Smith) and so on. Many Germans when they immigrated to Merry Olde England or to the Colonies Anglisized their name, meaning Schmidt could become Smith.



Then there were women who married and then divorced, or becamed widowed. They kept their husband's surname. If they married again, their children might bear the first husband's surname.



Then there are all those orphans. Look it up: back in the 1800s there were "bridal trains" and "orphans trains". Those trains would stop in every town along the way until all the brides or orphans had been claimed. (Look to the Carribean: the Virgin Islands got its name from the "10,000 virgins" sent there by boat.



Don't forget all those people (see the queries this site) re changing surnames, adopting surnames, etc.



For more on the origin of surnames, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surname

Answer 3

Not everyone with the same surname is related unless it is extremely rare. There are millions of Lees in the world from several different countries. No way could they all be related.



Khan Family History

Khan Name Meaning

Muslim: from a personal name or status name based on Turkish khan ‘ruler’, ‘nobleman’. This was originally a hereditary title among Tartar and Mongolian tribesmen (in particular Genghis Khan, 1162–1227), but is now very widely used throughout the Muslim world as a personal name. In Iran and parts of the Indian subcontinent it is used as an honorific title after a person’s name.



Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4

Answer 4

'Khan' is a relatively common name that is found throughout Southern and Western Asia. It is connected to the title 'Khan' used among Mongol rulers.



Also, the name 'Kahn', which looks almost identical but switches the 'a' and 'h', is a German surname that is completely unrelated to Khan.

Answer 5

I do believe that Khan is Indian.