Explain how nicknames became surnames.

The late Middle Ages also saw the flocking of people from one area to another over military conquest (like the Normans) or for economic reasons (such as farm laborers emigrating to the new and growing cities) unlike earlier, so besides the previously well answered explanations, geography also played a part in adopting surnames.

Place names: Stratford

Mercer

York

Romano

Toulouse

Von Hesse

Moscovitz

Geographical features

Shore

Lake

Field

Du Bois

Man made features:

Bridges

Street

Gates

Mills

Van Dyke

Du Pont