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What's in a Name
The name Lampron is derived from Greek and Hebrew words which signify brightness and joy. There are two ways you can decipher or translate the name Lampron:
1. The Greek term for "bright" is lampron which literally means "shining, resplendent" like a lamp. The Greek word lampron (bright) is used in the Greek version of the Book of Revelation.
2. When you break the name Lampron into two parts: Lamp - "A Source of illumination." derived from the Greek word "lampus" (means torch). Also derived from the Latin word "lampein" (means to shine).
Ron - is a Hebrew name which means "song, joy"Lamp(bright or shining)ron(song or joy)
Lampron
Sunrise at York, MaineNow that we know the Latin, Greek and Hebrew roots of the name Lampron, lets move on to the hard part - finding it's origin and place in history.
Tracing the Origin of Your Surname
First of all, I should tell you in case you don't already know, that in medieval and ancient times people went by their first or given names only.
European surnames first occurred between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries. Prior to this time period, particularly during the "Dark Ages" between the fifth and eleventh centuries, people were largely illiterate, lived in rural areas or small villages, and had little need of distinction beyond their given names ( first names ). During Biblical times people were often referred to by
their given names and the locality in which they resided such as "Jesus of Nazareth", "Hethum IV of Lampron" or "Robin of Loxley" (Robin Hood). However, as populations grew, the need to identify individuals by surnames became a necessity. The acquisition of surnames during the past eight hundred years has been affected by many factors, including social class and social structure, cultural tradition, and naming practices in neighboring cultures.
Surnames, for the most part, drew their meanings from the lives of men in the Middle Ages, and their origins can be divided into four main categories:
Patronymic Surnames
The majority of surnames are derived from patronymics, i.e. the forming of a surname from the father's given name such as Johnson, meaning literally "the son of John." In some rare cases, the naming practice was metronymic, wherein the surname was derived from the mother's given name such as Catling, Marguerite or Dyott.
Place Names or Local Names
One of the most common ways to differentiate one man from his neighbor was to describe him in terms of his geographic surroundings or location (similar to describing a friend as the "one who lives down the street"). Such local names denoted some of the earliest instances of surnames in France, and were quickly introduced into England by the Norman nobility who
chose names based on the locations of their ancestral estates. If a person or family migrated from one place to another, they were often identified by the place they came from (LAMPRON from the PORT OF LAMPRON). If they lived near a stream, cliff, forest, hill, or other geographic feature, this might be used to describe them. Some last names can still be traced back to their exact place of origin, such as a particular city or county, while others have origins lost in obscurity (ATWOOD lived near the woods, but we don't know which one). Compass directions were another common geographic identification in the Middle Ages (EASTMAN, WESTWOOD). Most geographic-based surnames are easy to spot, though the evolution of language has made others less obvious, i.e. DUNLOP (muddy hill).
Descriptive Names
Another class of surnames, those derived from a physical or other characteristic of first bearer, make up an estimated 10% of all family names. These descriptive names are thought to have originally evolved as nicknames during the Middle Ages when men created nicknames or pet names for his neighbors and friends based on personality or physical appearance. Thus, Michael the strong became Michael STRONG and black-haired Peter became Peter BLACK. Sources for such nicknames included: an unusual size or shape of the body, bald heads, facial hair, physical deformities, distinctive facial features, skin or hair coloring, and even emotional disposition.
Examples: BROADHEAD, a person with a large head; BAINES (bones), a thin man; GOODMAN, a generous individual; ARMSTRONG, strong in the armOccupational Names
The last class of surnames to develop reflect the occupation or status of the first bearer. These occupational names, derived from the specialty crafts and trades of the medieval period, are fairly self-explanatory. A MILLER was essential for grinding flour from grain, a WAINWRIGHT was a wagon builder, and BISHOP was in the employ of a Bishop. Different surnames often developed from the same occupation based on the language of the country of origin (MÜLLER, for example, is German for Miller).
Examples: ALDERMAN, an official clerk of the court; TAYLOR, one that makes or repairs garments; CARTER, a maker/driver of carts; OUTLAW, an outlaw or criminalFrench use of Dit Names or Name Variations
"Dit" in French means "say" and in this context, it means "called." In other words, a person might be Pierre Bourbeau dit Lacourse, which means that he had an ancestor named Bourbeau, but he chooses to use the name Lacourse instead. So he is Pierre Bourbeau called Lacourse.
People might take a dit name to distinguish their family from another family of the same name living nearby. Often it was a sort of nickname, often picked up during service as a soldier. Or it might refer to the place in France where the family originated. Sometimes it was the mother's surname, and sometimes the father's first name was used, either instead of the surname (for example, Hebert dit Emmanuel) or in addition to it (Jeanbard, Castonquay). In any case, very often the dit name was passed down to later generations, either in place of the original surname, or in addition to it. The use of dit names is how Laspron eventually evolved to Lampron.
It should be noted that the use of "dit names" are used mostly in France and Scotland
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