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Main Page This Web Page tryes to explore the Historical Roots of my Surname. About Slovenia The Republic of Slovenia lies at the heart of Europe where the Alps and the Mediterranean meet the Pannonian plains and the mysterious Karst. History of Surnames Today, almost everyone has a surname, but this was not always the case... Mis-spellings Many of the Surnames we know today, are just mis-spellings of original surnames. Did you know? In Turkey, surnames didn't become mandatory until 1933! E-mail: janez.opara@siol.net This page hosted by: Visitors since 10.03.1998: Last updated: 05.01.2003		Beginning in the 15th and 16th centuries, family names gained in popularity in Poland and Russia. The Scandinavian countries, bound by their custom of using the father's name as a second name, didn't begin using family surnames until the 19th century, Turkey waited until 1933, when the government forced the practice on its people. The 'Vikings' believed in name magic..and that a person's soul was represented or symbolised by his name (for this reason, Vikings deliberately used the names of famous chiefs or family friends, when naming their children). Many Swedish surnames reflect the Swede's love of nature, incorporating words such as: berg ("mountain") or blom ("flower").
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