Origin and history of sur-

early 15c., surchargen, "overcharge, charge too much expense," from Old French surcharger "to overload, overburden; overcharge" (12c.), from sur- "over" (see sur- (1)) + chargier "to load" (see charge (v.)).

In the physical sense of "overload, overburden" by 1580s. The meaning "make an extra charge on" is from 1885. The noun is also attested early 15c., "a charge or load above another, excessive load or burden." Related: Surcharged; surcharging.

c. 1300, "additional name; a name, title, or epithet added to a person's baptismal or Christian name," from sur "above" (from Latin super-; see sur- (1)) + name (n.). The word is modeled or Englished from on Anglo-French surnoun "surname" (early 14c.), a variant of Old French sornom, from sur "over" + nom "name." Surnoun also was used in Middle English. Also compare nickname.

Usually derived from a quality, achievement, or place, the surnames tended to be passed down and become family names. Hence the word took the sense of "a family name, a last name" by late 14c.

Hereditary surnames existed among Norman nobility in England in early 12c., among the common people they began to be used 13c., increasingly frequent until near universal by end of 14c. The process was later in the north of England than the south.

An Old English word for this was freonama, etymologically "free name;" Middle English also used toname, Old English tonama "surname, nickname," literally "to-name" (see to- (2) and compare Dutch toenaam, German zuname). The Lindisfarne Gospel (8c.) has Jesus asking the demon for his toname (a fiend would have no proper name), and the answer (Mark v.9): "Here (legion) tonoma me is, forðon moniʒ we sindon."

The verb is attested from 1510s, "give an additional name to." Related: Surnamed.