Forums

The common catalan names have heir origin in ancient trades or places. In fact, these words describe all things that people made or places where they were living in.
The most common names where I come from are such as ,Puig, Riba, Obach, Costa, Pujol, Camps,…All of these in relation to a landscape. Also, there are others that are connected with ancient trades or professions, such as, ‘Fuster’, that means, the person who works on wood; ‘ Sabater’, the person who makes or sales shoes; ‘ Oller’, the one who makes pans; ’Forner’, the one who makes or sales bread; ‘Ferrer’, the person who works on iron,…On the other hand, there are many names from other countries became popular here, such as ‘Baker’,..This is a surname very popular I Britain, too.
My family name is ‘Pastor’, its origin is in relation to the profession of shepherd, from the Latin language, ‘Pastore’, the person who guards the herd. This surname is all around in Catalunya. We could say only in the city of Barcelona there are more than two thousand people called ‘Pastor’. The researchers have different opinions about which is its origin. Ones say this comes from many regions of Spain; Aragón, La Rioja or Valencia. Other ones say that it comes from France and goes to Catalonia in times on The Reconquest.
In my country he first time you meet someone is the most important meeting, as a charters the course of the relationship. (I think it is in that way wherever you go). Anyway, the mostly meeting are informal and only it uses formalities like Mr. or Mrs. When the person you have met is older than you.
In my language there are common pet names that show affection, such as ‘amor’, that means ‘dear, darling’.