If You Have One of These Last Names, You Probably Descend from an Eskimo
A large portion of the Arctic regions of North America and Siberia are inhabited by the misnamed 'Eskimos.' This tribe is divided into two ethnic groups: the Inuit who live in the Arctic zone of Alaska, Canada, and Greenland; and the Yupik, who live in southern Alaska and the Siberian Chukchi Peninsula. Although they truly trace their origins to Siberia, they eventually crossed the Bering Strait and settled in other areas.
Due to the meaning attributed to the word 'Eskimo' (one who eats raw meat), it has fallen out of favor as a reference to the tribe. The life of the Inuit and Yupik was once nomadic, following the migrations of the animals they hunt. They live in extremely cold areas, so the main priority is sheltering from the low temperatures caused by the cold, which they manage with furs or the buildings they construct, the igloos.
They say that they have over 400 words to describe snow and that they kiss with their noses to avoid having their saliva freeze and stick together. The largest current population exists in Greenland, also known as Kalaallit Nunaat, where 88.9% of the inhabitants are Inuit, and the vast majority speak the Inuit language, kalaallit, with Danish being the second official language.
The Importance of Last Names and the Language
One of the most interesting aspects of Greenlandic society is precisely the variety of last names of its population, which display influences from Inuit, Danish, and other elements that have shaped the identity of the country. Last names hold great importance for the preservation of family history and ties to the community and the land. They can be a signal of individual identity and convey common values and beliefs.
The language of the Inuit varies by region. Nevertheless, some common features include the repetition of the same vowel or consonant (to say yes, they use 'aap' or 'suu'); as well as the use of the letter 'q', which appears in the majority of words (qorsuk, ataaseq, or quit) or 'a', which also repeats frequently (avannaa, kujataa, kitaa...).
One last name that is highly likely to originate from this northern tribe is Inuit. It is currently quite prevalent in Israel and Portugal, although it has undergone changes in its spelling leading to variations such as Innit, Inat, Indi, Inett, Inott, Int, Inti, Ionut, Ihnat, Ionut, Inad, Inayat, Ind, Ineta, Initia, Innati, Inta, Intha, Ionita, Ianetti, Iannitti, Imad, Imed, or Imedio.
Greenlandic Last Names that Originated from the Inuit
- Skifte
- Gronvold
- Zeeb
- Morch
- Kruse
- Hoegh
- Qvist
- Vahl
- Blok
- Pike
- Thisted
- Narup
- Bak
- Bjerge
- Kjær
- Pars
- Svane
- Olrik