 The study of proper names (in family names, personal names, or places) is called onomastics.A one-name study is a collection of vital and other biographical data about all persons worldwide sharing a particular surname.In many cultures (particularly in European and European-influenced cultures in the Americas, Oceania, etc., as well as the Middle East, South Asia, and most African cultures), the surname or family name ("last name") is placed after the personal, forename (in Europe) or given name ("first name").