My name is Mark Stephen Elliott, were Mark and Stephen came from the forenames of my dad's father then my mother's father. The forename of my dad's father came from a surname, his middle name was from a pre US, German surname which he rejected. Yes there were Germans in the Colonies before there was a US. Stephen came from my Slavic-German speaking mom's dad, and is more Scottish than German as a surname, though it also goes for the Steven spelling. Family line of the Anglo-Scottish Borders and Anglo-Germany. Repetitive usage of surnames, gives way to nicknames, and addition of more names. Name sequencing, and preserved cultural format helps one to realize their genealogical lines. It is not so important in the name sequence, but it is important that the sequence stays standard with maybe a slow evolution, from a single personal name, then with locality or taking on the father's name as a surname, then addition of a surname, then insertion of a middle name. It these names are passed down the family then it helps with the genealogy. Granddad Mark (no middle name) Elliott, his was was AW (initial only because he did not care for his names), and his father SA (neither like their given names and the "A" was the same and I do not know why they past it down). Dad liked his name Loren Spencer Elliott where the Spencer was his mother's maiden name. So in this case the family name of his mother Ilah Spencer was past down.