<p>I used to ask this question but I found the answer in two novels I read. One was a James potter novel(fan made) and the other was debt inheritance. Both being set in England. </p><p>In both novels, families traced their origin stories and found that the names were given to them for a reason. My guess is that years ago, names were given to best describe the nature of a family. If the head of a family was a baker, his children would probably be so too, so that would be their name. The same applied to potter, mason and all names like that.</p><p>In a situation were the family had no notable career or profession, they would be given a new that best describes their living condition. In a novel I read, a family was given the name hawk because their ancestors were poor and would search for scraps I'm trash. The same way hawks scavenge. So for names like stone or bush or wood, there might have been someone that lifted a massive stone, or lived in a bush or maybe was a woodcutter. But either way, the names represent the most prominent aspect of their ancestors lives</p>