Family History Terminology

noun the female side of a family

• The inheritance was passed down through the distaff side of the family.
• Most of the family heirlooms come from the distaff side.
• My grandma's jewelry all comes from the distaff side - it's so cool!
• The distaff side of the business is where all the creativity comes from.

noun a name derived from the name of a father or ancestor, typically by the addition of a prefix or suffix

• In some cultures, a person's surname is derived from their father's patronymic.
• I found out that my friend's last name is actually a patronymic.
• I never realized that our teacher's last name is a patronymic.
• The company's success was like a patronymic, passed down from generation to generation.