Think the weird way we save contacts to our phone is new? A language nerd says guess again.

It might seem like a very modern concept to label contacts like “Richard Chiropractor” or “Sarah Pilates ,” but as one self proclaimed etymology nerd explains it, this way of naming people is actually a time honored tradition for western languages .

Adam Aleksic , a 23-year-old linguist and content creator from New York City, broke down exactly how western surnames were created using this very method.

“Before the 12th century, everybody just had first names,” Aleksic began. But as England’s population began expanding, more record keeping was needed.

This introduced four different types of surnames—occupational, toponymic, adjectival, and relationship descriptor.

An occupational surname categorizes a person by their profession, much like today you might save someone as “A.J. Plumber” or “Leo Finance” in your phone, Aleksic explained.

Toponymic surnames, on the other hand, are linked to the place a person is from or where you met them. Aleksic used "Joanna Math Class" or "Raina Minnesota” as examples.

Then there are the adjectival surnames, referring to a characteristic or behavior. Aleksic’s examples included "Dylan DO NOT ANSWER" and "Steph (stoner)."

“Imagine ur last name is ‘do not answer’ lol” quipped one viewer.

Finally, there’s relationship descriptor names, which Aleksic said represent someone’s personal connection to another person—think "Johnson," meaning "John's son." This might be the most common way we categorize our contacts today, with an additional layer. "Ina Bestie" or "Sam Tinder," for instance, both reveal our own unique connection to this person.

So all this to say—this new thing really isn’t all that new.

And that’s a major reason why Aleksic makes videos about linguistic fun facts in the first place. In an interview with Buzzfeed, he said, "A common theme in my research and videos is that we're constantly playing out old linguistic patterns in a new medium. I find that comforting because it means you don't have to be alarmed by language change. Rather, you can be aware of how language holds power and then use it wisely."

On his account, you can find all kinds of fascinating language and/or history tidbits—from how certain colors got their names to dissecting Gen Z slang terms to breaking down how fonts hit differently . If you’re looking for fun an educational scroll give Aleksic a follow here .