In everyday life names have always been used to either identify or to address someone. - The following examples may more apply to the German language !! - In former times only call-/first names were used like Bernd ('bern'=braun/brown), Friedrich (fridu=Friede, Schutz / peace, protection), Gerhard/Gerd (ger= Speer/ spear, harti=hart/hard, strong, decisive), etc.  If there happened to live several people with an identical first name in the same area they were distinguished by adding physical features or certain characteristics to their first name, (e.g. the Wise, the Tall, the Strong, etc.), Professions (e.g. the Müller/Miller, the Bauer, the Meier etc.) or local conditions (e.g. from the Hof, Bach, Berg, Tal, etc.) All these “additions” to the first name were the origin of what we call surname or family name today. In 1370 the term 'Nachname'/surname was first mentioned in a document and from then on developed slowly but surely proceeded to be an indispensable part in the distinction of citizens in growing communities. More and more official documents required clearness, taxes and public charges needed to be properly allocated and encashed, messenger services claimed more exact details in addresses, etc. More information on this subject is provided in any piece of literature related with the science of ‘Onomatology’ ( > Diverse/ Literature).

In our case the name ‘vom (from) Bornbusch’ as a second name to a person called 'Berndes' is first mentioned in a document found in the public records office of Hanover from 1528 (so far the earliest mention of Bornbusch). 'Berndes vom Bornbusch’ administered a farm in an area which was then part of the county of Hoya in the north of Germany and also known as the Bornbusch, a 'Born' ('born' is also in use in a quite similar sense in English / born as a "beginning", in our case a well/spring) surrounded by 'Busch' (bushes, bosk, woods). As a start the term was only used to name the location and the farm and then passed over to the owner of the farm in that location.