Surname Tracking Reveals Hidden Persistence

Following rare surnames in historical registers (university lists, professional rolls, parliamentary membership) across many generations shows that high or low family social status persists much longer than parent–child income correlations imply. This long‑run persistence suggests a durable, partly inherited component of social standing that short‑term studies miss. — If long‑run persistence is real, policy debates that assume high upward mobility based on short‑term measures may be misdirected, affecting education, taxation, and anti‑discrimination strategies.