The common thing about given names and surnames is that they are revealing the identity of an individual, especially when they are put together side by side. The practice of having a surname and a given name is general to all human beings, regardless of culture and traditions that are practiced in different places of the world.
A given name is the name given to an individual at birth, and it can be anything depending on what the parents want their child to be called. On the other hand, a surname is usually considered as an additional name given to a person, which he or she shares with other members of a particular family. A surname is what links the older generation of a particular family to the current generation. Different people are usually linked to a particular surname, unlike a given name, which is meant for a single person.