If you have a surname that ends in -ovich, -vici, -ovna, -son, -sen, or -dater or -datter you may have what is called a patronym or matronym. These are suffixes used to determine whose child you are. They are quite prevalent in Scandinavian surnames, and in Polish, Romanian and Russian surnames. Not every surname has a meaning, although every surname has an origin. You can look up meaning and origins in name encyclopedias. Beder's Encyclopedia of Jewish surnames is a good reference. He also has an Encyclopedia of names from the Russian Empire. You can also check online for resources. Do a search on Google for "origin of surnames" and you will get a lot of places to look. Be very careful of any service that offers you your family’s coat of arms. Not every family name has a coat of arms. A coat of arms and its blazon is issued to an individual and not to a generic family surname. Use of a coat of arms is not transferable from one individual to another. You are better off researching your name, and then determining if there is a coat of arms associated with any of your ancestors.