A question about Japanses name...

[包龙星]

Recentely,I've knew a interesting story about Japaese names.
Is it true that the common people of Japan didn't have a formal name before the social reforms in the 1860s?
But why today Japanese have the greatest number of name in the world?
:relief:

[caster51]

japanese was having a family name.
however it was not permitted to show though samurai ,rich farmer, merchant...can name
that was a myth..
of couese some did not have it .
even today, emperor does not have a family name :p
why today Japanese have the greatest number of name in the world?
foe expmle, toyotomi Hideyoshi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyotomi_Hideyoshi
he was born as poor farmer's kid..
his family name was Kinoshita(木下）
then　he changed his family name Hashiba(羽柴）
then toyotomi.