Am I wrong in assuming many English surnames arose from occupations?

by krampus

If so, why such a preponderance of Smiths, Millers, and Clarks, and a dearth of Fishers, Hunters, and Miners?

Gadarn

Not to dissuade further discussion, but the FAQ has a section on surnames which lists some similar questions/answers:

intangible-tangerine

Here's a previous thread on the ubiquity of the 'Smith' surname.