-in / -din / -lin

[Norm Pono Sandin]

An ancestor of mine chose the surname Sandin.  I have seen other names in Sweden with similar construction - Lundin, Nordin, Sundin and even Odin.  Could someone familiar with linguistics please tell me if the suffix -in (or possible -din) has any meaning?
 
My ancestor lived on a farm named Sandsjön and I suspect that he took the “Sand” syllable from the farm.  I speculate that in some language the suffix -in means “man” or “person” or “man from”.  I have even invented a story.  I know my ancestor chose Sandin when he became a clockmaker.  I say he chose the name because an hourglass (clock) has ***sand in*** it!
 
Or perhaps it is simply “your sand”.
 
Thank you for any answer!        Aloha, Pono

[Elisabeth Thorsell]

Hi Pono, one explanation of the names ending in -in or -din or -lin etc. ist that someone went to school a long time ago. At school they were told to get a surname, and often chose a latin name, derived from the home place, like Sandinus, or Schrewelius.  
 
Later in the 1700s it was no longer fashionable with a Latin ending, so they cut it off and got a more French-sounding name, which was popular then. Then others tought it was nice-sounding, and started to make up other names in the same style. Usually they don't mean much.

[Norm Pono Sandin]

Elisabeth:
 
I think you hit that right on the nose.  There are several Google hits for the Latin suffix -inus and one of them says the French suffix -in is the equivalent!  The meaning given is belonging to or pertaining to.
 
Nice to hear from you - thank you for the response!  Aloha, Pono