family name
Americannoun
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the hereditary surname of a family.
-
a given name frequently used in a family.
noun
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a surname, esp when regarded as representing the family honour
-
a first or middle name frequently used in a family, often originally a surname
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of family name
First recorded in 1690–1700
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"One Dumfries is a Scottish town, another Dumfries became a Caribbean family name," she said.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
Keiko Fujimori's victory would mark the return of her family name to power, more than two decades after the fall of her father, former president Alberto Fujimori.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
The paternal great-grandmother of goalie Matt Turner fled religious persecution in Lithuania, with his Jewish ancestors changing their family name from Turnovski to Turner when they arrived at Ellis Island.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026
The Epstein scandal threatens to deepen a divide among the descendants at a time when the two remaining banks bearing the family name are increasingly in competition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
After all, it was Cornelius Grinnell’s family name on the expedition and his father’s money behind it.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
