surname
Americannoun
-
Also called last name. the name that a person has in common with other family members, as distinguished from a first name or given name; family name.
-
a name added to a person's name, as one indicating a circumstance of birth or some characteristic or achievement; epithet.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
Also called: last name. second name. a family name as opposed to a first or Christian name
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(formerly) a descriptive epithet attached to a person's name to denote a personal characteristic, profession, etc; nickname
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
surnamesimple
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surnamessimple
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have surnamedperfect
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has surnamedperfect
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am surnamingprogressive
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are surnamingprogressive
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is surnamingprogressive
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have been surnamingperfect progressive
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has been surnamingperfect progressive
Past
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surnamedsimple
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had surnamedperfect
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was surnamingprogressive
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were surnamingprogressive
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had been surnamingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of surname
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English (noun); see sur- 1, name; modeled on Old French surnom
Compare meaning
How does surname compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A surname is a person’s last name, or family name. Smith is a popular surname in the U.S., while Dieng is a popular surname in Senegal. Your surname is your last name. A surname can be Smith, Jones, Johnson, Giacometti — any name that someone gets from their family. The word surname derives from sur “above" + name. The term surname was first used by feudal lords, who adopted the name of their property as their family name. A surname can be derived from a place name (e.g., London) or a trade (e.g., Schneider means "tailor" in German).
Vocabulary lists containing surname
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This Week in Words: March 30–April 5, 2019
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"Names/Nombres" by Julia Alvarez
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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.
Elliott devised a system and kept refining it until, in 2009, he, Fremont, Morrison and other Rand researchers published a paper laying out Bayesian Surname Improved Geocoding.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 28, 2016
Q. Surname Apostrophe Battle: I have been married for four years and my new last name has an apostrophe.
From Slate • Jun. 2, 2015
The less full-on monsters, such as Peter and Judith Surname, who constantly complained about their holidays from hell, were better.
From The Guardian • Feb. 1, 2011
I got out of her that he was called Arthur Miles Surname Chandon, an' that he lived at 'Oly Innercents.
From True Tilda by Quiller-Couch, Arthur Thomas, Sir
Why how now my Frenchified captain Fowlweather? by Cods ludd thy Surname is never thought upon here, I perceive heeres nobody gives thee any commendations.
From A Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 3 by Bullen, A. H. (Arthur Henry)
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.
