surname
Americannoun
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surnames
plural
-
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.
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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)
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surnames,
present (3rd person singular)
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surnamed,
past participle, past
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surnaming
present participle
noun
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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
-
surnamedsimple
-
had surnamedperfect
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was surnamingprogressive
-
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.
See Examples For:
Like most who AFP spoke to, he declined to give his surname to speak about issues connected to the war.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
Humbled manager Leopold Aschenbrenner, whose surname means ash burner, probably will rise like a phoenix.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Victoria - the BBC has agreed to not include her surname - 33, said her five-year-old daughter had "shot up" in size and needed more clothes for the new term.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
They then pose as reputable financial institutions, lawyers, bankers or estate officials, claiming that a wealthy person with your surname has died and imply that they may have left you a substantial inheritance.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
His house would be the reflection of himself, his family, and the prestige he planned to give the surname that his father had stained.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
While nearly 80% of women in opposite-sex marriages in the U.S. take on their spouse’s last name, others are turning to custom blended surnames, pitch decks or athletic tournaments to settle the debate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
The Enthusiasm Society, whose members are known by their surnames, recruits Saxberger to join and sets about announcing itself to the world via an evening of performed monologues and poetry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
For more than a decade, Hannah had been known by two surnames.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
But for those of us born with, well, unfortunate surnames, life can bring unique challenges.
From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026
The warders called us by either our surnames or our Christian names.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
In Beijing, a man surnamed Liu had worked for 15 years collecting map data for a Chinese tech company.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
“Whenever the situation escalates, they reiterate the warning,” said a seafarer surnamed Wang whose vessel—carrying liquefied natural gas—has been stuck at an anchorage northwest of Dubai for four weeks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026
"The fire spread so quickly. I saw one hose trying to save several buildings, and I felt it was far too slow," said a man surnamed Suen.
From Barron's ● Nov. 27, 2025
"No one wants a war," said a woman surnamed Chen, whose guesthouse and eatery have a view of Xiamen's shiny skyscrapers.
From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2025
I find that they were also surnamed Rossetti, and still better known under the name of Fiamminghini, derived from their father Riccardo, who came from Flanders to establish himself at Milan.
From The History of Painting in Italy, Vol. IV (of 6) from the Period of the Revival of the Fine Arts to the End of the Eighteenth Century by Luigi Antonio Lanzi
The Cossack chiefs celebrated his exploits, one of them surnaming him the "hetmann."
From World's Best Histories — Volume 7: France by M. (François) Guizot
Ney enlisted at eighteen in a hussar regiment and gradually advanced step by step; Kleber soon discovered his merits, surnaming him "The Indefatigable," and promoted him to be adjutant-general when only twenty-five.
From How to Get on in the World A Ladder to Practical Success by Major A.R. Calhoon
Ney enlisted at eighteen in a hussar regiment, and gradually advanced step by step: Kleber soon discovered his merits, surnaming him “The Indefatigable,” and promoted him to be Adjutant-General when only twenty-five.
From Self help; with illustrations of conduct and perseverance by Samuel Smiles
I wonder if Sala was the native and surnaming town of that other Sala whose initials are G. A. S., and whose nature is 'ditto'?
From Continental Monthly, Vol. III, No IV, April 1863 Devoted to Literature and National Policy by Various
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.
