surname

American  

[sur-neym, sur-neym, sur-neym] / ˈsɜrˌneɪm, ˈsɜrˌneɪm, sɜrˈneɪm /

noun

1. 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.

2. a name added to a person's name, as one indicating a circumstance of birth or some characteristic or achievement; epithet.

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verb (used with object)

surnamed, surnaming

1. to give a surname to; call by a surname.

surname British  

/ ˈsɜːˌneɪm /

noun

1. Also called: last name.   second name.  a family name as opposed to a first or Christian name

2. (formerly) a descriptive epithet attached to a person's name to denote a personal characteristic, profession, etc; nickname

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verb

1. (tr) to furnish with or call by a surname

Other Word Forms

• surnamer
  noun
• unsurnamed
  adjective

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:

• surname vs. maiden name
• surname vs. given name
• surname vs. forename

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).

Example Sentences

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

For Office Purposes, please add your full Christian Names and Surname legibly written.

From Mobilizing Woman-Power by Blatch, Harriot Stanton

Surname conferred upon Lugh, the Sun-god, 113 Illyrians Celts conquer, 22 Immortality.

From Myths & Legends of the Celtic Race by Rolleston, T. W. (Thomas William)

Related Words

• last name