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
Compare meaning
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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
Michel, an 87-year-old resident, who also did not want to give his family name, recalled the "police checks" and "blocked roads" during the ayatollah's stay.
From Barron's ● Mar. 3, 2026
From the halls of the NYU Tisch School of the Arts to the luxury suites of Loews Hotels, the family name is etched into the city.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026
But there were clues: A tattoo with a family name.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2025
I started to step forward, but my friend tugged at my dress, and I stopped in my tracks just as Auntie Fatmata called out the family name: “Suma.”
From "Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina" by Michaela DePrince
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.
