family name
Americannoun
-
the hereditary surname of a family.
-
a given name frequently used in a family.
noun
-
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
How does family-name compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
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
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
About 111 million of the voting A shares are mostly in the family name.
From Barron's ● Jan. 23, 2026
The Zaz family name has long been synonymous as the makers of the santoor, rabab, sarangi and sehtar.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2025
The Muslim’s “X” symbolized the true African family name that he never could know.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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.
