family name
Americannoun
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family names
plural
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the hereditary surname of a family.
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a given name frequently used in a family.
noun
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a surname, esp when regarded as representing the family honour
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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.
Yakovlev never married Alexander’s mother, a German teenage girl he had brought with him to Russia, and would not grant him the family name.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Inside, in scribbled blue handwriting, we found dozens of names - from shopkeepers and doctors, to military officials and people with the Luka family name.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
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
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
A few carts, with well-rested horses, clucked by us quickly, leaving only a glimpse of the prominent family name painted across the back of the carriage.
From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
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.
