family name
noun
the hereditary surname of a family.
family names
-
pluralof family name.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
It brings his total number of tattoos to nine, most of which are family names.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Mr. Tuck traces the family names of people who lived in Pompeii and Herculaneum to these and other nearby towns where they had not existed before A.D.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
And presenting Black characters whose family names predate the Declaration of Independence is practically unheard of.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2025
Our last names got lost, and people just thought of the band names as our family names, like the Ramones!
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2025
“Tonight, we will put both to the test. Each of your family names has been written on a piece of parchment and placed inside this basket.”
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
