last name

American  

noun

1. surname.

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last name British  

noun

1. another term for surname

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Etymology

Origin of last name

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

"It doesn't fit in the neighbourhood, but what are you going to do?" said Joe, who declined to share his last name for privacy reasons.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

The jury ordered the companies to pay $3 million in compensatory damages and $3 million in punitive damages to the plaintiff, a now-20-year-old woman named Kaley, whose last name was redacted in the case.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

"Till then, we are boiling the water for drinking," said the young sailor, who asked to be identified only by his last name, Pereira.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

During coverage of the Milan-Cortina Games last month, Liu’s first name was often mispronounced as “uh-LISS-uh” and her last name as either “LOO” or “LEE-ooh.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

“My name is Kaisha Gordon,” she said, her voice quavering on her last name.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

Related Words

• surname