surname

American  

[sur-neym, sur-neym, sur-neym] / ˈsɜrˌneɪm, ˈsɜrˌneɪm, sɜrˈneɪm /

noun

1. Also called last name.  the name that a person has in common with other family members, as distinguished from a first name or given name; family name.

2. a name added to a person's name, as one indicating a circumstance of birth or some characteristic or achievement; epithet.

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verb (used with object)

surnamed, surnaming

1. to give a surname to; call by a surname.

surname British  

/ ˈsɜːˌneɪm /

noun

1. Also called: last name.   second name.  a family name as opposed to a first or Christian name

2. (formerly) a descriptive epithet attached to a person's name to denote a personal characteristic, profession, etc; nickname

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verb

1. (tr) to furnish with or call by a surname

Other Word Forms

• surnamer noun
• unsurnamed adjective

Etymology

Origin of surname

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English (noun); sur- ¹, name; modeled on Old French surnom

Compare meaning

How does surname compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• surname vs. maiden name
• surname vs. given name
• surname vs. forename

Example Sentences

"None of them will be able to grab power," said a local marketing professional named Elkin, who declined to give his surname.

From BBC

While researching Charleston’s parks before the trip, I’d come across a familiar surname: my own.

From The Wall Street Journal

"I wasn't there myself, but I had many friends and relatives who were," said one young mourner, who gave his surname as Orosstevic.

From Barron's

"The windows rattled, you could tell it was an explosion," said Grigory, 70, who also declined to give his surname.

From Barron's

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate includes a tart warning on the copyright page that the surname “is used by a number of publishers and may serve mainly to mislead an unwary buyer.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• last name