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); see 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

Explanation

A surname is a person’s last name, or family name. Smith is a popular surname in the U.S., while Dieng is a popular surname in Senegal. Your surname is your last name. A surname can be Smith, Jones, Johnson, Giacometti — any name that someone gets from their family. The word surname derives from sur “above" + name. The term surname was first used by feudal lords, who adopted the name of their property as their family name. A surname can be derived from a place name (e.g., London) or a trade (e.g., Schneider means "tailor" in German).

Example Sentences

Yefferson de Jesús Parra has his mother’s surname, given in the hopes of easing the process of obtaining a passport.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

When Kafka died of tuberculosis in 1924 at age 40, he was virtually unknown; by the late 1930s he was an international phenomenon, his surname a signifier of bureaucratic inhumanity and modern unease.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

Shortly before he took office in January 2025, the Chinese government and official media began using a different Chinese character for "lu" to represent the first syllable in his surname.

From Barron's • May 12, 2026

Knowing his history of branding and licensing his surname, this shouldn’t come as a surprise.

From Salon • May 7, 2026

He did not know Kainene had talked to him from Pakistan and did not remember her ever mentioning a friendship with an army officer whose first name and surname were the same.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Related Words

• last name