surname
Americannoun
-
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.
-
a name added to a person's name, as one indicating a circumstance of birth or some characteristic or achievement; epithet.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
Also called: last name. second name. a family name as opposed to a first or Christian name
-
(formerly) a descriptive epithet attached to a person's name to denote a personal characteristic, profession, etc; nickname
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
surnamesimple
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surnamessimple
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have surnamedperfect
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has surnamedperfect
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am surnamingprogressive
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are surnamingprogressive
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is surnamingprogressive
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have been surnamingperfect progressive
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has been surnamingperfect progressive
Past
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surnamedsimple
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had surnamedperfect
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was surnamingprogressive
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were surnamingprogressive
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had been surnamingperfect progressive
Future
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:
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).
Vocabulary lists containing surname
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This Week in Words: March 30–April 5, 2019
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"Names/Nombres" by Julia Alvarez
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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.
His surname, however, has a more complicated history which has much more to do with the Caribbean than the town known as the Queen of the South.
From BBC • Jul. 3, 2026
In a rare move, he dropped the Russian "-ov" suffix from his own surname back in 2007.
From Barron's • Jul. 3, 2026
For many fans outside Mexico, the surname Ochoa is synonymous with the World Cup.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026
Jade, who did not want her surname published, is 36 and lives in Halesworth.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
“Three months ago Wylan turned up at a flophouse near the Slat. He was using a different surname, but Kaz keeps tabs on everyone new to the Barrel, so he had me do some snooping.”
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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.
