surname
Americannoun
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surnames
plural
-
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.
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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)
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surnames,
present (3rd person singular)
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surnamed,
past participle, past
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surnaming
present participle
noun
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Also called: last name, second name. a family name as opposed to a first or Christian name
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(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
-
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
-
surnamedsimple
-
had surnamedperfect
-
was surnamingprogressive
-
were surnamingprogressive
-
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.
See Examples For:
Hilton, 57, was born in London to parents who fled conflict in their native Hungary during the 1956 uprising against the Soviet-controlled communist government and later anglicized their surname, Hircsák, to Hilton.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
His surname has not been disclosed for legal reasons.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Its name is a portmanteau of Leitz—the surname of its then-owner—and camera.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
The Samba surname will be familiar to those of a certain age who have followed the Premier League.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
In memory of that occasion, the child was named Jean Le Rond, and he eventually took the surname d’Alembert.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
While nearly 80% of women in opposite-sex marriages in the U.S. take on their spouse’s last name, others are turning to custom blended surnames, pitch decks or athletic tournaments to settle the debate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Still, she adds, it is a cultural anomaly as even sons of unmarried women are usually given male surnames.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
But for those of us born with, well, unfortunate surnames, life can bring unique challenges.
From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026
My sisters changed their surnames as soon as they turned 16.
From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026
Ifemelu suddenly did not remember which was the boy and which the girl; both names, Morgan and Taylor, sounded to her like surnames.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The officer, surnamed Bu, was arrested earlier this month after he was accused of prematurely closing cases on the popular holiday island Jeju and lying to missing persons' families.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
"Everyone is afraid of the severe weather and staying indoors, but I only came out because I have orders," a breakfast shop owner surnamed Tsai told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026
"The government reports make it sound absolutely terrifying, panicking everyone, right?" said another breakfast shop owner in Keelung surnamed Li, upset at the loss of business from the storm.
From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026
On recruiting websites, a seafarer surnamed Wang posted that he was recently on the Catalina 7 between last May and this March, traveling between Southeast Asia and China.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
The one surnamed Louis le Grand, who was twin brother, as he said, to that mighty monarch, looks like a youth beside it—and you are told that it has not yet attained its full growth.
From Paris and the Parisians in 1835 (Vol. 1 of 2) by Frances Milton Trollope
The Cossack chiefs celebrated his exploits, one of them surnaming him the "hetmann."
From World's Best Histories — Volume 7: France by M. (François) Guizot
Ney enlisted at eighteen in a hussar regiment, and gradually advanced step by step: Kleber soon discovered his merits, surnaming him “The Indefatigable,” and promoted him to be Adjutant-General when only twenty-five.
From Self help; with illustrations of conduct and perseverance by Samuel Smiles
I wonder if Sala was the native and surnaming town of that other Sala whose initials are G. A. S., and whose nature is 'ditto'?
From Continental Monthly, Vol. III, No IV, April 1863 Devoted to Literature and National Policy by Various
Ney enlisted at eighteen in a hussar regiment and gradually advanced step by step; Kleber soon discovered his merits, surnaming him "The Indefatigable," and promoted him to be adjutant-general when only twenty-five.
From How to Get on in the World A Ladder to Practical Success by Major A.R. Calhoon
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