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

Three others, aged 6, 7 and 10, share a surname with Shanequia Trenshell Pugh, who married Elkins in 2024, court records show.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Two different children, aged 3 and 5, had the Elkins surname.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Humour can be a powerful tool, and so I've turned my experiences into a comedy show about life with an embarrassing surname.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

The 45-year-old Magyar, whose surname means “Hungarian,” grew up in an affluent family of public figures in Budapest’s historic city center, just a stone’s throw from Hungary’s parliament.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

The book didn’t matter, but the author’s name did: the first letter of the surname was a code that indicated the matter she wanted to talk about.

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman

Related Words

• last name