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

"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

Two of Winslet's three children have followed her into the film industry, but are determined to make a name of their own, literally, with both making conscious decisions not to use her surname.

From BBC

In a cluttered information age, where attention is a prized and scarce commodity, Nuzzi and Lizza—with their perfectly counterpoised surnames—have somehow broken through.

From The Wall Street Journal

Three months later, the data breach occurred and she recalled being "upset, angry and scared", fearing the unusual spelling of her surname would lead to her identification.

From BBC

Related Words

• last name