surname

[ noun sur-neym; verb sur-neym, sur-neym ]

/ noun ˈsɜrˌneɪm; verb ˈsɜrˌneɪm, sɜrˈneɪm /

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noun

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), sur·named, sur·nam·ing.

to give a surname to; call by a surname.

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Origin of surname

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English (noun); see sur-¹, name; modeled on Old French surnom

OTHER WORDS FROM surname

un·sur·named, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use surname in a sentence

It was those grim-faced, jowly white men with the harsh surnames.
Nelson Mandela Was Undeniably Great But He Doesn’t Need a Halo|Michael Moynihan|December 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Instead they go by a number of different surnames according to personal preference.
What Will the Royal Baby’s Last Name Be?|Caroline Linton|July 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
They did not even have surnames, other than patronymics ("son of" names).
An Oscar Winner’s Secret History|Henry Louis Gates, Jr.|October 14, 2010|DAILY BEAST
But the practice of giving surnames grew up only very gradually in the countries of Europe.
Stories That Words Tell Us|Elizabeth O'Neill

In England surnames were not used until nearly a hundred years after the Norman Conquest, and then only by kings and nobles.
Stories That Words Tell Us|Elizabeth O'Neill
It is interesting to see in how many different ways people got their surnames.
Stories That Words Tell Us|Elizabeth O'Neill
The first surnames in England were those which the Norman nobles who came over at the Conquest handed on from father to son.
Stories That Words Tell Us|Elizabeth O'Neill
Many surnames have come down from nicknames given to people because of their good or bad qualities.
Stories That Words Tell Us|Elizabeth O'Neill

British Dictionary definitions for surname

surname

/ (ˈsɜːˌneɪm) /

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

(tr) to furnish with or call by a surname

Derived forms of surname

surnamer, noun

Word Origin for surname

C14: via Anglo-French from Old French surnom. See sur- 1, name

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

surname

Origin of surname

OTHER WORDS FROM surname

Words related to surname

How to use surname in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for surname

Derived forms of surname

Word Origin for surname