surname

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

noun

the name that a person has in common with other family members, as distinguished from a Christian 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.

Origin of surname

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

Related formsun·sur·named, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for surnames

cognomen, patronymic, matronymic, metronymic

Examples from the Web for surnames

Contemporary Examples of surnames

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

Historical Examples of surnames

But the women were all young and pretty, and the men had no surnames.
The Christian
Hall Caine
Indeed, we have many pure Scandinavian surnames and place-names.
The Little Manx Nation - 1891
Hall Caine
Surnames of authors when ascertained, the abbreviation "Anon."
A Book for All Readers
Ainsworth Rand Spofford
"The surnames of royalties don't matter, Monseigneur," she said, with a flourish.
The Wit and Humor of America, Volume X (of X)
Various
They used no surnames beyond the name of the town in which they lived.
Earl Hubert's Daughter
Emily Sarah Holt

British Dictionary definitions for surnames

surname

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 Formssurnamer, 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

Word Origin and History for surnames

surname

early 14c., "name, title, or epithet added to a person's name," from sur "above" (see sur-) + name (n.); modeled on Anglo-French surnoun "surname" (early 14c.), variant of Old French surnom, from sur "over" + nom "name."

An Old English word for this was freonama, literally "free name." Meaning "family name" is first found late 14c. Hereditary surnames existed among Norman nobility in England in early 12c., among common people began to be used 13c., increasingly frequent until near universal by end of 14c. The process was later in the north of England than the south. The verb is attested from 1540s.