surname
noun
the name that a person has in common with other family members, as distinguished from a first name or given name; family name.
surnames
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pluralof surname.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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present tense formof surname (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
surnamenounthe name that a person has in common with other family members, as distinguished from a first name or given name; family name.
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.
Family members, now also bearing surnames like Kellermann, Millhiser and Richards, had flown and driven in from all around the country.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
The Enthusiasm Society, whose members are known by their surnames, recruits Saxberger to join and sets about announcing itself to the world via an evening of performed monologues and poetry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
For more than a decade, Hannah had been known by two surnames.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
This is particularly the case amongst the country's largest ethnic group, the Kikuyu - and has become a subject of debate and in some cases ridicule for the men with female surnames.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
In search of compatriots, they used to trail their fingers, at the start of each new semester, through the columns of the university directory, circling surnames familiar to their part of the world.
From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
