Definition Of Surname

American

British

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Synonyms 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.

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

"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

verb

1. (tr) to furnish with or call by a surname

"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

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"We get like five to 10 alerts a day," said Owen, refusing to give his surname.

From Barron's

‘I came to England. I went by the name Mimi, and when I was adopted my surname changed, too,’ Bubbe says simply.

From Literature

The woman, in her 20s and identified by her surname Kwon, argued that she did not know the procedure would be carried out that way.

From BBC

"Getting a free milk tea is better than paying full price for it," Liu, who gave only her surname, offered as an analogy for her outlook.

From Barron's

As one can tell from the surnames, there is what might be called legacy casting going on in “Young Sherlock.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• last name

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.