surname

1 of 2

noun

sur·​name ˈsər-ˌnām 

1

: an added name derived from occupation or other circumstance : nickname sense 1

2

: the name borne in common by members of a family

surname

2 of 2

verb

surnamed; surnaming; surnames

transitive verb

: to give a surname to

Synonyms

Noun

• family name
• last name

Examples of surname in a Sentence

Noun

judging from your surname, I'd guess that your family is Italian

“da Vinci” was Leonardo's surname but not his family name, Vinci being the town near Florence where the great artist was born

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

One fun note: Two of the leading candidates, Boone and Carpenter, share a surname with past winners in this category. —Paul Grein, Billboard, 30 Oct. 2024

Lawrence this week telegraphed her political allegiance in cloth, using a Realtree camouflage cap embroidered with the surnames of Harris and Tim Walz in neon orange stitching. —Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2024

Verb

The individual, surnamed Yang, declined to share his first name due to concerns about speaking with foreign media. —Eunice Yoon,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 20 Sep. 2024

The zoo’s manager, surnamed Huang, said the dogs are one of its top attractions. —Alex Stambaugh, CNN, 20 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

surname

noun

sur·​name

ˈsər-ˌnām

1

: an added name : nickname

2

: the name held in common by members of a family

surname verb