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

And while some billionaires built their success from the ground up, there are certain surnames whose appearances on lists of the world’s wealthiest individuals span generations. —Madeline Fitzgerald, Quartz, 18 Dec. 2024

In a now-viral video, viewed over 1.6 million times, Jayla, who didn't give her surname, flashes a playful grin and adjusts her colorful sweater. —Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024

Verb

Zhang’s late wife, surnamed Sun, fell to her death during an aerial silks performance with her husband in a village in Anhui province in April last year, sparking horror and outcry on social media over the lack of safety measures for performers. —Nectar Gan, CNN, 28 Nov. 2024

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

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