1
as in family name
a name shared by members of a family
judging from your surname, I'd guess that your family is Italian
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2
as in nickname
a descriptive or familiar name given instead of or in addition to the one belonging to an individual
"da Vinci" was Leonardo's surname but not his family name, Vinci being the town near Florence where the great artist was born
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of surname
Ashley Hume, Fox News, 24 Nov. 2024
Editor's note: The story was updated to correct the spelling of the CEO's surname.
—Kerry Flynn, Axios, 19 Nov. 2024
Chris Lau, CNN, 9 May 2023
The Chengdu police used social media on Wednesday to report that a 39-year-old man surnamed Chen was arrested on suspicion of opening a casino.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 22 Nov. 2023
See all Example Sentences for surname 
Noun
Cher also took the surnames of her ex-husbands Sonny Bono and Gregg Allman.
—Ashley Hume, Fox News, 24 Nov. 2024
Editor's note: The story was updated to correct the spelling of the CEO's surname.
—Kerry Flynn, Axios, 19 Nov. 2024
Verb
Gansu authorities said the suspect, surnamed Hong, was questioned in the city of Dongguan in southern Guangdong province on May 5.
—Chris Lau, CNN, 9 May 2023
The Chengdu police used social media on Wednesday to report that a 39-year-old man surnamed Chen was arrested on suspicion of opening a casino.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 22 Nov. 2023
See all Example Sentences for surname
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surname
Noun
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Kang’s parents had been waiting for a boy who could carry the family name.Meg Linehan, The Athletic, 22 Nov. 2024
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Barack Obama is opening up about his daughter Malia Obama's decision to drop the family name in her professional life.Brian Brant, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The lawsuit said leaked information included license plate numbers, email addresses, phone numbers, vehicle nicknames and, in a small number of cases, mailing addresses.Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024
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Glas said another man named Mike, but without the nickname, was also ruled out as a suspect.Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
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When it was first released in the U.K., it was simply titled Yardbirds.Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
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Officially titled the Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing after two donors who gave the Met $125 million, the wing has been in the works since 2014.Alex Greenberger for ARTNews, Robb Report, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Larry, who declined to give reporters a last name, said.Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
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Here are the finalists, in alphabetical order by last name.TIME Staff, TIME, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
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At the time, pollsters did not necessarily welcome the epithet.W. Joseph Campbell, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
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Across the country, people have endured antisemitic epithets as well as anti-Muslim rhetoric, in response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war abroad.Sara Chernikoff, USA TODAY, 7 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Russia’s prosecutor general did not name Matveev, but described charges last week against a 32-year-old hacker under Article 273 of Russia’s Criminal Code, which bans the creation or use of malware.Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 7 Dec. 2024
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Reagan then turned to a businessman named J. Peter Grace and a commission charged with finding efficiencies in the government.Ron Elving, NPR, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
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But fashion fiends have been particularly thrilled with Goldberg styling the Oscar nominee in younger labels like newly minted LVMH Prize winner Hodakova, New York darling Colleen Allen, and ultra-cool sunglasses brand Thistles.Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 3 Dec. 2024
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Featuring a flattering pair of wide-leg pants alongside an oversized turtleneck sweater, this duo can be styled together or separately, expanding your outfit potential twofold.Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 2 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The state has raced to the right in recent years, and many Republicans might want the seat — including, perhaps, the man doing the appointing, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is termed out of office in 2026.Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 2 Dec. 2024
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California is one of 18 states that has never had a woman governor, but the 2026 election to replace termed out-Gov. Gavin Newsom could change that.Andrew Keatts, Axios, 25 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Surname.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surname. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
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