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
Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
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
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
There was something slightly more unusual about the experience of Natalie, 26, who asked that her surname be omitted from this story.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
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
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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Next is the Aorus Elite 16, another laptop with a family name derived from Gigabyte’s motherboard offerings.& Matthew Buzzi, PCMAG, 12 Jan. 2025
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The weight of his family name has been heavy and the request was made to the EFL for the younger Bellingham to carry Jobe on the back of his shirt shortly after arriving at the Stadium of Light.The Athletic UK Staff, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The city bequeathed him a new nickname, borrowed from their greatest footballing son — ‘Kvaradona’.David Ornstein, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
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That desire to look finished applies on and off the court: Reese earned her Bayou Barbie nickname at Louisiana State thanks to her penchant for glamming up for games.Maya Singer, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The book is titled Art of Battle: Koichi Ohata Robot Chronicle and will be released in Japan on January 25 for 4,180 yen (or around $26), and is available to pre-order from Amazon Japan.Ollie Barder, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
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Gibson said the film will be titled The Resurrection Of The Christ.Zac Ntim, Deadline, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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On the show, Serena — their last names were not used — highlighted one common occurrence: covering Nate on typically joint expenses like travel and dining out.Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 8 Jan. 2025
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The singer, who took on Affleck's last name, has also had her legal name restored to Jennifer Lynn Lopez.Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Just last month, neo-Nazis marched in uniform throughout the streets of Ohio’s capital, shouting racial epithets.Derrick Johnson, The Hill, 3 Dec. 2024
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For example, if a butterfly like Papilio glaucus were transferred to a genus with a feminine name, the epithet glaucus (masculine form) would be adjusted to glauca to agree in gender with the new genus.The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Mayo, 38, was hired less than a year ago and named Bill Belichick’s successor after the 2023 season.Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 6 Jan. 2025
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But even in 2024, the space plane, named Tenacity, was not ready when United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket, its ride to space, needed to launch.Michael Sheetz, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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This strappy sandal is crafted in a lush satin, boasting a classic black hue that is easy to style.REI, refinery29.com, 3 Jan. 2025
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For more easy styling tips and tricks on how to style an oversized shirt, look no further than our edit below.Christina Holevas, Vogue, 2 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The breast that produces black milk is the same breast that feeds the child, creating what can be termed a physical palimpsest of competing demands.Fidan Cheikosman, JSTOR Daily, 1 Jan. 2025
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The incident follows damage to two data cables and the Nord Stream gas pipelines, both of which have been termed sabotage.LORNE COOK THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 28 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Surname.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surname. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
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