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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of surname
Eunice Yoon,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 20 Sep. 2024
An employee surnamed Lin who answered the phone at Gold Apollo but declined to provide her full name or title said the company did not directly fill the pager order from Hezbollah, and that BAC handles the vast majority of device sales from Middle Eastern customers.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2024
Jodi Guglielmi, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
Many descendants of the original settlers — with surnames like Crockett, Parks and Thomas — have remained to this day.
—Julie Depenbrock, NPR, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for surname
Noun
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
An employee surnamed Lin who answered the phone at Gold Apollo but declined to provide her full name or title said the company did not directly fill the pager order from Hezbollah, and that BAC handles the vast majority of device sales from Middle Eastern customers.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2024
Verb
The Marvin's Room star originally changed her surname to Keaton, her mother's maiden name, because there was another actress named Diane Hall in the Actors' Equity Association, according to Vogue.
—Jodi Guglielmi, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
Many descendants of the original settlers — with surnames like Crockett, Parks and Thomas — have remained to this day.
—Julie Depenbrock, NPR, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for surname
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surname
Noun
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Also endangering the family name and business is a crooked deal made by Byron Hedges (Jack Gleeson), an illegitimate cousin helping Guinness expand into America, that promises 15% of all American profits to the Fenian Brotherhood.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
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The family name is kind of a big deal in Arlington.—
Rick Mauch,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Beatrice is stepmother to Edo's 9-year-old son Christopher Woolf (who goes by the nickname Wolfie), while the couple also shares daughters Sienna, 3, and Athena, 6 months.—
Greta Bjornson,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
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It’s named after her late father, Orlando Cortes, whose Cuban nickname was Lilico.—
Jenna Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The sale, aptly titled the Winter Egg and Important Works by Fabergé from a Princely Collection, comprises almost 50 lots of hardstone figures, animals, furniture, and decorative objects.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
3 Oct. 2025
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Public records indicate that Maldonado Medina was listed as having a hold by ICE in Pinellas County, titled as a felony on the same day he was arrested by ICE, but no charges were filed.—
Veronica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Then, a little over a week after Howard was booked into custody, police arrested 45-year-old Yan Wang, whom the DA's office said was in a relationship with Howard (the pair are not related despite sharing a last name).—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
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Here is a quick look at each player on Florida’s initial roster, separated by position and then listed alphabetically by last name.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Use chapter titles or epithets to set up what’s coming.—
JD Barker,
Rolling Stone,
25 Sep. 2025
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On his next broadcast, Maher convened guests like Ice Cube and Michael Eric Dyson to call him to task for using the epithet and to explore the issues about its us.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For – Europe list 2025, Hilton has been named the best workplace in Austria, France, Italy, Switzerland and the Netherlands.—
Rebecca Ann Hughes,
Fortune,
9 Oct. 2025
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The show ended with Hilaria Baldwin and Gleb Savchenko being eliminated, and what wasn't shown on TV was Baldwin's kids in the audience getting emotional when she was named as the star going home.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Sézane Clyde Coat, $350 A Suede Jacket If trench coats aren’t your thing, there are plenty of other layering coats to try styling this fall.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Oct. 2025
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The sweater’s hip-skimming length and relaxed cut result in a fit that feels effortlessly lived-in (not sloppy), while its wear-with-anything design is easy to style.—
Averi Baudler,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Both projects were organized to determine if the 68 percent of all mass and energy, collectively termed dark matter, originates from a pure cosmological constant.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
1 Oct. 2025
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Each became part of the political and historical phenomenon termed the balsero crisis, so named for the balsas, or makeshift rafts, that carried the refugees out into the Florida Straits.—
Miriam Pensack,
The Dial,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surname.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surname. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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