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
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Recent Examples of surname
Anna Zucca,
Vanity Fair,
24 June 2026
Their investigation eventually led them to a man identified by his surname, Guo, who reportedly lived alone.
—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
23 June 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for surname
Noun
And while all the children have now cut ties with Brad Pitt, Pax, now 23, remains the only one still in contact with his paternal relatives and who has kept his double surname.
—
Anna Zucca,
Vanity Fair,
24 June 2026
Their investigation eventually led them to a man identified by his surname, Guo, who reportedly lived alone.
—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
23 June 2026
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
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
See All Example Sentences for surname
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surname
Noun
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After his kick found the net, Bajraktarević tore off his jersey and held up the back of it, with his family name across the top, to the fans and cameras.
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Here, Malvasia is not a single grape but a Madeira family name associated with varieties such as Malvasia Cândida, Malvasia Cândida Roxa, and Malvasia de São Jorge.
Noun
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Despite its nickname, June's moon won't look red like a strawberry, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.
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Pitman kept both the plate and the nickname, reluctantly.
Verb
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In support of the album, Swift planned to embark on a worldwide festival titled Lover Fest in 2020, however, it was officially canceled in February 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Despite being titled Housewives, the series was not originally produced by Bravo.
Noun
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Dozens of white binders are organized by last name, Alarcón to Zuñiga.
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All students are organized by their graduating class, followed by town name and then last name.
Noun
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The epithet is not a concession (the database of Trumpian apologies has yet to receive any inputs).
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Tape recordings played during the case also showed Fuhrman had used a racial epithet despite his testimony claiming to never have done so.
Verb
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In the 1830s the British colonized this area where the mouth of the Yarra River widens into what would be named Port Phillip Bay.
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The elder Moniak, now 86, played six seasons in the Red Sox farm system from 1958-63, and like Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, was among the young outfielders who benefited from the tutelage of a special batting instructor named Ted Williams at spring training ‘61-63.
Verb
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Here’s a handful of ways to style yours.
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The entire collection was designed by Michael Schmidt, a wardrobe, jewelry and interior designer who has styled icons like Madonna, Cher and Hailey Bieber.
Verb
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The latter are often associated with what might be termed the silovaya ideologiya—a security-state ideology that emphasises a strong state, the primacy of state interests over private interests, great-power status, and strict domestic order.
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Carollo was termed out of office at the end of last year.
Cite this Entry
“Surname.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surname. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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