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 of surname

Noun

• family name
• last name
• epithet

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

The streamer—whose real first name is Emily but has withheld her surname for privacy reasons—is an It-Girl for the digital age, known for her charisma and natural sense of humor on camera. — Leslie Horn Peterson, Time, 14 July 2026

Even his surname—Davi—was a dead end, invented by the state to cut all ties. — Bill Whitaker, CBS News, 12 July 2026

Verb

The pilot killed when a plane crashed into Beijing’s tallest building Friday was a 66-year-old man surnamed ⁠Liu, Beijing’s Chaoyang district government said Thursday, as officials seek to end speculation about the incident. — Reuters, NBC news, 2 July 2026

In 2013, he was charged with fraud for allegedly failing to repay 100 million won ($89,000) to an accuser surnamed Choi. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 19 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for surname

• acclaim
• aflame
• airframe
• ballgame
• became
• declaim
• defame
• disclaim
• doorframe
• exclaim
• inflame
• mainframe

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