1
: an added name derived from occupation or other circumstance : nickname sense 1
2
: the name borne in common by members of a family
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
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 3 Sep. 2025
The surname on the back of his jersey — one fans can now buy thanks to NIL — carries the weight of massive expectations.
—Shane Shoemaker, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Peter Guo, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2025
There were no signs of the Taiwanese captain surnamed Li or his nine Indonesian crew members.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 July 2025
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Noun
Before that, Prince William and Prince Harry did the same, taking on their father’s former title of Wales as their surname in school.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 3 Sep. 2025
The surname on the back of his jersey — one fans can now buy thanks to NIL — carries the weight of massive expectations.
—Shane Shoemaker, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
Local police in Jiangyou said the incident took place July 22, when a 15-year-old girl surnamed Liu and two others, ages 13 and 14, assaulted the 14-year-old victim, surnamed Lai, in a vacant building.
—Peter Guo, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2025
There were no signs of the Taiwanese captain surnamed Li or his nine Indonesian crew members.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for surname
Cite this Entry
“Surname.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surname. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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