family name

noun

Definition of family namenext
as in surname
a name shared by members of a family searched for their family name on a popular genealogy website

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of family name There’s no rule banning an heir from naming their child after a color or city, but using oft-traditional family names lends historical weight to a future ruler from the day they’re born. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 16 Aug. 2026 Her father, Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston, changed the family name to Hepburn-Ruston before marrying van Heemstra in Batavia in 1926. — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026 Ripp admits that part of the goal here is to restore credit for Mazur and perhaps even to his own family name. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026 Gere acknowledged that his family name inevitably complicates perceptions of his success. — Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for family name
Recent Examples of Synonyms for family name
  1. surname
  2. last name
Noun
  • To try to get around this rule, one organization is hosting matchmaking events for people with the same surname.
    — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Cyrus then offered a little history lesson of his own, recalling a time when he was known simply by his surname before his 1992 breakthrough hit.
    — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of surname
Noun
  • The fan, Joe — who didn’t share his last name — later spoke with Chicago Sports Network.
    — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The events were meant to draw attention to the family name law requiring married couples to share a last name, known as Article 750, which has been on the books for 128 years.
    — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of last name

Browse Nearby Words

family doctors
family name
family names
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Cite this Entry

“Family name.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/family%20name. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on family name

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about family name

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