family name

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 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 The Atlanta native is excited to carry his dreams and the family name forward. — Pj Green august 28, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026 As is the Pickwick Theater, built by his grandfather, and the William Malone Fountain by Rita’s on the Northwest Highway keeps the family name in town. — Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2026 The largest gift, of $13 million, came from philanthropist Jane Bradley Pettit, who stipulated that the museum should always be called the Milwaukee Art Museum, without some corporation or family name in the title. — jsonline.com, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for family name
Recent Examples of Synonyms for family name
Noun
  • His teammates have their surnames on their warmup shirts, but Yimga-Moukouri’s bears his initials, which phonetically replicate the American pronoun, as if to say HYM is Him.
    — Albert Samaha, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2026
  • This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Luca Marchetto's surname.
    — Bella Webb, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • That was the case for Yevhen and his mother, Antonina, who declined to give their last names for security reasons.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Agnes’s gay son, Oscar, has decided to marry wealthy widow and former lady’s maid Enid, whose social ambitions will benefit from the prestige gloss of Oscar’s last name.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Family name.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/family%20name. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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