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 In sharp contrast to the first-generation members of the Frankfurt School, Habermas came from a petit-bourgeois, culturally conservative Protestant milieu, his family name going back to sixteenth-century Thuringian cobblers. Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 At that time, archaeologists uncovered sections of the building as well as a water pipe inscribed with the family name, Umbrius. Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 14 June 2026 But as the young Democrat seeks to win a statewide race in deep-red Indiana, Beau is either blessed or burdened with a family name that voters might remember. Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026 Donald Newhouse, the billionaire newspaper publisher who helped oversee one of America’s most powerful media empires and whose family name remains synonymous with Condé Nast, has died at 96. Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 27 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for family name
Recent Examples of Synonyms for family name
Noun
  • Rosa, a mother of three who asked CNN to not use her surname, said her 48-year-old husband travelled to Russia with several other Peruvian men, hoping to obtain jobs as security guards.
    Max Saltman, CNN Money, 28 June 2026
  • Tying an Italian surname to the Outfit has become a tattered badge of honor in the antiquated newsroom of certain outlets with truth thrown to the curb.
    Gary Grasso, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026
Noun
  • Dozens of white binders are organized by last name, Alarcón to Zuñiga.
    Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 28 June 2026
  • All students are organized by their graduating class, followed by town name and then last name.
    Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 27 June 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 5 Jul. 2026.

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