as in surname
a name shared by members of a family
searched for their family name on a popular genealogy website
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of family name
Charming, well-heeled, and dedicated to raising his daughters to honor the family name, Harris (Dallas) is a hard worker, a loyal husband, and stoic in the face of crisis.
—
Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 7 May 2026
The club championship board boasts its fair share of the family name, too.
—Lee Cowan, CBS News, 3 May 2026
His family name, going way back to Spain, was originally Cantenys before it got shortened.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
His family name is a recognizable one Magyar comes from a family of prominent conservatives in Hungary, according to EuroNews.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for family name
Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 7 May 2026
The club championship board boasts its fair share of the family name, too.
—Lee Cowan, CBS News, 3 May 2026
His family name, going way back to Spain, was originally Cantenys before it got shortened.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
His family name is a recognizable one Magyar comes from a family of prominent conservatives in Hungary, according to EuroNews.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for family name
Recent Examples of Synonyms for family name
Noun
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She was also introduced using only Jolie’s surname at a mother-and-daughter brunch hosted in April by the Pearls of Purpose Foundation, a non-profit affiliated with her sorority.—
Alessia Ferri,
Vanity Fair,
11 June 2026
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Borland and Abela, 31, hosted five different games that their families would play to decide their surname.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
Noun
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Three of the fans — who identified themselves as Mohsen, Mehrdad and Amir, but declined to give their last names — later told The Athletic that stadium officials did not give them a reason for taking the banners.—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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Tree used his first and middle name as his stage name, while his legal last name was Nickell.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Family name.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/family%20name. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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