as in surnames
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
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Recent Examples of family names
However, unlike similar programs, these folks have to stay true to their Southern roots and family names, a difficult feat in today’s modern world.
—
Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026
Everyone on both sides of my family has always used family names, which has been really important to me to continue only using family names with my children.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026
Everyone on both sides of my family has always used family names, which has been really important to me to continue only using family names with my children.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for family names
Noun
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In sports, some siblings are so accomplished that they can be recognized by only their surnames.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
8 Feb. 2026
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The endless vowels of their surnames—Ruuttu, Saarinen, Ruotsalainen—sail through his mind like a song.—
Boris Fishman,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But none ever found any trace of her children, whose last names were changed during their closed adoption, according to Shabel Castro, one of her lawyers at the Innocence Project.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
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Low-income and minority voters are more likely to lack the documents required in the SAVE America Act, and people who have changed their last names — primarily married women —would also face additional barriers to registering.—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Family names.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/family%20names. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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