Thesaurus results for FAMILY NAMES

family names

noun

plural of family name

as in surnames

a name shared by members of a family searched for their family name on a popular genealogy website

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 names 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 Others have kept family names with local ties, like Wade Ford and Curry Honda. — Sean Tucker, AJC.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Commercial viticulture first developed here in the 1970s, led by family names such as Husch, Navarro and Scharffenberger; Husch planted the valley's first Pinot Noir in 1971. — Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 The estate has a long, storied history under many family names, but in 1575, the Essenault family rechristened it by contracting their family name to Issan. — Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 17 June 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for family names

Noun

The surnames of the latter two defendants were withheld in according with Mexican criminal procedure.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026
The couple lived between New York City, Denmark, France, and Tuxedo Park, according to listing agent Richard Ellis, and their surnames inspired the property’s name.

— Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of surnames

Noun

In January 2006, a Los Angeles judge approved a name-change petition which requested that Maddox and Zahara’s last names be legally changed to Jolie-Pitt.

— Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026
To keep their identities somewhat of a secret, Freddy and his traveling companions agreed to speak to a reporter on Saturday night but politely declined to reveal their last names or take a picture that includes their faces.

— Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of last names

Browse Nearby Words

family name

family names

family physician

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Family names.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/family%20names. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of family names

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

facsimile

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes