1
as in family name
a name shared by members of a family
judging from your surname, I'd guess that your family is Italian
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2
as in nickname
a descriptive or familiar name given instead of or in addition to the one belonging to an individual
"da Vinci" was Leonardo's surname but not his family name, Vinci being the town near Florence where the great artist was born
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of surname
Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 19 May 2025
The man, also identified only by his surname, Yong, did not respond to questions either.
—Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Chris Lau, CNN, 9 May 2023
The Chengdu police used social media on Wednesday to report that a 39-year-old man surnamed Chen was arrested on suspicion of opening a casino.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 22 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for surname
Noun
Yet three years before Enzo joined the competitive fray under his own surname, the Maserati brothers banded together to enter their Tipo 26 in the 1926 Targa Florio endurance test.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 19 May 2025
The man, also identified only by his surname, Yong, did not respond to questions either.
—Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Verb
Gansu authorities said the suspect, surnamed Hong, was questioned in the city of Dongguan in southern Guangdong province on May 5.
—Chris Lau, CNN, 9 May 2023
The Chengdu police used social media on Wednesday to report that a 39-year-old man surnamed Chen was arrested on suspicion of opening a casino.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 22 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for surname
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surname
Noun
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The father-son duo discussed their respective careers on screen, from nude scenes to embracing the family name.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
3 June 2025
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His paternal grandfather had migrated to Pennsylvania from Ukraine, became a coal miner and changed the family name from Kapurik.—
Sam Roberts,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Unsurprisingly, given its nickname, Little Hell can be a fearsome place to visit.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
14 June 2025
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The Pitt, which is both a nickname for Robby’s ER and the city in which the show is based, has already been renewed for a second season.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Last month, Friends of Big Bear Valley launched a contest titled FledgeFest 2025 where fans could predict exactly when Sunny and Gizmo would each fly.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
3 June 2025
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The series, aptly titled Trainwreck, highlights the people who lived through the headline-making events, disasters and tragedies.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
3 June 2025
Noun
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There’s no biggest separation that the decision to not even share a last name.—
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz,
StyleCaster,
2 June 2025
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His medical records and other sensitive health information were put under seal on Monday, and his last name is being withheld at his family’s request.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
2 June 2025
Noun
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The frequent Trump epithet losers would be a suitably pejorative modern equivalent.—
Graham Robb,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2025
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The event was held by the California Federation of Labor Unions and the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, so there was ample praise for California workers and plenty of epithets hurled at President Trump.—
Phil Willon,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2025
Verb
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Serena, who was named to Time’s 2025 list of the 100 most influential people, is mentioned on X more than 5,000 times per day, according to the social media company.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
10 June 2025
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The Byrd Rule Thanks to the Byrd Rule, named for the late Senator Robert Byrd (D-W.V.), there are some limits to reconciliation.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
Verb
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The netted, naked dress from the house’s spring 2025 couture collection was covered in crystal drop embellishments and styled with a coordinating fringe stole that extended into a floor-length train.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
7 June 2025
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Take after the actress by styling them with a breezy button-down on a hot summer afternoon, or dress them up with a blouse or blazer for a day in the office.—
Averi Baudler,
People.com,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Several of those associations might be termed minnows, reliant on money from afar or susceptible to the skewing effect of one of their sides progressing further than expected on the continent.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
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The two drivers both were hospitalized with what the CHP termed minor injuries.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surname.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surname. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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