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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 8 Apr. 2025
This story has been corrected to show the surname of The Atlantic journalist is Goldberg, not Rosenberg.
—Zeke Miller, Twin Cities, 3 Apr. 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
It was confirmed by The Times of London that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle changed their surname to Sussex for the sake of their children Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 8 Apr. 2025
This story has been corrected to show the surname of The Atlantic journalist is Goldberg, not Rosenberg.
—Zeke Miller, Twin Cities, 3 Apr. 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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Blue has definitely spent the past few years living up to the Carter family name, and even her aunt Solange couldn’t resist showering her with love on social media.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
29 Apr. 2025
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His death sparked an international outpouring from fans and cemented the family name in Hollywood and beyond.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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David shared a separate post and referred to his son with his nickname Bust.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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After all, a nickname like ‘The Big Dreidel,’ is pretty niche.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Usyk will put his WBA, WBC, and WBO heavyweight titles up for grabs.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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Two sequels followed in 2000 and 2002, and a fourth and final movie (titled Last Friday) is officially on the way.—
EW Staff,
EW.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Her suitcase marked with her last name was found in the baggage claim area by airport staff, officials said.—
Paloma Chavez,
Sacbee.com,
11 Apr. 2025
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But the 69 million married women in America who have taken their spouse’s last name and don’t have a birth certificate matching their legal name could face hurdles when registering to vote or updating their voter registration.—
Maggie McGrath,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This species has no fragrance; its lavender appellation simply acknowledges its flower color while its rosemary epithet indicates its seacoast habitat.—
Joshua Siskin,
Orange County Register,
22 Mar. 2025
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More than a decade after Breaking Bad ended, Aaron Paul still can’t escape his character’s signature epithet.—
John Russell,
People.com,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Grierson Trust Names Latest Trustees The UK’s Grierson Trust has named six new trustees following an open call for board applications.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2025
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DeSantis named Moody to the U.S. Senate to fill out Marco Rubio's term after Rubio was appointed Secretary of State by President Trump.—
Greg Allen,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Her signature blonde hair was styled in a low ponytail with pieces framing her face.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
3 May 2025
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The main lesbian vampire, Countess Elizabeth Báthory (who, yes, is named after and descended from the serial killer) is styled after Marlene Dietrich, but somehow even more high femme.—
James Factora,
Them.,
2 May 2025
Verb
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The only complication when explaining that is that because Grealish and Lewis were nothing like strikers, they could also be termed attacking midfielders, just even more central and deeper than the inside wingers.—
Sam Lee,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
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Between 10% and 25% of adults experience what's medically termed tinnitus, according to the U.S. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, but hearing the sound for three months or more is considered chronic tinnitus.—
Adrianna Rodriguez,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surname.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surname. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
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