surnames 1 of 2

noun

plural of surname
1
as in family names
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 nicknames
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

surnames

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of surname
as in titles

Related Words

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 surnames
Noun
In 2019, his great-nephews Albert and Lawrence Lewitinn (their surnames are spelled differently than the artist’s) inherited about 1,000 of the artist’s works. — R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Last year, those bases reverted to their original names, but with different namesakes who share Confederate surnames. — Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026 Like most Spanish people, Yamal, who turned 19 on Monday, has two surnames — one inherited from his father, another from his mother. — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 14 July 2026 Decade after decade, Chicagoans with Italian surnames have hidden instead of objected. — Gary Grasso, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026 They have been married since 1999, combining their previous surnames, True and Frost. — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026 Unoaerre, previously known as Gori & Zucchi from the surnames of the two founders Leopoldo and Carlo, is credited with having spurred the industrialization of what was previously a local craft largely dependent on small, artisanal workshops and ateliers based in the town. — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 27 May 2026 Such hospitality was reserved for a narrow category of humanity, resembling as closely as possible those local barons whose surnames crusted the stones of local cemeteries. — Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026 For some families, maiden names or other significant surnames are carried on as first names. — Lisa Milbrand, Parents, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surnames
  1. family names
  2. nicknames
  3. titles
  4. last names
  5. epithets
  6. names
  7. styles
  8. terms
Noun
  • 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
Definition of family names
Noun
  • Now someone has come up with the 50 most interesting nicknames.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The man had nicknames, pet names, codenames, and spoke like Barry White telling a dirty joke.
    — Jeff Rabhan, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of nicknames
Verb
  • Sinner, the 2024 Miami Open champion, became the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 to complete the Sunshine Double — winning Indian Wells and Miami titles back-to-back — and the first in history to win the double without losing a set.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Let people follow problems across functions, not titles up a ladder.
    — May Habib, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026
Definition of titles
Noun
  • Fathers’ last names in Hollywood seem to be becoming quite a burden.
    — Alessia Ferri, Vanity Fair, 30 July 2026
  • Everything changed a few weeks later when the registrar called to confirm details about her son’s last name, which differs from both parents’ legal last names.
    — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 30 July 2026
Definition of last names
Noun
  • The raid drew criticism over separating families, and a group of Idahoans sued, saying officers hurled racial epithets and largely withheld water, food, bathrooms and medical care.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Hochman detailed a number of prosecutions, including the sentence of one man to a life sentence plus seven years with the possibility of parole for a March 23 attack, during which racial epithets were uttered.
    — City News Service, Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of epithets
Verb
  • The complaint also names ThunderCat Technology, which has a contract with Homeland Security Investigations, which is part of ICE, to provide the agency with individual taxpayer identification numbers (ITIN) data.
    — Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 20 Aug. 2026
  • While the woman was unnamed in the police memo, a corresponding court case names Gallagher as the subject of an Apprehended Violence Application filed on behalf of Gael Cameron, a fellow Below Deck castmate with whom Gallagher shares a young child.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of names
Verb
  • Patti Wilson, who styles Cher, is here with an assistant who is taking notes; there is Roth’s own personal assistant, whose last job was at Beyoncé’s company, Parkwood; and there’s Roth’s social media manager, who has been filming the whole thing.
    — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 12 Aug. 2026
  • My mom styles her maxi dresses with sneakers like white Vejas or sandals like this Sorel pair (which carried her through Italy pain-free), depending on the day’s activities.
    — Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026
Definition of styles
Verb
  • On the left, an approach that Neem terms post-American has taken root, pushing the arguments of the 1970s in an ever more emphatic direction.
    — Yoni Appelbaum, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026
  • Perez, a Cuban-American attorney who terms out from the House this year, has emerged as one of Florida Republicans’ most influential and divisive figures.
    — Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 2 June 2026
Definition of terms

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Surnames.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surnames. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of surnames for Spanish Speakers

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