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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of surnames
Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026
At least three members of the panel have Hispanic surnames.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Though he had been given the surnames of both his parents—Ramírez and Sánchez—as was customary in Venezuela, his first name had been chosen by his father, a successful lawyer with strong left-wing views for whom Lenin was a hero.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
That history includes the surnames Hazeltine, Wilcox, Turner, Norton, Woodall, Willis, Bowman, Warner, Greenlaw and many more.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
The Breakers, the new four-story, colonial-style, 425-guest-room hotel, reopened for the season the following year, and its guest register read like a roll call of the famous—and infamous—surnames of the Gilded Age.
—David Shaftel, Travel + Leisure, 15 Nov. 2025
Many Isleños changed their original Spanish surnames to French last names once Louisiana came under French control, De la Nuez explained, which led to some descendants likely losing touch with their roots.
—Raul A. Reyes, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2025
Beatrice and Eugenie's children do not have royal titles and use their fathers' surnames, reflecting their parents' wishes to raise them largely outside formal royal life.
—Ashley Hume , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Roughly 77% of all arrests by the first deputy the siblings saw at the gas station had Hispanic surnames, the judge found.
—Rafael Carranza, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
At the time of the Mendez court decision, segregation was widespread in California’s public schools, with children who had Mexican surnames routinely placed on separate campuses that received fewer resources than those serving White students.
—Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026
At least three members of the panel have Hispanic surnames.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Though he had been given the surnames of both his parents—Ramírez and Sánchez—as was customary in Venezuela, his first name had been chosen by his father, a successful lawyer with strong left-wing views for whom Lenin was a hero.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
That history includes the surnames Hazeltine, Wilcox, Turner, Norton, Woodall, Willis, Bowman, Warner, Greenlaw and many more.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
The Breakers, the new four-story, colonial-style, 425-guest-room hotel, reopened for the season the following year, and its guest register read like a roll call of the famous—and infamous—surnames of the Gilded Age.
—David Shaftel, Travel + Leisure, 15 Nov. 2025
Many Isleños changed their original Spanish surnames to French last names once Louisiana came under French control, De la Nuez explained, which led to some descendants likely losing touch with their roots.
—Raul A. Reyes, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2025
Beatrice and Eugenie's children do not have royal titles and use their fathers' surnames, reflecting their parents' wishes to raise them largely outside formal royal life.
—Ashley Hume , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Roughly 77% of all arrests by the first deputy the siblings saw at the gas station had Hispanic surnames, the judge found.
—Rafael Carranza, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surnames
Noun
-
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
Noun
-
Jennifer Lawrence revealed this week that she’s gotten stuck with at least four nicknames over the years.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Residents have long used directional descriptors and whimsical nicknames for their houses instead of addresses.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Both titles hail from directors with whom Hawke has maintained a strong relationship.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Oct. 2025
-
In a keynote interview yesterday at MIPCOM, Le Goy was bullish about his studio’s chances of tapping into the growing demand for anime and games, titles thanks to its ownership of streamer Crunchyroll and its sister games biz, Sony Playstation.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Her family's last names are Zamorano Álvarez, the town hall said.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Many Isleños changed their original Spanish surnames to French last names once Louisiana came under French control, De la Nuez explained, which led to some descendants likely losing touch with their roots.—
Raul A. Reyes,
NBC news,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
When the time came for Alan Cumming to cease deliberations, Michael was reduced to sputtering epithets in random sequences.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Just a few days earlier in California, a house that had been decorated with lights celebrating Chanukah was riddled with bullets, with the assailant having been heard to yell anti-Jewish epithets.—
Rabbi Steve Roth,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The suit names Raising Cane’s, the driver of the pickup truck and others connected to the vehicle involved.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Lakeland Preparatory School names a new principal.—
Mark Russell,
Memphis Commercial Appeal,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Halle Berry styles it perfectly.—
Catharine Malzahn,
InStyle,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Anthropic, the frontier lab that styles itself as the most safety-conscious, reportedly made plans to go public at a $300 billion valuation.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Garamendi said the tools exist for Lara, who terms out of office next year, to ensure policyholders are paid in a timely manner.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
17 Dec. 2025
-
Regrettably, no one terms the incident a Mass murder.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
11 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surnames.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surnames. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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