surname

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noun

sur·​name ˈsər-ˌnām How to pronounce surname (audio)
1
: an added name derived from occupation or other circumstance : nickname sense 1
2
: the name borne in common by members of a family

surname

2 of 2

verb

surnamed; surnaming; surnames

transitive verb

: to give a surname to

Examples of surname in a Sentence

Noun judging from your surname, I'd guess that your family is Italian “da Vinci” was Leonardo's surname but not his family name, Vinci being the town near Florence where the great artist was born
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter Shiloh took it upon herself to legally drop her father’s last name from her own surname when turning 18 last week. Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 3 June 2024 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter Shiloh petitions to drop her dad’s surname. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2024
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 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'surname.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of surname was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near surname

Cite this Entry

“Surname.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surname. Accessed 11 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

surname

noun
sur·​name
ˈsər-ˌnām
1
: an added name : nickname
2
: the name held in common by members of a family
surname verb

More from Merriam-Webster on surname

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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