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surname

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Surname
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sur⋅name

  [n. sur-neym; v. sur-neym, sur-neym] noun, verb, -named, -nam⋅ing.
–noun
1. the name that a person has in common with other family members, as distinguished from a Christian name or given name; family name.
2. a name added to a person's name, as one indicating a circumstance of birth or some characteristic or achievement; epithet.
–verb (used with object)
3. to give a surname to; call by a surname.
Use surname in a Sentence
Origin:
1300–50; ME (n.); see sur- 1 , name; modeled on OF surnom
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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Surname
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sur·name   (sûr'nām')   
n.  

  1. A name shared in common to identify the members of a family, as distinguished from each member's given name. Also called family name, last name.

  2. A nickname or epithet added to a person's name.

tr.v.   sur·named, sur·nam·ing, sur·names
To give a surname to.

[Middle English, partial translation of Old French surnom : sur-, sur- + nom, name.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

surname 
c.1330, "name, title, or epithet added to a person's name," from sur "above" + name; modeled on Anglo-Fr. surnoun "surname" (c.1325), variant of O.Fr. surnom, from sur "over" + nom "name." Meaning "family name" is first found 1375. Hereditary surnames existed among Norman nobility in England in early 12c., among common people began to be used 13c., increasingly frequent until near universal by end of 14c. The process was later in the north of England than the south. The verb is attested from 1548.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

surname

name added to a "given" name, in many cases inherited and held in common by members of a family. Originally, many surnames identified a person by his connection with another person, usually his father (Johnson, MacDonald); others gave his residence (Orleans, York, Atwood [i.e., living at the woods]) or occupation (Weaver, Hooper, Taylor). A surname could also be descriptive of a person's appearance (Little, Red) or his exploits (Armstrong).

Learn more about surname with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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