Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for surname

surname

[ noun sur-neym; verb sur-neym, sur-neym ]

noun

  1. Also called last name. the name that a person has in common with other family members, as distinguished from a first 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)

, sur·named, sur·nam·ing.
  1. to give a surname to; call by a surname.

surname

/ ˈsɜːˌneɪm /

noun

  1. Also calledlast namesecond name a family name as opposed to a first or Christian name
  2. (formerly) a descriptive epithet attached to a person's name to denote a personal characteristic, profession, etc; nickname


verb

  1. tr to furnish with or call by a surname

Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˈsurˌnamer, noun

Discover More

Other Words From

  • un·surnamed adjective

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of surname1

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English (noun); sur- 1, name; modeled on Old French surnom

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of surname1

C14: via Anglo-French from Old French surnom. See sur- 1, name

Discover More

Compare Meanings

How does surname compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Discover More

Example Sentences

“In the vaccine industry, we usually give a commission to the person in charge to encourage them to use our vaccines,” one Sinovac salesperson, identified only by the surname Yang, said in a 2017 case in the southern province of Guangdong.

Yin Hongzhang’s wife, identified in court testimony only by her surname, Guo, told the court that she and her husband picked up the cash in a hotel lobby and never volunteered to repay the loan.

Yin Hongzhang, who shares a surname with Sinovac’s CEO but is no relation, was sentenced in 2017 to a decade in prison for taking bribes from Sinovac and seven other companies.

He was 4 when his parents divorced, and two years later he adopted the surname Cordier from his stepfather.

From the Revolution forward, as Cheney outlines, its votaries promoted the intellectual depth and known virtues of those with recognizable surnames and long family legacies.

Black wore a hat with his surname, the A formed by a depiction of the African continent.

Lemieux is a French-Canadian surname which means “The Best.”

Satisfied, but not content, Gold strives to live up to her surname, as well as stamp it on the long list of American greats.

Among those officials-turned-entrepreneurs is the British-based Mehdi Shamszadeh, normally uses the surname Shams.

However this Maidan is not about the surname of this next president.

Those of the plates which have only a surname upon them, indicate that the place is a lodging house.

Her face was pale and her sensuous lips were the color of her skin, whence her surname.

You love to banter; you love to give me that surname of 'Rich,' to me, now no less poor than Job.

Most people nowadays have one or more Christian names and a surname, but this was not always the case.

Kent is quite a well-known surname, as also are Derby, Buxton, and many other names of English places.

Advertisement

Related Words

Word of the Day

tortuous

[tawr-choo-uhs ]

Meaning and examples

Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


surmulletsurpass