1
as in family name
a name shared by members of a family
judging from your surname, I'd guess that your family is Italian
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in nickname
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
Examples 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 surname
Ashley Hume, Fox News, 24 Nov. 2024
Editor's note: The story was updated to correct the spelling of the CEO's surname.
—Kerry Flynn, Axios, 19 Nov. 2024
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 
Noun
Cher also took the surnames of her ex-husbands Sonny Bono and Gregg Allman.
—Ashley Hume, Fox News, 24 Nov. 2024
Editor's note: The story was updated to correct the spelling of the CEO's surname.
—Kerry Flynn, Axios, 19 Nov. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surname
Noun
-
Kang’s parents had been waiting for a boy who could carry the family name.Meg Linehan, The Athletic, 22 Nov. 2024
-
Barack Obama is opening up about his daughter Malia Obama's decision to drop the family name in her professional life.Brian Brant, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
The lawsuit said leaked information included license plate numbers, email addresses, phone numbers, vehicle nicknames and, in a small number of cases, mailing addresses.Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024
-
Glas said another man named Mike, but without the nickname, was also ruled out as a suspect.Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Officially titled the Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing after two donors who gave the Met $125 million, the wing has been in the works since 2014.Alex Greenberger for ARTNews, Robb Report, 11 Dec. 2024
-
When it was first released in the U.K., it was simply titled Yardbirds.Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Larry, who declined to give reporters a last name, said.Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
-
Here are the finalists, in alphabetical order by last name.TIME Staff, TIME, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
At the time, pollsters did not necessarily welcome the epithet.W. Joseph Campbell, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
-
Across the country, people have endured antisemitic epithets as well as anti-Muslim rhetoric, in response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war abroad.Sara Chernikoff, USA TODAY, 7 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
Reagan then turned to a businessman named J. Peter Grace and a commission charged with finding efficiencies in the government.Ron Elving, NPR, 7 Dec. 2024
-
According to Smithsonian Magazine, a Bavarian immigrant named Thomas Nast, a cartoonist during the Civil War, created the first image of Santa Claus in 1863.Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
By Stephanie McNeal Don’t worry, though: The top-tier WAG recovered well enough to rock a chic and classic cold-weather game-day ’fit, styling her hair in smooth blonde waves adorned by a pair of white fur earmuffs for Sunday’s Chiefs game versus the Cleveland Browns.Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 16 Dec. 2024
-
Her hair was styled with volume and effortless waves and her makeup included a clean, glowing look with a defined brow and a glossy lip.Julia Teti, WWD, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
DuBose left the game with what the team termed a head injury.Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 16 Dec. 2024
-
Harris could skip a gubernatorial bid and run again for president in 2028 when Trump is termed out.George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2024
Articles Related to surname
Thesaurus Entries Near surname
Cite this Entry
“Surname.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surname. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share