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
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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
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of surname
Paul Grein, Billboard, 30 Oct. 2024
Lawrence this week telegraphed her political allegiance in cloth, using a Realtree camouflage cap embroidered with the surnames of Harris and Tim Walz in neon orange stitching.
—Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2024
Patrick Frater, Variety, 22 Nov. 2023
The 39-year-old Chinese national, surnamed Hao, was a cadre at a ministry and had gone to Japan for studies, which was where the spying recruitment occurred, the ministry said.
—Reuters, NBC News, 21 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for surname 
Noun
One fun note: Two of the leading candidates, Boone and Carpenter, share a surname with past winners in this category.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 30 Oct. 2024
Lawrence this week telegraphed her political allegiance in cloth, using a Realtree camouflage cap embroidered with the surnames of Harris and Tim Walz in neon orange stitching.
—Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
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
The 39-year-old Chinese national, surnamed Hao, was a cadre at a ministry and had gone to Japan for studies, which was where the spying recruitment occurred, the ministry said.
—Reuters, NBC News, 21 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for surname
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surname
Noun
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In an Instagram video in February 2021, Christina explained that reverting to her family name was a move to honor her grandmother.Miles Berry, People.com, 15 Oct. 2024
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Thomas tried to separate himself from the family name to find his own success, but still plays a few of his grandfather’s songs for sentimental reasons.Francesca Gariano, Peoplemag, 14 Sep. 2024
Noun
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His work garnered him a few nicknames, more followers and a nice pay bump.Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2024
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However, because its peculiar shape was reminiscent of a clothes iron, the Flatiron nickname quickly stuck.Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The adventure is the focal point of National Geographic’s latest feature-length documentary, titled The Devil’s Climb, which debuted in October.Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 8 Nov. 2024
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Lisson Gallery in Los Angeles had recently hosted a solo show of the artist’s paintings, titled Flight Paths.The Editors of ARTnews, ARTnews.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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In Vance’s, fathers don’t even leave kids with their last names.Kyle Khan-Mullins, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
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Effie, who declined to share her last name citing concerns about harassment, launched the ongoing LAPD investigation after sharing her claims on her Instagram story in early 2021.Lydia Wang, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Today, the term is more often used as a negative epithet—but on her wise and poignant R&B album Heaux Tales, Jazmine Sullivan celebrates gossip’s emotional significance, showing the revelations and self-explorations that arise when women nurture community.Pitchfork, Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
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Risqué language and colorful ethnics epithets flowed as liberally as the liquor, drawing the ire of a nearby diner who, while not nearly as famous, was at least as wealthy and possibly more influential.Lizz Schumer, People.com, 29 Sep. 2024
Verb
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In March 2023, Enrico Lopez-Yañez was named principal pops conductor for the Pacific Symphony, and in October of this year Limor Tomer was tapped to be the new vice president to head performing arts programs at Segerstrom Center.Samantha Dunn, Orange County Register, 13 Nov. 2024
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Norton was also named in a lawsuit that accused him of injuring a 15-year-old Broomfield girl with disabilities during an arrest.Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 12 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The video, which dropped early Tuesday, is uncharacteristically low-budget for the singer, depicting her in a variety of settings, usually in a red swimsuit styled like Anderson’s.Jem Aswad, Variety, 5 Nov. 2024
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Blake Lively Wore Lip Gloss with ‘Alarming Amounts of Chili Peppers’ to Make Her Lips Look Plump in High School Lively finished off her ensemble with coordinated heels and simple jewelry and styled her blonde hair in soft waves.Marina Watts, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Join 19 others in the comments View Comments A week after that deal was rejected, Boeing improved its offer to 30% in wage increases over the four-year deal, terming that its best and final offer.Chris Isidore, CNN, 19 Oct. 2024
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In March, what is now termed Natural Selection Snow will return to Revelstoke, British Columbia, for two days of live competition among 24 athletes.Michelle Bruton, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Surname.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surname. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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