1
: an added name derived from occupation or other circumstance : nickname sense 1
2
: the name borne in common by members of a family
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
CBS News, 13 May 2026
Kristine and Matt, who don’t share their surname publicly, have been on YouTube since 2011, when Kristine uploaded a video of her twin toddler boys putting themselves to bed.
—Kristen Martin, The Atlantic, 13 May 2026
Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 19 Mar. 2026
The teen, surnamed Lu, cushioned his piggy bank after receiving products worth 4.76 million yuan ($680,000), thanks to his 11,900 phony return requests addressed to the unnamed brand.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surname
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Noun
This story has been corrected to show that the spelling of the secretary of state's surname in one reference should be Raffensperger, not Raffesperger.
—CBS News, 13 May 2026
Kristine and Matt, who don’t share their surname publicly, have been on YouTube since 2011, when Kristine uploaded a video of her twin toddler boys putting themselves to bed.
—Kristen Martin, The Atlantic, 13 May 2026
Verb
In 2013, he was charged with fraud for allegedly failing to repay 100 million won ($89,000) to an accuser surnamed Choi.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 19 Mar. 2026
The teen, surnamed Lu, cushioned his piggy bank after receiving products worth 4.76 million yuan ($680,000), thanks to his 11,900 phony return requests addressed to the unnamed brand.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surname
Cite this Entry
“Surname.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surname. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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