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
Andrew Greif, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
The endless vowels of their surnames—Ruuttu, Saarinen, Ruotsalainen—sail through his mind like a song.
—Boris Fishman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 22 Jan. 2026
One user, surnamed Zhao, told CNN that the two apps enabled friends to meet especially in the less cosmopolitan parts of the country where places for gay people to gather are almost non-existent.
—Steven Jiang, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for surname
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Noun
In sports, some siblings are so accomplished that they can be recognized by only their surnames.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
The endless vowels of their surnames—Ruuttu, Saarinen, Ruotsalainen—sail through his mind like a song.
—Boris Fishman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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
One user, surnamed Zhao, told CNN that the two apps enabled friends to meet especially in the less cosmopolitan parts of the country where places for gay people to gather are almost non-existent.
—Steven Jiang, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for surname
Cite this Entry
“Surname.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surname. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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