as in surname
a name shared by members of a family
searched for their family name on a popular genealogy website
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of family name
The move to mirror the suffocation of fame and family name by making the show’s scope increasingly claustrophobic is not untrodden territory.
—
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 12 Feb. 2026
The husband can take the wife’s name or the wife can take the husband’s name, but only one family name.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
The sports shirt had the number 64 and his family name Ocasio on it in subtle white lettering.
—Tony Bravo, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Feb. 2026
But the president backed off after appeals from San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and tech executives, including Marc Benioff, the Salesforce CEO whose family name is attached to the Oakland children’s hospital.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for family name
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 12 Feb. 2026
The husband can take the wife’s name or the wife can take the husband’s name, but only one family name.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
The sports shirt had the number 64 and his family name Ocasio on it in subtle white lettering.
—Tony Bravo, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Feb. 2026
But the president backed off after appeals from San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and tech executives, including Marc Benioff, the Salesforce CEO whose family name is attached to the Oakland children’s hospital.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for family name
Recent Examples of Synonyms for family name
Noun
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From there, Harris took on his adoptive parents’ surname.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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According to a Wall Street Journal report, the surname of a survivor was left unredacted, enabling news outlets to identify her.—
Danielle Powell Cobb,
Vanity Fair,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Her first name wouldn’t change, and her last name is already the same as mine.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
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Liu, a food delivery driver in the city, who only gave his last name, also lamented the soaring prices, which have made his hustle on a motorbike less worthwhile.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Family name.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/family%20name. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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