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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of surname
Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 8 Apr. 2025
This story has been corrected to show the surname of The Atlantic journalist is Goldberg, not Rosenberg.
—Zeke Miller, Twin Cities, 3 Apr. 2025
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
It was confirmed by The Times of London that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle changed their surname to Sussex for the sake of their children Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 8 Apr. 2025
This story has been corrected to show the surname of The Atlantic journalist is Goldberg, not Rosenberg.
—Zeke Miller, Twin Cities, 3 Apr. 2025
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
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The dark cloud of negativity engulfing the revered family name… This serves only to alienate him from his father, family and the public.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2025
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Using a mother's maiden name as a baby's middle name, like Hardy and his wife Caleigh Ryan recently did, is becoming a more common way to carry on a family name.—
Anna Halkidis,
Parents,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Multiple people have told The Athletic: The number of people detained for sending critical tweets about Al-Sheikh led to one area of a Riyadh jail becoming known by prisoners as the ‘Tutu Wing’, referring to his nickname.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
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After all, a nickname like ‘The Big Dreidel,’ is pretty niche.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Usyk will put his WBA, WBC, and WBO heavyweight titles up for grabs.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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Two sequels followed in 2000 and 2002, and a fourth and final movie (titled Last Friday) is officially on the way.—
EW Staff,
EW.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But the 69 million married women in America who have taken their spouse’s last name and don’t have a birth certificate matching their legal name could face hurdles when registering to vote or updating their voter registration.—
Maggie McGrath,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2025
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Her suitcase marked with her last name was found in the baggage claim area by airport staff, officials said.—
Paloma Chavez,
Sacbee.com,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This species has no fragrance; its lavender appellation simply acknowledges its flower color while its rosemary epithet indicates its seacoast habitat.—
Joshua Siskin,
Orange County Register,
22 Mar. 2025
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More than a decade after Breaking Bad ended, Aaron Paul still can’t escape his character’s signature epithet.—
John Russell,
People.com,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Leah contacted the puppy's family and learned that Milkshake's pup is a 3-year-old girl named Sage.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
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So far, nearly two dozen of the den's rattlesnakes have been identified and named, according to the project's website.—
Erin Udell,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Gaga paired a boxy leather moto jacket with a pair of black brief-length shorts, styling the look with her go-to shoe: A sky-high pair of platform heels, of course, punctuated with below-the-knee socks.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
21 Apr. 2025
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The Retreat Linen Top and matching Mid-rise Shorts, both over 40 percent off, can be styled together for a polished resort outfit or worn separately with basics for casual, everyday wear.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Hegseth was heavily criticized by Democrats and a handful of Republicans for what opponents termed a lack of experience and expertise.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Apr. 2025
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Masters Betting Promos: First-Bet Offers For those who wish to tackle the tournament with a first-bet offer that pays back losing first wagers in bonus bets -- often termed no-sweat bets, safety nets and other similar names -- the following offers are worth checking out.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surname.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surname. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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