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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of surname
Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 19 May 2025
The man, also identified only by his surname, Yong, did not respond to questions either.
—Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 18 May 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
Yet three years before Enzo joined the competitive fray under his own surname, the Maserati brothers banded together to enter their Tipo 26 in the 1926 Targa Florio endurance test.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 19 May 2025
The man, also identified only by his surname, Yong, did not respond to questions either.
—Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 18 May 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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Their family name is Trochilidae…not really much of a fun fact.—
Clarence Schmidt,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 June 2025
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Honored, the Blue Jackets forward came up with a design — two interlocking hockey sticks with doves above them and the Gaudreau family name across the middle — that ultimately went on the race shirts and medals.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
1 June 2025
Noun
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Unsurprisingly, given its nickname, Little Hell can be a fearsome place to visit.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
14 June 2025
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The Pitt, which is both a nickname for Robby’s ER and the city in which the show is based, has already been renewed for a second season.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Officially titled The Chosen: Last Supper, the new eight-episode season will be released on the streamer in three parts (see full release schedule below).—
Erin Lassner,
HollywoodReporter,
14 June 2025
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Dreamworks Dragons premiered in 2012 with the first season called called Dragons: Riders of Berk and the second season titled Dragons: Defenders of Berk.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
13 June 2025
Noun
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Ken, who declined to give his last name, has worked as a sales associate at Bunkado, a knickknack shop in Little Tokyo, for several years.—
Summer Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2025
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The track is credited to John and Yoko as a duo, with their last names left off.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2025
Noun
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The frequent Trump epithet losers would be a suitably pejorative modern equivalent.—
Graham Robb,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2025
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The event was held by the California Federation of Labor Unions and the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, so there was ample praise for California workers and plenty of epithets hurled at President Trump.—
Phil Willon,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2025
Verb
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Another bonus: The aptly named Cabana Club at the stern offers another 355 square feet surrounded by 270 degrees of windows.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
10 June 2025
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The Byrd Rule Thanks to the Byrd Rule, named for the late Senator Robert Byrd (D-W.V.), there are some limits to reconciliation.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
Verb
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Take after the actress by styling them with a breezy button-down on a hot summer afternoon, or dress them up with a blouse or blazer for a day in the office.—
Averi Baudler,
People.com,
7 June 2025
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The netted, naked dress from the house’s spring 2025 couture collection was covered in crystal drop embellishments and styled with a coordinating fringe stole that extended into a floor-length train.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Several of those associations might be termed minnows, reliant on money from afar or susceptible to the skewing effect of one of their sides progressing further than expected on the continent.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
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The two drivers both were hospitalized with what the CHP termed minor injuries.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surname.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surname. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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