1
as in family names
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 nicknames
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
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Recent Examples of 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
At the time of the Mendez court decision, segregation was widespread in California’s public schools, with children who had Mexican surnames routinely placed on separate campuses that received fewer resources than those serving White students.
—Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026
At least three members of the panel have Hispanic surnames.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Though he had been given the surnames of both his parents—Ramírez and Sánchez—as was customary in Venezuela, his first name had been chosen by his father, a successful lawyer with strong left-wing views for whom Lenin was a hero.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
That history includes the surnames Hazeltine, Wilcox, Turner, Norton, Woodall, Willis, Bowman, Warner, Greenlaw and many more.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
From 1565 to 1898, the people of Las Islas Filipinas absorbed many of the Spaniards’ cultural traits, from their surnames and their attire to elements of their cuisine and language.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Dec. 2025
Beatrice and Eugenie's children do not have royal titles and use their fathers' surnames, reflecting their parents' wishes to raise them largely outside formal royal life.
—Ashley Hume , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025
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
At the time of the Mendez court decision, segregation was widespread in California’s public schools, with children who had Mexican surnames routinely placed on separate campuses that received fewer resources than those serving White students.
—Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026
At least three members of the panel have Hispanic surnames.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Though he had been given the surnames of both his parents—Ramírez and Sánchez—as was customary in Venezuela, his first name had been chosen by his father, a successful lawyer with strong left-wing views for whom Lenin was a hero.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
That history includes the surnames Hazeltine, Wilcox, Turner, Norton, Woodall, Willis, Bowman, Warner, Greenlaw and many more.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
From 1565 to 1898, the people of Las Islas Filipinas absorbed many of the Spaniards’ cultural traits, from their surnames and their attire to elements of their cuisine and language.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Dec. 2025
Beatrice and Eugenie's children do not have royal titles and use their fathers' surnames, reflecting their parents' wishes to raise them largely outside formal royal life.
—Ashley Hume , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surnames
Noun
-
Everyone on both sides of my family has always used family names, which has been really important to me to continue only using family names with my children.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
New sports have been added to the program and with that come new terms or nicknames for tactics, maneuvers or objects that beginner fans might not be familiar with.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The nicknames aren’t really that inspiring on either side just yet.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Both titles hail from directors with whom Hawke has maintained a strong relationship.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Oct. 2025
-
In a keynote interview yesterday at MIPCOM, Le Goy was bullish about his studio’s chances of tapping into the growing demand for anime and games, titles thanks to its ownership of streamer Crunchyroll and its sister games biz, Sony Playstation.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Sally of Evanston and Lori of Chicago, who did not want their last names used, dined on crepes as the family related their story.—
George Castle,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
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Most married men – 92% – keep their last names.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
On that day, the mob hurled racist epithets, smoke bombs, and fists at him.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
4 Feb. 2026
-
When the time came for Alan Cumming to cease deliberations, Michael was reduced to sputtering epithets in random sequences.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The law names city, county, and other local agencies, as well as federal law enforcement agencies, but notably does not include law enforcement officers employed by the state, creating a distinction that the judge found discriminatory against federal agents.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Gaza names the moment when the mandate of the oppositional intellectual can no longer be deferred, aestheticized, or selectively applied.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
During the conversation, the hair maestro — who styles Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez and Ariana Grande — shared that Kitty helps keep him in touch with the latest trends.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
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The author of Toxic Empathy, who styles herself a voice for Christian women, has more than a million followers on social media.—
Hillary Rodham Clinton,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Garamendi said the tools exist for Lara, who terms out of office next year, to ensure policyholders are paid in a timely manner.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
17 Dec. 2025
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Regrettably, no one terms the incident a Mass murder.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
11 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surnames.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surnames. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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