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
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
Julia Shapero, The Hill, 9 July 2025
In 2017, Shahani moved to change the custody agreement and remove Edmonds' name from the children's surname.
—Laura A. Bischoff, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for surname
Noun
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
Verb
Musk’s social media platform — making broad generalizations about people with Jewish surnames and perpetuating antisemitic stereotypes about Jewish people in Hollywood.
—Julia Shapero, The Hill, 9 July 2025
In 2017, Shahani moved to change the custody agreement and remove Edmonds' name from the children's surname.
—Laura A. Bischoff, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for surname
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surname
Noun
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District title conversation After the events of the last two seasons, the James family name has become synonymous with Arlington Heights football.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 July 2025
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What a fitting honor for this city's founder to have two family names honored on city streets.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Noun
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Ken Takakura is usually called by his nickname, Okarun, a moniker given to him by Momo.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
19 July 2025
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Harris was not charged with that murder, but the Law & Order writers implied he was involved with the crime and used nicknames similar to Harris’ case.—
John J. Lennon,
Rolling Stone,
19 July 2025
Verb
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Building on this, another study, titled Back to the Present: How the Direction of Mental Time Travel Affects Similarity and Saving, explores deliberate foresight.—
Wes Moss,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
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The show, titled Judge Judy, premiered on Sept. 16, 1996 and quickly became a cultural phenomenon.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
21 July 2025
Noun
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On the players’ side of the ring, players’ last names are featured with their jersey numbers encrusted in diamonds against the backdrop of Lincoln Financial Field (the Eagles home field), paying homage to the dedicated fan base.—
Anthony DeMarco,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
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Through July 20, anyone who shares a first, middle or last name with an ice cream brand can redeem their pint at halotop.com.—
Dina Kaur,
AZCentral.com,
21 July 2025
Noun
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The defendants, who were white, also used racial epithets toward Majors, prosecutors said.—
Kelly Puente,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
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Musk and Trump’s potent political alliance seemed to meet a dramatic end a month ago in an exchange of blistering epithets, with Trump threatening to go after Musk’s business interests, and Musk calling for Trump’s impeachment.—
Meg Kinnard,
Chicago Tribune,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Jeffrey Ragsdale, the former head of the Office of Professional Responsibility, was removed from his post earlier this year, according to the Washington Post, and the office's website does not name a current leader.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
15 July 2025
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July: Meryll Rogge is named as the new creative director of Marni.—
Laird Borrelli-Persson,
Vogue,
15 July 2025
Verb
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Addae is Black, 6 feet tall and weighs 175 pounds with a medium build, and has brown eyes and black hair styled in a low cut.—
Jim Riccioli,
jsonline.com,
27 July 2025
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For instance, Jean styles a head scarf impeccably well.—
Nneya Richards,
Travel + Leisure,
26 July 2025
Verb
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The election postponement will give current city commissioners and the mayor — who is termed out at the end of the year — an extra year in office.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 July 2025
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Even modern scientists had yet to recognize the features, with subsequent academic research in 2015 terming them dune decomposition chimneys.—
Mike Bezemek,
Smithsonian Magazine,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surname.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surname. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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