surname

See also:sur-name

English

Alternative forms

• sirname(archaic)
• sur-name(obsolete)

Etymology

FromMiddle Englishsurname,a partial calque ofOld Frenchsurnum,surnoun(“surname; nickname”)(whenceMiddle Englishsurnoun), fromLate Latinsupernōmen,suprānōmen(“surname”),fromsuper-(“over, above, beyond”)andnōmen(“name”),equivalent tosur-+‎name.

Pronunciation

• (US)enPR:sûrʹnām';IPA^(key):/ˈsɝˌneɪm/

  • Audio(US):

    (file)

• (UK)enPR:sûʹnām';IPA^(key):/ˈsɜːˌneɪm/

  • Audio(UK):

    (file)

• Rhymes:-ɜː(ɹ)neɪm

Noun

surname(pluralsurnames)

1. The portion of a person'snamethat is generallyhereditaryor treated as an indicator of a person'sfamily,which may be shared with other members of the family, or otherwise derived from their names in some fashion; distinguished from that person'sgiven name(s).

   Synonyms:seeThesaurus:surname

   James is my first name, and Smith is mysurname.

   • 1605,William Camden,Remaines,I 32:

     In lateyeeresSurnameshavebeenegiven for Christian names amongvs,and no where else inChristendom.

   • 1876,E. A. Freeman,The History of the Norman Conquest,V xxv 563:

     The Norman Conquest...brought with it the novelty of family nomenclature, that is to say, the use of hereditarysurnames.

2. (obsolete)Synonym ofepithet,anadditionalname,particularlythosederivedfrom abirthplace,quality,orachievement.
   • 1526,[William Tyndale,transl.],The Newe Testamẽt[…](Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany:Peter Schöffer],→OCLC,Actsj:[23]:

     Barsabas (whosesyrnamewas Iustus).

   • 1590,Richard Harvey,Plaine Percevall the peace-maker of England, Sweetly indeuoring with his blunt persuasions to botch vp a reconciliation between Mar-ton and Mar-tother,B3:

     Mysirnameis Peace-Maker, one that is butpoorelyregarded in England.

   • c.1608–1609(date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”,inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies[…](First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard,andEd[ward]Blount,published1623,→OCLC,[Act V, scene iii],line171:

     To hissur-nameCoriolanuslongsmore pride
     Thenpittyto our Prayers.

3. (obsolete)Synonym ofnickname,an additional namegivento aperson,place,orthing,abyname.
   • 1638,Abraham Cowley,Davideis,section IV:

     I have before declared that Baal was the Sun, and Baal Peor, asirname,from a particular place of his worship.

4. (Classical studies)ThecognomenofRomannames.
5. (Can weverify⁽⁺⁾this sense?)(Scotland,obsolete)Aclan.

Usage notes

• The termsurnamemay be used to translate terms from non-English names which carry additional shades of meaning; most notably in the case of Romancognomens.
• Bothsurnameandlast nameare extremely common in all dialects of English, the former being somewhat more preferred in the UK and the latter in the US. However, because of the cultural and gendered associations involved with both terms, the use offamily nameis increasingly preferred in multicultural contexts.

Hypernyms

• name

Hyponyms

• bride's name,maiden name(surname prior to marriage);patronym,patronymic(a surname specifically referencing one's father's given name);matronym,matronymic(a surname specifically referencing one's mother's given name)

Coordinate terms

• Seegiven name;middle name;epithet,cognomen,nickname;aneponymous

Derived terms

• occupational surname
• surnameless
• surnominal

Translations

name that indicates family

• Afrikaans:van(af)
• Albanian:mbiemër(sq)m
• Arabic:لَقَب(ar)m(laqab),كُنْيَةf(kunya),اِسْم الْعَائِلَةm(ism al-ʕāʔila)

  Moroccan Arabic:كنوةf(kenwa),كْنيّةf(kniyya)

• Armenian:ազգանուն(hy)(azganun)
• Assyrian Neo-Aramaic:ܟܘܼܢܵܝܵܐm(kunnāyā)
• Asturian:apellíu(ast)m
• Azerbaijani:soyad
• Bashkir:фамилия(familiya)
• Basque:abizen(eu),deitura(eu)
• Belarusian:про́звішчаn(prózvišča),про́зьвішчаn(prózʹvišča)
• Bengali:উপাধি(bn)(upadhi)
• Bikol Central:apelyido(bcl)
• Breton:anv(br)m,anv-familhm,anv-tiegezh(br)m
• Bulgarian:фами́лно и́меn(famílno íme)
• Burmese:ရိုးရာအမည်(my)(rui:raa.many)
• Carpathian Rusyn:пру́звищеn(prúzvyšče)
• Catalan:cognom(ca)m,llinatge(ca)m
• Chechen:фамили(famili)
• Chichewa:dzinalabambo
• Chinese:

  Cantonese:Tính(yue),Tính thị(sing³si⁶)

  Dungan:щин(xin)

  Eastern Min:Tính thị(séng-sê)

  Hokkien:Tự tính(zh-min-nan)(lī-sìⁿ, jī-sèⁿ, lī-sèⁿ, jī-sìⁿ)

  Mandarin:Tính(zh)(xìng),Tính thị(zh)(xìngshì)

  Wu:Tính(⁵shin),Tính thị(⁵shin-zy)

• Cornish:hanowm
• Czech:příjmení(cs)n
• Danish:efternavn(da)n,familienavnn,slægtsnavnn
• Dutch:achternaam(nl)m,familienaam(nl)m
• Eastern Huasteca Nahuatl:tzonquīzcā
• Esperanto:familia nomo(eo),familinomo(eo)
• Estonian:perekonnanimi(et)
• Faroese:eftirnavnn,ættarnavnn
• Finnish:sukunimi(fi)
• French:nom(fr)m,patronyme(fr)m,nom de famille(fr)m
• Galician:apelido(gl)m,alcuñom
• Georgian:გვარი(ka)(gvari)
• German:Nachname(de)m,Familienname(de)m
• Greek:επώνυμο(el)n(epónymo)

  Ancient:ἐπωνύμιονn(epōnúmion)

• Gujarati:અટકf(aṭak),ઉપનામ(upanām)
• Hebrew:שֵׁם מִשׁפָּחָה(he)m(shem mishpakhá)
• Hindi:कुलनामm(kulnām),कुल नामm(kul nām),उपनाम(hi)m(upnām)
• Hungarian:vezetéknév(hu),családnév(hu)
• Icelandic:eftirnafn(is),kenninafn,ættarnafn(is)n
• Ido:surnomo(io)
• Indonesian:marga(id),nama keluarga
• Ingrian:sukunimi,familia
• Interlingua:supernomine,nomine de familia,ultime nomine
• Irish:sloinne(ga)m
• Italian:cognome(it)m
• Japanese:Tính(ja)(せい, sei),Danh tự(ja)(みょうじ, myōji),Miêu tự(ja)(みょうじ, myōji)
• Javanese:jeneng pancer
• Kannada:ಉಪನಾಮ(kn)(upanāma)
• Kashmiri:کرٛام(krām)
• Kashubian:nôzwëskòn
• Kazakh:тегі(tegı),ата-тек(ata-tek)
• Khmer:នាមត្រកូល(niəm trɑkoul)
• Korean:성( tính )(ko)(seong),성씨( tính thị )(ko)(seongssi)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish:paşnav(ku),leqeb(ku)

• Kyrgyz:фамилия(ky)(familiya),атанаама(atanaama),теги(ky)(tegi),уругат(urugat)
• Ladino:alkunyaf
• Lao:ຊື່ສະກຸນ(sư̄ sa kun),ນາມສະກຸນ(nām sa kun),ວົງວານ(wong wān),ວົງສະກຸນ(wong sa kun)
• Latin:cōgnōmenn
• Latvian:uzvārdsm
• Lithuanian:pavardė(lt)f
• Macedonian:презимеn(prezime)
• Malay:nama keluarga(ms)
• Malayalam:കുലനാമം(kulanāmaṁ)
• Maltese:kunjomm
• Manchu:ᡥᠠᠯᠠ(hala)
• Manx:sliennoom
• Maori:ingoa whānau
• Marathi:आडनाव(āḍnāv)
• Mari:

  Eastern Mari:фамилий(famiĺij),ешлӱм(ješlüm)

• Middle English:surname,surnoun,toname
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic:овог нэр(ovog ner),овог(mn)(ovog)

  Mongolian:ᠣᠪᠤᠭ
  ᠨᠡᠷ᠎ᠡ(obug ner-e),ᠣᠪᠤᠭ(obug)

• Nepali:थर(thar)
• Northern Sami:sohkanamma,namma,goargu
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål:navn(no)n,etternavn(no)n,familienavnn,slektsnavnn

  Nynorsk:namnn,etternamn(no)n,familienamnn,slektsnamnn

• Occitan:nom d'ostal(oc)m,nom de familham
• Odia:ଉପନାମ(upanāma)
• Old English:tōnamam
• Ossetian:мыггаг(myggag)
• Ottoman Turkish:لقب(lakab)
• Pashto:لقبm(laqab),کورنی نومm(koranay num),تخلص(ps)m(taxalos)
• Persian:

  Iranian Persian:نامِ خانِوَادِگی(fa)(nâm-e xânevâdegi),اِسْمِ فامیل(esm-e fâmil),لَقَب(fa)(lağab)

• Polish:nazwisko(pl)n
• Portuguese:apelido(pt)m(Portugal, means "nickname" in Brazil),sobrenome(pt)m,nome de famíliam,último nomem(when appearing last)
• Punjabi:ਉਪਨਾਮ(pa)(upanām)
• Romanian:nume de familie(ro)n,patronim(ro)n,nume patronimic(ro)n,nume(ro)n
• Russian:фами́лия(ru)f(famílija),про́звище(ru)n(prózvišče)(dated, now means "nickname")
• Scottish Gaelic:sloinneadhm
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic:прѐзимеn

  Roman:prèzime(sh)n

• Sicilian:cugnomu(scn)m
• Sinhalese:වාසගම(wāsagama)
• Skolt Sami:famiʹljnõmm
• Slovak:priezviskon
• Slovene:priimek(sl)m
• Sorbian:

  Upper Sorbian:swójbne mjenon

• Sotho:fanesg,difanepl
• Spanish:apellido(es)m
• Swabian:Familiename
• Swahili:jinalaukoo
• Swedish:efternamn(sv)n,familjenamn(sv)n
• Tagalog:apelyido(tl)
• Tajik:фамилия(tg)(familiya),номи хонаводагӣ(nomi xonavodagī)
• Tamil:குடும்பப்பெயர்(kuṭumpappeyar)
• Tatar:фамилия(familiyä)
• Telugu:ఇంటిపేరు(te)(iṇṭipēru)
• Thai:นามสกุล(th)(naam-sà-gun),แซ่(th)(sɛ̂ɛ)(Chinese surname)
• Turkish:soyadı(tr),soyad(tr),soyisim
• Turkmen:familiýa
• Ukrainian:прі́звище(uk)n(prízvyšče)
• Urdu:خانْدانی نامm(xāndānī nām),کُل نامm(kul nām),اُپ نامm(up nām),لَقَبm(laqab)
• Uyghur:فامىلە(famile)
• Uzbek:familiya(uz),laqab(uz)
• Vietnamese:họ(vi),tên họ
• Volapük:famülanem
• Walloon:no d' famile(wa)m
• Welsh:cyfenwm
• White Hmong:xeem
• Xhosa:ifani
• Yiddish:משפּחה־נאָמעןm(mishpokhe-nomen)
• Zulu:isibongo

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions atWiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Swahili:^{(pleaseverify)}kwa jina lingine,^{(pleaseverify)}jina la familia,^{(pleaseverify)}majina ya familia,^{(pleaseverify)}jina la ukoo

Verb

surname(third-person singular simple presentsurnames,present participlesurnaming,simple past and past participlesurnamed)

1. (transitive)To give a surname to.
2. (transitive)To call by a surname.
   • 1905,Howard Pyle,“The Story of Launcelot”, inThe Story of the Champions of the Round Table‎^[2],New York: Charles Scribner's Sons,page66:

     “Lord,” said Sir Launcelot, “I am hight Launcelot, and amsurnamed‘He of the Lake.’”

Translations

to give a surname

• Esperanto:doni familinomon
• Finnish:antaasukunimi
• French:surnommer(fr),donner un surnom
• Spanish:apodar(es)

to call by a surname

• Finnish:kutsuasukunimellä
• Spanish:apodo(es)

Statistics

The most common surnames in the United States, as of the2010 census(with number of persons bearing said surname):

1. Smith; 2,442,977

2. Johnson; 1,932,812

3. Williams; 1,625,252

4. Brown; 1,437,026

5. Jones; 1,425,470

6. Garcia; 1,166,120

7. Miller; 1,161,437

8. Davis; 1,116,357

9. Rodriguez; 1,094,924

10. Martinez; 1,060,159

See also

• Name changeon Wikipedia
• Wiktionary appendix of surnames

Anagrams

• Mansure,manures

Middle English

FWOTD – 20 June 2024

Alternative forms

• surename,sourname,sorname,syrname,sire name

Etymology

Partial calqueofOld Frenchsurnoun,fromLate Latinsupernōmen,suprānōmen;equivalent tosur-+‎name.Forms beginning withsir-,syr-,etc. represent reanalysis of the first element assire.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/ˈsurnaːm(ə)/,/ˈsirnaːm(ə)/

Noun

surname(pluralsurnames)

1. epithet,nickname
   • c.1330,Arthour and Merlin,section 5488:

     Þe.xxxix. Osoman, cert, Hissurnamewas: hardi ofhert.

     (pleaseadd an English translationof this quotation)

   • c.1400,"St. John Baptist", 928 in W. M. Metcalfe,Legends of the saints: in the Scottish dialect of the fourteenth century(1896), II 249:

     Þe thred herrod had alsua til hissuornomeagrippa.

     (pleaseadd an English translationof this quotation)

2. surname,family name
   • 1393,William Langland,Piers Plowman,C iv 369:

     Þat isnoȝtreisonable...to refusy my syressorname.

     (pleaseadd an English translationof this quotation)

3. alias,appellation
   • c.1395,Wycliff's Bible,Ecclus. XLVII 19:

     In the name of the Lord, to whom thesurname[tonamein the 1382 ed.] is God of Israel.

     (pleaseadd an English translationof this quotation)

Descendants

• English:surname

References

• “surnāme,n.”,inMED Online,Ann Arbor, Mich.:University of Michigan,2007.