noun
surname
SUR-naym
noun
1
A person's family name, usually shared with relatives and passed down through generations.
"Her surname changed when she got married."
"Please list your surname before your first name on the form."
How to Use Surname
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA family name, as opposed to a first or given name.
UK vs US
In UK forms, "surname" is standard; American forms more often say "last name", though both are understood everywhere.
Easily confused with
forename
Common pairings
maiden surname
change your surname
Word Forms
surnamed past tense, surnames plural, surnames singular
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Her _____ changed when she got married.
Etymology
From Old French surnoun ("surname, nickname"), from Late Latin supernomen — literally a "name added on top", from super- ("above") + nomen ("name").