Pronunciation Noun
surname (plural surnames)
- (obsolete) An additional name, particularly those derived from a birthplace, quality, or achievement; an epithet.
- circa 1330 Arthour and Merlin, 5488:
- 1526, Tyndale's Bible, Acts I 23:
- Barsabas (whose syrname was 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:
- My sirname is Peace-Maker, one that is but poorely regarded in England.
- circa 1607 William Shakespeare, Coriolanus, V iii 171:
- To his sur-name Coriolanus long#Etymology_3|longs more pride
Then pitty to our Prayers.
- To his sur-name Coriolanus long#Etymology_3|longs more pride
- (obsolete) An additional name given to a person, place, or thing; a byname or nickname.
- circa 1395 Wycliff's Bible, Ecclus. XLVII 19:
- In the name of the Lord, to whom the surname [toname in the 1382 ed.] is God of Israel.
- 1638, Abraham Cowley, Davideis, IV:
- I have before declared that Baal was the Sun, and Baal Peor, a sirname, from a particular place of his worship.
- circa 1395 Wycliff's Bible, Ecclus. XLVII 19:
- The name a person shares with other members of that person's family, distinguished from that person's given name or names; a family name.
- 1393, William Langland, Piers Plowman, C iv 369:
- Þat is noȝt reisonable...to refusy my syres sorname.
- 1605, William Camden, Remaines, I 32:
- In late yeeres Surnames have beene given for Christian names among vs, and no where else in Christendom.
- 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 hereditary surnames.
- 1393, William Langland, Piers Plowman, C iv 369:
- (Classical studies) The cognomen of Roman names.
- (Scottish, obsolete) A clan.
- epithet (additional descriptive name)
- nickname, sobriquet, byname (additional name)
- family name, last name, to-name (hereditary name denoting one's family)
- See also Thesaurus:surname
- French: nom, patronyme, nom de famille
- German: Nachname, Familienname
- Italian: cognome
- Portuguese: sobrenome, nome de família, último nome (when appearing last)
- Russian: фами́лия
- Spanish: apellido
surname (surnames, present participle surnaming; past and past participle surnamed)
- (transitive) To give a surname to.
- (transitive) To call by a surname.
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