surname

What it means

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

   James is my first name, and Smith is my surname.

   2 more examples

   In late yeeres Surnames have beene given for Christian names among vs, and no where else in Christendom.

   1605, William Camden, Remaines, I 32

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

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

2. obsoleteSynonym of epithet, an additional name, particularly those derived from a birthplace, quality, or achievement.

   Barsabas (whose syrname was Iustus).

   1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts j:[23]

   2 more examples

   My sirname is Peace-Maker, one that is but poorely regarded in England.

   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

   To his sur-name Coriolanus longs more pride Then pitty to our Prayers.

   c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii], line 171

   Synonyms: epithet

3. obsoleteSynonym of nickname, an additional name given to a person, place, or thing, a byname.

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

   1638, Abraham Cowley, Davideis, section IV

   Synonyms: nickname

In a sentence

James is my first name, and Smith is my surname.

Where it comes from

1. Late Latinsupernōmen, suprānōmen“surname”
2. Old Frenchsurnum
3. Middle Englishsurname
4. Englishsurname

Inherited from Middle English surname, a partial calque of Old French surnum, surnoun (“surname; nickname”) (whence Middle English surnoun), from Late Latin supernōmen, suprānōmen (“surname”), from super- (“over, above, beyond”) and nōmen (“name”), equivalent to sur- + name.