Meanings
adjectivematronymic (not comparable)
- not comparableOf, relating to, or derived from the given name of one's mother.
In many countries, matronymic surnames can be adopted after the death of the father, although the process is very formal and lengthy.
- not comparableBy extension; of, relating to, or derived from the given name of a female ancestor.
nounmatronymic (plural matronymics)
plural matronymics
- A surname or byname acquired from the given name of one's mother.
- By extension, a surname or byname acquired from the given name from a female ancestor.
Synonyms & antonyms
from the given name of a mother
Similar
surname from a mother
Similar
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*méh₂tēr
- Proto-Italic*mātēr
- Latinmāter
- Ancient Greekὄνυμα (ónuma)
- Englishmatronymic
From Latin māter (“mother”) + English -onym + -ic.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Czech matronymický, metronymikon
- matronymickýmatronymic (adjective)
- metronymikonmatronymic (noun)
French matronymique
- matronymiquematronymic (adjective)
German matronymisch, metronymisch
- matronymischmatronymic (adjective)
- metronymischmatronymic (adjective)
- Matronymmatronymic (noun)
- Matronymikonmatronymic (noun)
- Matronymikummatronymic (noun)
- Metronymmatronymic (noun)
- Metronymikonmatronymic (noun)
- Mutternamematronymic (noun)
- Muttersnamematronymic (noun)
Cite this entry
APA
matronymic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/matronymic
MLA
“matronymic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/matronymic. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “matronymic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/matronymic.
Source: matronymic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.