sur-name

plural sur-names

1. obsoleteObsolete form of surname.

   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], page 28, column 1

   2 more examples

   We neede not goe farre for other examples, but looke into our Royall houſe, where ſo many partages, ſo many ſur-names, and ſo many ſeverall titles have ſo encombred-vs, that the originall of the ſtocke is vtterly loſt.

   1603, Michel de Montaigne, “Of Names”, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book I, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC, page 150

   It is likewiſe clear, that thoſe who have Sur-names from Lands in Scotland, are deſcended from ſuch Families as were poſſeſs’d of theſe Lands, when Sur-names were aſſum’d, except ſuch as have of late chang’d the Names of their Lands to their Sur-names, which are generally known in the Neighbourhood.

   1720, [Maurice Shelton], “The divers Beginnings of Nobility Dative”, in An Historical and Critical Essay on the True Rise of Nobility, Political and Civil; from the First Ages of the World, thro’ the Jewish, Grecian, Roman Commonwealths, &c. Down to This Present Time. […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: […] [T]he Author, page 275