surname

plural surnames · alternative sirname · alternative obsolete sur-name

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]

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   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

4. classical studiesThe cognomen of Roman names.

present singular third person surnames · participle present surnaming · participle past surnamed · past surnamed · alternative sirname · alternative obsolete sur-name

1. transitiveTo give a surname to.
2. transitiveTo call by a surname.

   “Lord,” said Sir Launcelot, “I am hight Launcelot, and am surnamed ‘He of the Lake.’”

   1905, Howard Pyle, “The Story of Launcelot”, in The Story of the Champions of the Round Table, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, page 66

   1 more example

   The man, surnamed Hsieh (謝), was arrested in the city’s Jhonghe District (中和) on Friday afternoon, after investigators combed through surveillance video footage a day earlier, police said.

   2025 March 2, “Taxi driver arrested after seven dead cats are found”, in Taipei Times, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 02 Mar 2025, Taiwan News, page 3