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Added 7 October 2026

surname

/ˈsɜːˌneɪm/ noun

In Latin: cōgnōmen Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about surname at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The name used to identify the members of a family (as distinguished from each member's given name).

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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