surnames

Noun

surname (plural surnames)

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. (obsolete) Synonym 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]

   Synonyms:

   epithet

3. (obsolete) Synonym 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-studies) The cognomen of Roman names.

See all 6 meanings of surname