family name

noun

Synonyms of family namenext
: surname sense 2

Synonyms of family name

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of family name in a Sentence

Her family name is Smith. searched for their family name on a popular genealogy website
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Atlanta native is excited to carry his dreams and the family name forward. — Pj Green august 28, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026 Prosecutors are seeking the maximum five-year sentences for four of the nine defendants, including Chang, an Nvidia manager identified just by his family name. — ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026 As is the Pickwick Theater, built by his grandfather, and the William Malone Fountain by Rita’s on the Northwest Highway keeps the family name in town. — Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2026 There’s no rule banning an heir from naming their child after a color or city, but using oft-traditional family names lends historical weight to a future ruler from the day they’re born. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 16 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for family name

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of family name was in 1646

Rhymes for family name

See All Rhymes for family name

Browse Nearby Words

family man
family name
family of nations
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Family name.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/family%20name. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

family name

noun
: surname sense 2

More from Merriam-Webster on family name

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about family name

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All