entry
surname
/ˈsɜːrneɪm/A hereditary family name added to a given name
From Latin, via Old French and Anglo-French sur (above) + Latin, via French nom (name) + O.English, from Proto-Germanic and Proto-Indo-European name (name or reputation).
from Late Latin supernōmen, suprānōmen (“surname”)
from Anglo-French surnoun "surname" (early 14c.), a variant of Old French sornom
+1 more sourcefrom Anglo-French surnoun "surname" (early 14c.), a variant of Old French sornom
+1 more sourcefrom Late Latin supernōmen, suprānōmen (“surname”)
from Late Latin supernōmen, suprānōmen (“surname”)
from Late Latin supernōmen, suprānōmen (“surname”)
from Middle English surname, a partial calque of Old French surnum, surnoun (“surname; nickname”) (whence Middle...
from Middle English surname, a partial calque of Old French surnum, surnoun (“surname; nickname”) (whence Middle...
from Middle English surname, a partial calque of Old French surnum, surnoun (“surname; nickname”) (whence Middle...
from Middle English surname, a partial calque of Old French surnum, surnoun (“surname; nickname”) (whence Middle...
Word Ancestry
from Late Latin supernōmen, suprānōmen (“surname”)
from Anglo-French surnoun "surname" (early 14c.), a variant of Old French sornom
+1 more sourcefrom Anglo-French surnoun "surname" (early 14c.), a variant of Old French sornom
+1 more sourcefrom Late Latin supernōmen, suprānōmen (“surname”)
from Late Latin supernōmen, suprānōmen (“surname”)
from Late Latin supernōmen, suprānōmen (“surname”)
from Middle English surname, a partial calque of Old French surnum, surnoun (“surname; nickname”) (whence Middle...
from Middle English surname, a partial calque of Old French surnum, surnoun (“surname; nickname”) (whence Middle...
from Middle English surname, a partial calque of Old French surnum, surnoun (“surname; nickname”) (whence Middle...
from Middle English surname, a partial calque of Old French surnum, surnoun (“surname; nickname”) (whence Middle...
Before “surname” settled into meaning a family name, it was simply an extra label—something placed “over” your ordinary Christian name. Medieval French speakers had surnoun, built from sur, “above,” and nom, “name”; English speakers partly translated that pattern and produced surname around 1300. The label might advertise a trade, a birthplace, an achievement, or a physical trait, which is why names such as Spencer began as occupational surnames for household stewards. Norman nobles in England were using hereditary surnames by the early 12th century, while ordinary people adopted them more widely during the 13th and 14th centuries. So your surname is, linguistically, a name perched on top of another name—an old medieval second story that eventually became the family foundation.
The Story
Before “surname” settled into meaning a family name, it was simply an extra label—something placed “over” your ordinary Christian name. Medieval French speakers had surnoun, built from sur, “above,” and nom, “name”; English speakers partly translated that pattern and produced surname around 1300. The label might advertise a trade, a birthplace, an achievement, or a physical trait, which is why names such as Spencer began as occupational surnames for household stewards. Norman nobles in England were using hereditary surnames by the early 12th century, while ordinary people adopted them more widely during the 13th and 14th centuries. So your surname is, linguistically, a name perched on top of another name—an old medieval second story that eventually became the family foundation.
Kin & Kindred
From 'sur'·above, over, additional to
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'nom'·name
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'name'·name or reputation
Derived Terms
English words from this root