family name

family name (plural family names)

1. A surname.
2. A given name common in a family, or already borne by someone in the family (in the context of naming someone in the family after that family member).

The term family name is used in preference to surname or last name when dealing with populations that include cultures, such as Chinese, in which the family name does not come at the end of the full name.

• (surname): last name, surname
• See also Thesaurus:surname

• first name, forename, given name