Surname

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A surname refers to a name added to a given name and a part of a personal name. In many cases, a "surname" refers to a family name; the family name meaning first surfaced in 1375.^[1] In other instances a surname can refer to a nickname, a name indicating a circumstance of birth, an epithet indicating a characteristic, or an epithet indicating an achievement. Many dictionaries use surname as a synonym of "family name." ^[2]