▪ I. surname, n.
(ˈsɜːneɪm)
Forms: α. 4–6 sorname, (4 surnome, Sc. swrname, suorname, -nome, 5 surnam, surename, 6 sur(r)e name, Sc. sourname, surnawm, 7–8 sur-name), 4– surname. β. 4–5 sire name, sirename, (6 sirnome, syrname, syr name), 6–8 sir-name, 6–9 sirname (8 sir name).
[f. sur- + name n., after AF., OF. surnum, sornom: see surnoun.
The spellings sirname, sirename are due to etymologizing alteration on sir n., sire n., quasi ‘father's name’.]
1. A name, title, or epithet added to a person's name or names, esp. one derived from his birthplace or from some quality or achievement. Obs. or arch.
| c 1330 Arth. & Merl. 5488 (Kölbing), Þe .xxxix. Osoman, cert, His surname was: hardi of hert. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints vii. (Jacobus Minor) 15 Þis haly manne [sc. James the Less], þat foure swrnamys had. c 1375 Cursor M. 15218 (Fairf.) Ivdas of þa xij. was an his surnome scariot hiȝt. c 1400 Mandeville (1839) 104 Fro thens gon men to Nazarethe, of the whiche oure lord berethe the surname. 1526 Tindale Acts i. 23 Barsabas (whose syrname was Iustus). 1577–87 Holinshed Chron. I. 58/2 Which sitting still in Rome had triumphs and surnames appointed them of such nations as their capteins did vanquish. 1589 R. Harvey Pl. Perc. (1860) 13 My sirnome is Peace-Maker one that is but poorely regarded in England. 1607 Shakes. Cor. v. iii. 170 To his sur-name Coriolanus longs more pride Then pitty to our Prayers. 1683 Kennett tr. Erasm. on Folly 118 If they did but practice their Sirname of Most Holy. 1702 C. Mather Magn. Chr. iii. ii. i. (1852) 355 They gave Janus the sir-name of Pater. 1837 Carlyle Fr. Rev. i. i. i, President Hénault, remarking on royal Surnames of Honour [etc.]. 1842 Tennyson St. Sim. Styl. 159, I, Simeon of the pillar, by surname Stylites. |
† b. A second, or an alternative, name or title given to a person, place, edifice, etc. Obs.
| 1388 Wyclif Gen. xxxv. 6 Therfor Jacob cam to Lusa,..bi sire name Bethel. 1388 ― Ecclus. xlvii. 19 In the name of the Lord, to whom the surname [1382 toname] is God of Israel. ? a 1500 Chester Pl. (1906) 16 The church is called St. Mary The surname Ara Cœli. 1513 Douglas æneis viii. x. 12 The Grekis ancyane, Quhilk clepit bene to surname Pelasgane. 1531 Elyot Gov. ii. iv, Nobilitie, whiche is the commendation, and as it were, the surname of vertue. 1567 Fenton Trag. Disc. ii. (1898) I. 88 With what title or sorname of constancy the fond philosophers of olde time do baptyse those accions of meare fury. 1632 Lithgow Trav. iv. 150 They will not be content with the bare name of Images, but they impose a surname or epithite of sanctity, tearming them holy Images. 1638–56 Cowley Davideis iv. Note 1, I have before declared that Baal was the Sun, and Baal Peor, a sirname, from a particular place of his worship. 1646 M. Lluelyn Men-Miracles etc. 66 Peter is Sirname to his Salt [sc. saltpetre]. |
2. The name which a person bears in common with the other members of his family, as distinguished from his Christian or given name; a family name.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce iii. 99 Twa brethir..Thar surname wes Makyne-drosser; That is al-so mekill to say her As the durwarth sonnys. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. iv. 369 Þat is noȝt reisonable..to refusy my syres sorname [v.rr. surname, sirename]. 1465 Irish Act 5 Edw. IV, c. 16 Qe chescun irroys home..preigne a luy surname englois de vne vile come Sutton Chestr..ou color come White Blake. 1565 Child-Marriages 65 Sir Edmound (what his syrname was, this deponent knoweth not), a priest that syrved at Balderston Chappell. 1595 Maunsell Catal. 3 They make their Alphabet by the Christen name, I by the Sir name. 1605 Camden Rem. (1637) 48 In late yeares Sirnames have beene given for Christian names among us, and no where else in Christendome. 1691 Wood Ath. Oxon. I. 224, I find seven of his Sirname to be Students in the said College. 1749 Fielding Tom Jones vii. xii, But the lieutenant..was not contented with Sophia only. He said he must have her sir-name. 1818 Hallam Mid. Ages (1819) I. ii. ii. 205 Two innovations devised in the eleventh and twelfth centuries; the adoption of sirnames, and of armorial bearings. 1875 W. S. Hayward Love agst. World 72, I shall not sign my surname. 1876 Freeman Norm. Conq. V. xxv. 563 The Norman Conquest..brought with it the novelty of family nomenclature, that is to say, the use of hereditary surnames. |
b. transf., esp. = cognomen 1 (a), e.g. Publius Cornelius Scipio.
| c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxxvi. (Baptista) 928 Þe thred herrod had alsua til his suornome agrippa. 1481 Caxton Godfrey xxxiv. 71 In this tyme was Emperour a greke,..and was named alexes, and to his surname Conius [i.e. Alexius Comnenus I]. 1598 R. Grenewey Tacitus, Ann. ii. vii. (1622) 42 That none of the Scribonian familie should take vpon him the surname of Drusus. 1654 tr. Martini's Conq. China 106 Adding to his name (as usually they do) the Sirname of Pingsi. 1657 North's Plutarch Note 91 Albus was the sirname of the Posthumians. |
† 3. A family, clan. Sc. Obs.
| 1455 in Charters &c. Edinb. (1871) 79 The surnam and nerrest of blude to the said Williame. 1508 Kennedie Flyting w. Dunbar 416 Hang Dunbar, Quarter and draw, and mak that surname thin. 1553–4 Reg. Privy Council Scot. I. 152 Thame, their kyn, freyndis, servandis, allya, assisteris and surname. 1565 Ibid. 361 To resset ony rebellis and surname of Clangregour. |
▪ II. surname, v.
(ˈsɜːneɪm, sɜːˈneɪm)
Also 6 syr-, 6–9 sir-.
[f. prec. Cf. OF. sournommer (mod.F. surnommer).]
To give a surname to: chiefly pass.
1. trans. To give an additional name, title, or epithet to (a person). a. with descriptive adj., n., or phr.
| a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VI 100 b, He gathered so muche treasure, that no man in maner had money but he, and so was he surnamed the riche Cardinall of Winchester. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 59 b, That seing we professe the name of Christ, we may rightly chalenge that to our selues, that we may be surnamed Christians. 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. v. ii. 553, I Pompey am, Pompey surnam'd the big. 1601 Holland Pliny v. xxix. I. 108 The renowmed cittie Magnesia, surnamed, Vpon Mæander. 1607 R. Johnson (title) The Most Pleasant History of Tom a Lincolne,..the Red Rose Knight, who for his valour..was surnamed the Boast of England. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 30 Tamberlaine (sirnamed the Scourge of God). 1671 Milton P.R. ii. 199 How hee sirnam'd of Africa dismiss'd..the fair Iberian maid. 1769 Robertson Chas. V, xii. III. 454 His successor Cosmo, sirnamed the Great. 1807 G. Chalmers Caledonia I. iii. vii. 396 Kenneth IV..was sirnamed Grim, from the strength of his body, rather than the force of his character. 1871 Smiles Charac. i. (1876) 20 William of Orange, surnamed the Silent. 1908 [Miss Fowler] Betw. Trent & Ancholme 73 We surnamed our young friend ‘Orpheus with his Flute’. |
b. with a recognized proper name.
| 1539 Bible (Great) Acts x. 18 Symon which was syrnamed Peter. 1576 Gascoigne Steele Gl. 490 Paulus he, (æmilius surnamed). 1611 Bible Isa. xliv. 5 Another shall subscribe with his hand vnto the Lord, and surname himselfe by the name of Israel. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage i. xvi. 73 Antiochus his sonne, surnamed Epiphanes. 1756–7 tr. Keysler's Trav. (1760) I. 64 The famous Switzer, Theophrastus Bompast, sirnamed Paracelsus. 1818 Cruise Digest (ed. 2) V. 69 Roger, sirnamed Vacarius,..read public lectures at Oxford on the Roman law. 1868 Freeman Norm. Conq. II. viii. 205 The commander of the district was Thurstan surnamed Goz. |
2. To give such-and-such a surname to; to call (a person) by his surname or family name.
| 1512 Act 4 Hen. VIII, c. 9. §1 By what soever name or names surname or surnames the same William be named or surnamed in the said acte. 1605 Verstegan Dec. Intell. vi. (1628) 181 [They] began to surname themselues after such places as they properly possessed. c 1630 Risdon Surv. Devon §60 Rockbeare..had.. lords sirnamed thereof. 1682 Piers Descr. W. Meath (1770) 108 Thus you have Mac Gowne surname himself Smith [marg. Irish now change their names into English]. |
† 3. To call by another or additional name; to attach another appellation or designation to; more widely, to designate, entitle. Obs.
| 1561 in Heath Grocers' Comp. (1869) 96 Evil pepper syrnamed gynger. 1599 Nashe Lenten Stuffe 35 The Scotish Iockies or Red-shanks (so surnamed of their immoderate raunching vp the red shanks or red herrings). 1601 Holland Pliny v. xxvii. I. 105 Seleucia upon the river Calicadmus, surnamed also Trachiotis. 1606 G. W[oodcocke] Hist. Ivstine xx. 76 Al that part of Italy (sur-named the greater Greece). 1632 Lithgow Trav. vii. 311 The great Pyramides, surnamed the Worlds wonders. 1671 Milton P.R. iv. 279 All the schools Of Academics old and new, with those Sirnam'd Peripatetics. 1697 Potter Antiq. Greece i. viii. (1715) 31 The other Part of the Temple..Sirnam'd Πολιὰς. |
Hence † surnamed ppl. a., having such-and-such a designation.
| 1659 Milton Civ. Power Wks. 1851 V. 317 The papist..by the church,..understands the pope, the general councels prelatical only and the surnam'd fathers. |