Difference Between Surname And Last Name

In many cultures, the terms “surname” and “last name” are often used interchangeably, leading to confusion about their true meanings. This article aims to clarify the difference between the two terms, shedding light on their distinct roles in personal identification. By exploring the historical context and cultural variations, we can gain a deeper understanding of how these components contribute to our identities and societal norms.

Let’s delve into the nuances of surnames and last names to unravel their significance in today’s diverse world. In this article, we are going to learn the difference between the surname and last name of any individual and What it mentions.

What is Surname?

The surname has been derived from the medieval French word ‘surnom’ meaning “above-or-over name”. It is the name that is being shared among the family members. The surname is passed from the father’s name.

The tradition of giving surnames started in the 11th and 12th century AD. A surname may also be called the family name that is used for unique identification of the family. The surname also defines the origin, and country of the person. The surname keeps continues from one generation to another generation.

Example:

Father’s name = Satish Sharma
Son’s name = Aditya Sharma
So here, surname = Sharma that gets inherited from the father’s surname

The surname can be of two types: – 

• Patronymic: Patronymic surname means that the given surname to the born baby would be the same as the last name of the father or we can also say that a son and father will share the same surname. 
• Metronymic: Metronymic surname means that the given surname to the born baby would be the same as the last name of the mother or we can also say that a son and mother will share the same surname. 

Note:- In previous days a woman after getting married acquires the surname of her husband in many countries like India, etc. But nowadays a woman keeps her surname the same after getting married as her surname was before marriage.

What is Last Name?

Generally, the last name refers to the name that is added(or appears) in the last of the name. This has come from the western culture because the family name or the surname of an individual in the western culture comes at the end of the name. But the last name that is added does not always states it will be a surname Because the last name may sometimes define the first name as well as the surname so, it depends on the culture/tradition of the country, city, village, society, etc. 

In western culture, people’s last name defines the surname whereas the Chinese, and Japanese last name defines the first name (or real name) of the individual, and the surname is added before the real name of the individual.

Example: 

Example1:

Name = Aditya Sharma
So here, lastname = Sharma i.e the surname

Example2:

Chinese Name = Zhang Wei

so here, lastname Wei defining the real name of the person, and Zhang is the surname.

Difference Between the Surname and Last Name

The differences Between Surname and Last Name are discussed below:

Surname	Lastname
A surname defines the family name of the individual.	Lastname defines the name that appears in the last of the name.
Surname always defines the origin, country, etc of the individual.	Lastname doesn’t always define the surname but sometimes it also defines the real name of the individual.
Surname is mostly inherited from the father’s name.	If the last name is not a surname then it can be given by the group of family members.
Examples: Sharma, Gupta, Peterson, define, etc.	Examples: Prince, Jhon, Aditya, Sharma, Gupta, etc.