family namen.

1646 G. Buck Hist. Life Richard III iii. 94 Hee was forc't to say any thing, and content to unsay what they would have Him, to accuse Himselfe by a forc't Recantation of his Family Name, and Royall Parentage.

1699 M. Lister Journey to Paris (new ed.) 101 He shewed me the Catalogue of Authors..alphabetically disposed by Family Names.

1736 T. Carte Hist. Life Duke Ormonde I. p. i It was still later, before family-names came to be generally used and fixed in these parts of the world. A surname was indeed often given to persons, but yet it did not express..any relation between father or son.

1775 G. White Let. 2 Oct. in Nat. Hist. Selborne (1789) 195 The name of their clan is Curleople... May not this family-name..be the very name they brought with them from the Levant?

1806 Young Ladies' Assistant in writing French Lett. i. 6 In hand-written letters, Monsieur, Madame, Mademoiselle, before family names, are abbreviated thus: Mr. Mde. Mlle.

1880 E. Gerard & D. Gerard Reata I. ix. 124 What is her name—her family name, I mean?

1925 O. Jespersen Mankind, Nation & Individual ix. 172 The Araukans carefully conceal their personal-name from strangers: in their presence they are called by their family-name.

1987 W. G. Beasley Japanese Imperialism p. x The order traditionally used in China and Japan: family name, followed by given name, eg Li Hung-chang.

2004 B. Cane It made you think of Home iv. 90 Each disk had the same personal information stamped into it: rank, family name, initials, [etc.].

1814 M. Edgeworth Patronage I. vi. 199 He is sure he is happier, even in this situation, than are some of his cousins at this instant, who are struggling in poverty to be genteel, or to keep up a family name.

1830 Foreign Q. Rev. 5 338 A certain worthy individual..was equally bent upon raising his family name as high as possible.

1918 Everybody's Mag. Jan. 130/2 I am in danger of making a fool of myself about the girl—disgracing the family name, and so on.

1964 Life 13 Nov. 40/2 Young Bob Taft Jr., reaching high for the senatorial seat in Ohio and further luster for his family name.

2007 G. Morris Mermaid in Basement xiii. 170 I'm talking about that actor you've been running around with all over town. You're going to ruin the family name!

1840 Tait's Edinb. Mag. Mar. 169/1 He had the name of Jeremy given to him, because Jeremiah, as his father said, was a family name.

1890 All Year Round 25 Jan. 77/2 John is a family name... There's a John in every generation.

1901 W. G. Boss Let. 5 Apr. in Inq. concerning Boss Family (1902) 124 Isobel was a family name, and my great-grandfather also had a daughter so named.

1987 Irish Times 6 Mar. 6/7 I was the second son—John isn't a big traditional family name.

2012 Derby Evening Tel. (Nexis) 20 Mar. 6 Her son's first name of James was a family name that passed down his father's side—both Laura's partner and his father are called James Mason.