A surname is your family name, the name you share with your parents and siblings. In most English-speaking countries, it comes last: if your name is Maria Garcia, Garcia is your surname. If you're called James Anderson, Anderson is your surname.

Surnames work differently around the world. In China and Korea, the family name comes first: the surname Wang comes before the personal name Li in Wang Li. In Iceland, people use their parent's first name plus “son” or “dóttir” instead of keeping the same family name for generations.

Most surnames originally described something about a family. Smith meant your ancestors worked with metal. Hill meant they lived near a hill. Johnson meant they were the son of someone named John.

Your given name or first name is chosen specially for you, but your surname connects you to your whole family's history. When teachers call attendance by reading surnames alphabetically, they're reading surnames. When you see “Dear Mr. Chen” or “Dr. Patel,” those are surnames too. Some families hyphenate surnames after marriage, creating combinations like Stewart-Williams. In Spanish-speaking cultures, people often use both parents' surnames, which explains why some people have what looks like two last names.