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"surname, last name" in seven languages

Meaningsurname, last name

Spanish

apellido

/apeˈʝido/

masc.other source · Spanish apellidar, from Latin APPELLĀRE 'to call'

Spaniards carry two: father's and mother's.

French

nom de famille

/nɔ̃ də famij/

masc.other source · nom (Latin NŌMEN) + de famille 'of the family'

Italian

cognome

/koɲˈɲome/

masc.other source · Latin COGNŌMEN 'family name'

Portuguese

sobrenome

/sobɾiˈnomi/

masc.other source · Portuguese sobre 'over' + nome 'name'

In Portugal it is apelido — which in Brazil means 'nickname'.

Romanian

nume de familie

/ˈnume de faˈmilie/

neut.other source · nume (Latin NŌMEN) + de familie 'of the family'

Catalan

cognom

/kuŋˈnɔm/

masc.other source · Latin COGNŌMEN 'family name'

English

surname

/ˈsɝneɪm/

other source · Anglo-French surnoun

English → Italiansurname, last namecognomeNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: appellation (es); cognomen (it).What English and Italian share

Watch out: false friends

  • apelido (Portuguese) means “nickname (Brazil)” · apellido (Spanish) means “surname”

    Both from apelidar / apellidar, Latin APPELLITĀRE 'to call by name' (frequentative of APPELLĀRE). In Portugal apelido is still the surname; Brazil says sobrenome and keeps apelido for the nickname.

All false friends

The story

Spanish calls the surname what you are 'called' (APPELLĀRE); Italian kept the Roman COGNŌMEN, the family name that followed the nomen (Marcus Tullius Cicero); French spells it out: 'family name'.

English relatives: appellation (es); cognomen (it)

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In a sentence

  • esMi apellido es García.
  • frMon nom de famille est García.
  • itIl mio cognome è García.
  • ptMeu sobrenome é García.
  • roNumele meu de familie e García.
  • caEl meu cognom és García.
  • enMy surname is García.

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