Surname
A surname is a name shared by members of a family or inherited through a family line, commonly written after given names.
Hereditary surname: A surname passed from one generation to the next within a family. Hereditary transmission is the defining pattern behind many family names.
Given name: A personal name assigned to an individual, distinct from a family name. A given name is the other common component of a person's full name.
Civil registration: The official recording of births, marriages, deaths, and other vital events. Civil records document how a surname is recorded and may change over a lifetime.
Middle name: A name placed between a person's given name and surname in some naming systems. A middle name occupies a different position and usually does not identify a family line.
Patronymic: A name derived from a person's father or a male ancestor. Many surnames began as names identifying a person through their father.
Full name: The complete set of names used to identify a person in a particular naming system. A surname usually forms one component of a full name.
Passport: An official travel document that establishes identity and nationality for international travel. Passports record names in standardized fields, including family or surname fields.
Nickname: An informal or familiar name used in place of, or alongside, a person's formal name. A nickname is generally acquired through use rather than inherited as a family name.
Matronymic: A name derived from a person's mother or a female ancestor. Some family names preserve descent through mothers rather than fathers.
Family: A group of people connected by kinship, marriage, adoption, or other social bonds. Surnames often mark membership in a family across generations.