The difference between surname and last name usually depends on the culture. Usually, not everyone pays attention to the different components of someone’s name, i.e., first name, middle name, and last name. However, these components of a person’s name play a major role when you are filling an important official form or applying for government documents like a driving license or a passport.
The most asked information regarding the name is the first name, middle name, and surname or last name. Undoubtedly, this confuses a lot of people as it is used differently in different cultures.
Did you know that, in western cultures, your last name is known as your surname too?
Still, confused? Read on to find out the major difference between last name and surname.
Difference Between Lastname and Surname
What Is Last Name?
Simply, the last name means the name that appears in the last. The last name is used by people belonging to the western culture. So if they use last name, family name, or surname, they are referring to the name that belongs to the person’s family.
The order of the name arrangement is different for different cultures like China, Japan, Hungary, India, etc. For example, people in China place their last name before their first name. Whereas, in western countries, the last name is never placed before their first name. So if you are Chinese or Japanese, your surname is not the last name, but the first name becomes your last name.
To conclude, in the western country, your last name is another word for your family name.
What Is a Surname?
Surname is the major identification of a child given by his parents and is also known as his/her Christian name. This name differentiates him from the rest of the family members who share the same family name, which is passed down to generations and is similar for all members. The first name depends on the choice of the parents or the physical characteristics of a kid.
However, the major confusion among people is what is the difference between last name and surname. As far as western culture, family name or the last name is the surname.
Conclusion: Last Name Vs. Surname
One thing you need to keep in mind is that surname and the last name is the family name. However, the placement of the last name is different for different cultures.
Relationship between Last name and surname
- The surname of a person refers to his family name and is shared by all the family members, dead or alive.
- On the other hand, the last name is placed at the end of the name. In western culture, it refers to a person’s family name.
Cultural Difference In Placement Of Surname And Last Name
- For Western countries, the surname is the family name or the last name and is placed after the child’s name.
- On the other hand, in countries like China and Japan, the surname is placed before the real name of the person, which confuses many people.