apellido
/apeˈʝido/
The Spanish word apellido means the English phrase "family name".
An apellido is the family name a person is given in addition to their first name.
Which one should you use?
While nombre refers to a person's given name, apellido refers specifically to their family name.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form is apellidos, which is used when referring to more than one family name.
How do you pronounce it?
/apeˈʝido/
When do people say it?
In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a person typically has two apellidos: one from the father and one from the mother.
Did you know?
- The word apellido comes from the verb apellidar, which originally meant to call someone by a specific name or to nickname them.
- In some legal contexts, the order of apellidos can be changed by parents to ensure the child carries a specific family name, regardless of traditional paternal customs. This allows for more flexible modern naming traditions.
- While English speakers might say 'maiden name' for a woman's birth name, Spanish uses the term apellido de soltera, which literally means 'single surname'.
Examples in context
- ¿Cuál es tu apellido?What is your last name?
- ¿Cuáles son tus apellidos?What are your last names?
- El apellido de mi abuela es García.My grandmother's last name is García.
- Necesito tu nombre y apellido para el registro.I need your first and last name for registration.
- Olvidé escribir mi apellido en el formulario.I forgot to write my last name on the form.
- Mi apellido es García.My surname is García.
- ¿Cuál es su apellido, por favor?What is your last name, please?
- Escriba su apellido en este formulario.Write your surname on this form.
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are filling out a registration form at a gym.
- ElenaAlejandro, ¿cuál es tu apellido?Alejandro, what is your surname?
- AlejandroMi apellido es Rodríguez.My last name is Rodríguez.
- ElenaGracias, ya anoté tu apellido.Thanks, I already noted your surname.
- AlejandroPerfecto, ahora empecemos la clase.Perfect, now let's start the class.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry apellido, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries apellido, CC BY-SA 4.0.
