nom de famille
/nɔ̃ d(ə) fa.mij/masculine
In French, the English phrase 'surname' is translated as nom de famille. Wiktionary also lists nom and patronyme.
Meaning: name that indicates family (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| nom de famille | /nɔ̃ d(ə) fa.mij/ | masculine |
| nom | /nɔ̃/ (Paris) /nõʊ̯̃/ (Quebec) |
masculine |
| patronyme | masculine |
The phrase refers to the name that indicates your family. While nom de famille is the specific way to say surname, you may often see the word nom used alone to mean both 'name' and 'surname' depending on the context.
Which one should you use?
nom de famille is the standard term for surname. In contrast, the word nom is a common way to refer to both a person's full name and their surname.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
patronyme is a more formal, administrative or legal term for a surname.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
All three forms, nom, patronyme and nom de famille, are masculine nouns.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to use surnom when you mean 'surname'. In French, surnom actually means 'nickname'.
Did you know?
- In France, the nom de famille is traditionally written in all capital letters on official forms to distinguish it from the prénom or first name.
- Until 2012, French law generally required a child to take the nom de famille of the father, but current laws allow for a double name combining both parents.
- A person might have a nom de jeune fille, which refers to the surname a woman used before marriage.
Examples in context
- Mon nom de famille est Wang.My surname is Wang.This sentence is useful for stating your own surname using the form nom.Tatoeba #545838 by Snout, translation #12267593 by Miktsoanit
- D'où vient ce nom de famille ?What's the origin of that surname?This sentence is useful for asking about the origin of a surname using the form nom.Tatoeba #13080067 by zogwarg, translation #13046733 by araneo
- Quel est votre nom de famille ?What is your surname?This sentence is useful for asking someone for their surname using the form nom.Tatoeba #3259536 by nimfeo, translation #687376 by lukaszpp
- Madame suivie du nom de famille DupontMadame followed by the surname Dupont
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are filling out a registration form together.
- HugoJe ne sais pas où écrire mon nom de famille.I don't know where to write my surname.
- ChloéC'est dans la deuxième case, Hugo.It is in the second box, Hugo.
- HugoD'accord, j'ai trouvé la case pour le nom de famille.Okay, I found the box for the surname.
- ChloéParfait, maintenant tu peux signer ici.Perfect, now you can sign here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “surname” translations and entries nom de famille, nom, patronyme, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
