1.
surname; family name; last name
A person's family name, as opposed to their given name. In Japanese naming order, the surname comes first.
姓と名を書いてください。
Please write your surname and given name.
結婚して姓が変わった。
My surname changed when I got married.
日本では夫婦が同じ姓を名乗ることが法律で決められている。
In Japan, the law requires married couples to share the same surname.
USAGE:
姓 is a formal word for surname. In everyday speech, 名字 or 苗字 is more common. 姓 appears frequently on official forms and in formal writing.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 姓と名 (surname and given name)
- 姓を名乗る (to go by a surname)
- 旧姓 (maiden name; former surname)
- 夫婦別姓 (separate surnames for married couples)
SIMILAR WORDS:
名字 is the everyday equivalent. 氏 is used in formal/legal contexts. 姓 falls in between.