matronymic

1 9.9

A last name taken from a person's mother

noun
/məˈtroʊnɪmɪk/

Specialized

: matronímico

Her last name is a matronymic derived from her mother's family.

Examples

Her last name is a matronymic, passed down from her mother's side of the family.
Historical records sometimes list both a patronymic and a matronymic for each individual.
In some cultures, a matronymic is used instead of a patronymic to reflect maternal lineage.
Many cultures use matronymics to honor maternal lineage.
In ancient Rome, a matronymic surname indicated a person's lineage through their mother.
In some cultures, children may receive a matronymic name to honor their maternal heritage.
Her matronymic name reflected the influence of her grandmother, celebrating women's roles in their family history.

Synonyms

metronymic

vsmatronymic

Specialized

9.9

A name that comes from a person's mother or a female ancestor

has identical meaning but exists as an alternative form or spelling

Surface Forms

matronymic singular

matronymics plural

Morphology

matronymic = matronym (semi-transparent) = matronym + ic

Formed by a productive suffix '-ic' attached to the rare base 'matronym' (mother+name); the semantic relation is direct but the combining forms and the base are uncommon for average learners.

Etymology

The word matronymic comes from the parts matro- meaning 'mother' and -nymic meaning 'name', the same root you see in maternal. So a matronymic is a family name taken from the mother's name and shows the mother's side of the family.