noun / adjective
patronymic
pat-ruh-NIM-ik/ˌpætrəˈnɪmɪk/
A name derived from a father's or male ancestor's name.
Johnson is a patronymic derived from the father's name, John.
Etymology
“Father” plus “name” makes ancestry part of a person's identification: a patronymic names someone by reference to a father or earlier male ancestor.
In context
Kennedy was her mother’s name, but they had both agreed that Donallotti was an impossible and unseemly patronymic
More examples
- Johnson is a patronymic meaning "son of John."
- The archive preserves the family's original patronymic surname.
- She uses her patronymic between her first and last names.
Forms
patronymic · patronymics
Similar words
- surname
- A family name, not necessarily derived from a male ancestor.