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Should we use the term 'surname' or 'last name' to refer to a person's family name?

If my name is How Gin-Tong and a form asks me for my 'last name', how am I meant to respond?

WS2
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  • Although personally, I agree with your comments, the only question you appear to have asked is your first paragraph "Should we use the term 'surname' or 'last name' ..." - and basically that boils down to a matter of opinion, not of English language, and would therefore seem to be off-topic for this site - see here. – TrevorD Oct 12 '13 at 23:09
  • Related: “Last Name” and “surname” and Referring to people by surname – TrevorD Oct 12 '13 at 23:17
  • @TrevorD Yes, my question took up one line, my explanation many lines. What I can't understand is why the Americans haven't come up with some alternative expression which would cover European as well as Asian naming conventions. 'Family name' would do the trick. The problem is nowadays compounded by the fact that people in offices, businesses etc seldom give their surname anyway. In some senses surnames seem to be in decline. Some people now describe themselves such as 'Jennie in Accounts'. But I guess it will take time before banks and the Passport Office accept that! – WS2 Oct 12 '13 at 23:29
  • I agree with you - but unfortunately it's off-topic for this site. – TrevorD Oct 12 '13 at 23:31
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    @ I have substantially altered the question. How can it be off topic. I'm sure it is an important matter for Mr How Gin-Tong. Is no one prepared to have a go at answering it? Or are you all 'frit' as Margaret Thatcher would have said? – WS2 Oct 13 '13 at 12:54
  • As it says in the blue box, it is "off-topic" because it is "primarily opinion-based". There is no right or wrong answer: it is merely a matter of opinion. My personal answer would be that you use common sense, based on the source/country of the questionnaire, what they are likely to be asking, whether another field asks for your 'given name' or 'first name', etc.. As a last resort, you ask the relevant company/person who issued the form. – TrevorD Oct 13 '13 at 13:09
  • @TrevorD. Just remember there are a lot of How Gin-Tongs in the world; getting on for 2 billion I would say. And we owe them an awful lot of money, we English speakers. We perhaps should start to make ourselves a little more accommodating to them. – WS2 Oct 13 '13 at 22:06
  • WS2 I suggest you address your comments to those who write & design the forms: not to me!. – TrevorD Oct 13 '13 at 22:31
  • So many surnames derive from historic occupations that maybe Jennie Inaccounts will catch on! – Mynamite Oct 15 '13 at 23:08
  • @Myanmite yes, to some extent I think they already have. Though it's a bit tough having to change your name every time you change your job! – WS2 Oct 16 '13 at 11:13
  • Notwithstanding my having edited this question comprehensively, no one has seen fit to lift the hold placed on it. Why would that be, I wonder? – WS2 Oct 16 '13 at 11:15

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"... people in Britain apparently being asked for their 'second-name' ..."

That really wouldn't work in Britain: Many people have at least three: "James Edward Henry Phillips". Even our recent American President was "George Herbert Walker Bush". And of course, British royals go on to five-part names.

"Surname" is still the technical term, at least in the West. It means "the name a person has in common with other family members", so it would seem to apply as well to Asian names - the difference being that they write the surname first.

ZZMike
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  • I've marked this as the 'correct' answer, since i hold out no hope of getting further discussion going. Of course people who call for personal data should use 'surname'. In Britain you stop saying 'first name' and 'last name' when you leave kindergarten. – WS2 Oct 13 '13 at 22:10