Usage patterns 〈 人ひと 〉 の 姓せい を 名な 乗の る to go by / adopt a surname
She still goes by her maiden surname even after marriage.
姓せい を 変か える to change one's surname
Many people change their surname when they get married.
旧きゅう 姓せい に 戻もど る to revert to one's former (maiden) surname
After the divorce, she reverted to her maiden name.
〈 人ひと 〉 の 姓せい で 呼よ ぶ to address someone by their surname
In Japanese schools, students are often addressed by their surname.
Expressions 姓せい が 変か わる to assume a new surname; to change one's family name Related words 名字 is the common, everyday word for surname, while 姓 is slightly more formal and used in official or legal contexts.
氏 is a more formal or written term for a family name, often used with honorific suffixes like 氏 （田中氏 ）, whereas 姓 is the neutral standard word.
姓 is the general, modern word for a surname, while 氏 carries a stronger historical or genealogical nuance tied to ancient clan lineage.
Opposites 姓 refers to a person's family name, while 名 refers to their given (first) name.
姓 refers to a person's surname/family name, whereas 名 refers to their given (first) name.
Don't confuse with 姓 read せい means the modern surname, but the same kanji read かばね refers instead to an ancient hereditary title system.
姓 (せい ) means 'surname/family name' and is pronounced identically to 性 (せい , 'nature/sex'), so the two are easily confused in speech.
姓 refers only to the family name/surname, while 姓名 refers to the entire name, both family name and given name.
Word family· 21 same surname; same family name
different surname; separate family name · married couple keeping separate surnames
full name; family name and given name
former surname; maiden name
change of family name; family name change · changed family name; new surname
Show 10 more Show fewer another surname; different family name
former surname; original surname
eight hereditary titles of 684 CE
the four Hindu castes · the four great families of the Heian period
mother's family name
full name; family name
reverting to one's original family name; reverting to one's maiden name
new surname
real surname; original family name
current family name; married name
See all 21 in Explore →
Etymology The kanji 姓 combines 女 (woman) and 生 (birth/life), originally referring to a clan or family name. The reading せい is the Sino-Japanese on'yomi. The obsolete readings しょう and そう are historical variants.
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