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Anonymous Posted 11 years ago
Vocabulary

Namesake/surname

If someone goes by his last name only, can I say "he goes by the single moniker that is his family’s namesake"? It sounds better than "he goes only by his family surname," doesn't it? This is for a magazine article.
  

Top answer

Anonymous It sounds better than "he goes only by his family surname," doesn't it? Not to me. I find it strange to call the name itself a "namesake".

— GPY

  • Anonymous It sounds better than "he goes only by his family surname," doesn't it?
  • Not to me.
  • I find it strange to call the name itself a "namesake".
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3 Answers
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AnonymousIt sounds better than "he goes only by his family surname," doesn't it?
Not to me. I find it strange to call the name itself a "namesake".
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"He goes by his last name only" or "He goes only by his last name" both sound less awkward than anything involving "surname," "namesake," or "moniker."
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I might fancy it up a bit:

He goes by but a single moniker - his family name.
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