Matronymic
[ma-trə-NIM-ik]
Part of speech: adjective
Origin: Latin, late 18th century
1.
Denoting or relating to a name derived from the name of a mother or female ancestor.
Examples of Matronymic in a sentence
"By tracing her matronymic heritage, she was able to find the grandmother she was named after."
"She used her matronymic last name instead of her married one."
About Matronymic
If you are familiar with the word "maternal," you already know part of this word. The Latin word "mater," or "mother," forms the first half of "matronymic," and "nym" is the Latin word for "name."
Did you Know?
Curious about family history? Traditionally, women changed their maiden names when they were married, making it difficult to trace your maternal side. Tracing matronymic lines is a helpful alternative; look into birth and marriage certificates for last names and clues into where to look next.
