What does "ancestral name" mean?

A surname, particularly used in contexts where other surnames (such as patronymics or clan names) need to be distinguished

What is a synonym for "ancestral name"?

Common synonyms include: borodin, brewster, britten, castro, chaplin, cleveland.

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
A surname, particularly used in contexts where other surnames (such as patronymics or clan names) need to be distinguished
2
The xing surname in its ancient use where it was distinguished from the shi clan name, as opposed to its modern use as a simple surname

From English ancestral + name.