lname

Lname is an abbreviation for "last name," commonly used in English-language contexts to denote a person's surname or family name. In everyday usage, it contrasts with "fname" or "given name" and is often displayed in forms, directories, and identity documents.

In computing, lname is widely used as a field name, variable, or key in databases, APIs, and user profiles. It is typically stored as a string and may be accompanied by constraints such as maximum length, alphabetic characters, or Unicode support to accommodate non-Latin surnames. In practice, many systems adopt "last_name" as a more readable alternative.

Variations: "surname," "family_name," and "lastname" are common; the exact term depends on locale and organizational convention. Some systems store family names with upper or lower case, or with diacritics; normalization and locale-aware sorting (collation) can be relevant.

Cultural note: The concept of "last name" reflects a cultural convention about naming order. In many Western cultures, the family name appears last in Western name order, while in East Asian and some other cultures the family name appears first. Software that handles international users often supports both orders and allows users to enter multiple name components.