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Language Foundation

suffix

A suffix is a word, letter, or number written after a person's family name as part of their name, often to show a family relationship or generation, such as Jr., Sr., or III.

In plain English

This is an ending added after a person's last name and treated as part of the full name. It often helps distinguish family members or show generation. A suffix can be a word, a letter, or a number.

In context

Here, it requests any name ending that comes after the employee's family name as part of their name.

Situation
Completing employee onboarding, payroll setup, policies, and mandatory forms
What it communicates
requests any name ending used after the employee's last name.

Meaning limits

The term covers only that ending after the family name and does not by itself show whether a person has one.

Examples

“To distinguish him from his father, Evan Cole added the suffix Jr. after Cole when he signed the lease.”

Core meaning

“When the clerk copied the employee's legal name, she included the suffix III after the family name.”

In context

  • name element Broader Term

    A suffix is one kind of element within a person's name.

  • suffix as an affix added to a word Alternate Sense

    This is a different meaning of the same form in grammar, not a part of a personal name.