0 a name that is based on the given name (= the name given at birth) of someone's mother or one of their mother's ancestors:
1 (of a name) based on the given name (= the name given at birth) of someone's mother or one of their mother's ancestors:
In the Vedic literature we find a person born of a maiden mentioned with his matronymic.
The suffix "-nanda" in these legends is no more than a matronymic.
We address him by his matronymic surname, according to his apparent preference.
Matronymic surnames were part of Anglo-Saxon and Viking systems.
The matronymic style is the most popular, followed by the teknonymic style.