Surname Quiz
A quiz in which all the answers are your group's surnames.
Tried and tested by Friday Afternoons
3+ players (ideally 10+)
1 minute per question
Surname Quiz is unusual in that each answer is one of the players. Beforehand, the quizmaster creates a list of all players' surnames, then makes up a clue that describes each one.
Tip
To create more questions, you can add the surnames of people who aren't playing, provided that all players know those people. For example, if playing at work, you can include ex-employees.
Examples
It's not always easy to create the clues, so here are some examples for inspiration that range from beautifully clean to clutching-at-straws levels of ropey. Don't be afraid to include the odd one that's ridiculous, your players will likely get a laugh out of it.
| Surname | Clue | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Brown | Colour | Example of |
| Smith | Metal worker | Synonym of |
| Holmes | Houses | Homes |
| Hackett | Break into the computer system | Hack it |
| Bullock | Traps a cow | Bull lock |
| Houston | City in Texas | Example of |
| Walker | Person travelling on foot | Synonym of |
| Ryan | Mr Giggs | Ryan Giggs |
| Wilson | Is my boy going to? | Will son? |
| Weatherhead | Climate leader | Weather head |
| Jones | Ms Cusack’s | Joan’s |
| Evans | 50/50 odds | Evens |
| Barbier | More dolls | Barbie-ier |
| Haslam | Owns a baby sheep | Has lamb |
| McIntyre | Raincoat inside wheel | Mac in tyre |
| Cohen | Fellow chicken | Co-hen |
| Carlson | Mr Pilkington, lad | Carl, son |
| Stevens | Mr Hawking and Mr Fry | Examples of |
| Reynolds | Precipitation grabs | Rain holds |
| Kelly | Miss Clarkson | Kelly Clarkson |
| Lawson | Legal boy | Law son |
| Marfleet | Quick visit from an Irish mum | Ma fleet |
| Cumberbatch | Arrive via bundle | Come by batch |
| Gonzalez | Muppet, Mr Dennis | Gonzo, Les |
| Monaghan | One Mr Solo | Mono Han |
| Jasper | Saxophone cat noises | Jazz purr |
| Hazrati | Owns Egyptian god’s hot drink | Has Ra tea |
| O'Malley | Surprised by Mr Evens | Oh my, Lee! |
| Walsh | Tell the boundary to be quiet | Wall, shh |
